The Colorado Chapter of the Armenian Assembly of America is taking Rep. Doug Lamborn to task for being a flip-flopper. This group has been working for years to insure the United States recognizes the Armenian genocide that occurred between 1915 and 1923 under the Ottoman Empire. Estimates state that there were as many as 1.5 million Armenians killed in the genocide and US Archives contain many records of the genocide.
In fact, for the past 6 years, including 4 when Rep. Lamborn was a state Senator, the Colorado General Assembly has adopted a joint resolution endorsing a reaffirmation of the Armenian genocide. This year, the Colorado Chapter bragged about Colorado becoming only the second state in the nation to have its entire congressional delegation sign on as cosponsors of resolutions reaffirming the United States position and urging the Bush administration to make it US foreign policy.
Now, there are legitimate foreign policy issues on both sides of this issue. Turkey is key in the Iraq war and is a key ally in the region, so upsetting them is a dangerous game. On the other side, standing up to genocide wherever it occurs is an important human rights issue, especially for a nation that claims a Christian heritage.
Rep. Lamborn in October withdrew his cosponsorship. Lamborn has bragged about being a man of conviction and standing up when others don't, only this time he is the one doing the caving. Turkey is opposed to this resolution and has been for many years. It is no secret they deny any genocide ever occurred and they oppose the resolution. So, why did Lamborn sign on to the bill in Feb 2007. Either he did not do his homework and had no idea what he was signing onto and its ramifications, or he merely caved to pressure from Turkey. Given that he had to vote on this issue 4 times in the state legislature and had over a year in office before signing on to the bill, it sure seems hard to believe he was not aware of the ramifications. If he wasn't, then what does that say about his work in the state Senate? Either way, he sure comes out looking like a buffoon!
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