U.S. Distances Itself From Envoy's Genocide Recognition

Well, today's Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Armenian Report probably won't surprise many people. The US Ambassador, John Evans, has had to distance himself from comments made recently referring to the massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire as Genocide.

"Misunderstandings may have arisen as a result of comments made by me during recent informal meetings with Armenian-American groups in the United States regarding the characterization of the Armenian tragedy in Ottoman Turkey and the future status of Nagorno Karabakh," he said in a statement.

"Although I told my audiences that the United States policy on the Armenian Genocide has not changed, I used the term "genocide" speaking in what I characterized as my personal capacity. This was inappropriate," he added.

However, acording to RFE / RL, one source does not rule out the possibility that the US Ambassador was "testing the water" for the State Department with what is now being described as his own personal opinion. True, well-trained diplomats rarely put their feet in their mouths by contradicting the official line.

The full article can be read here.

Posted by Onnik on March 01, 2005 | TrackBack | Email to a friend