BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN
In her newly published 750-page book, “A Memoir of My Years in Washington: No Higher Honor,” former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice proudly describes her efforts to defeat Armenian Genocide resolutions on two separate occasions. With great relish, she brags about her success in undermining the acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide by the U.S. Congress in 1991 and 2007.
A close scrutiny of Rice’s arguments exposes her flawed judgment and ethical lapses. In her memoir, she relates that her first experience “with this problem” was in 1991, when she worked in the White House as acting special assistant to Pres. George H. W. Bush. Her task was “to mobilize an effort to defeat the resolution in the House of Representatives.” Gloating over her triumph, she depicts herself as battling “the powerful Armenian American lobby” that “has for years pressured Congress to pass a resolution branding the Ottoman Empire’s mass killings of Armenians starting in 1915 as genocide.” In reality, she had no need to counter what had already been acknowledged by the House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984, and by Pres. Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Rice proceeds to maintain that “there are many historical interpretations of what happened,” which is totally untrue, as there are no historical disputes on the Armenian Genocide — a universally acknowledged fact. Furthermore, Prof. Rice does not seem to realize that when she describes the Armenian “killings” as “clearly a brutal, ethnically motivated massacre,” she in fact is recognizing them as genocide, as defined under Article 2 of the UN Genocide Convention.
In her memoir, Rice attempts to justify her obstructionist maneuvers by explaining that the Turks “were outraged at the prospect of being branded for an event that had taken place almost a century before — under the Ottomans!” Instead of behaving as the spineless official of a banana republic, Rice should have sternly admonished the Turks that the United States would not distort historical facts to appease the paranoid leaders of an autocratic state!
Boasting about how well she “had succeeded” in her “assigned task,” Rice callously describes her appalling efforts in “fighting off the dreaded Armenian genocide resolution.” She makes a half-hearted attempt to minimize her ethical transgression by stating that no one denies “the awful events or the tragic deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent Armenians,” which even Turkish officials acknowledge. If she was aware that no one was denying the mass murder of Armenians, why was Rice so fervently determined to kill the resolution? She then parrots the nonsensical Turkish propaganda that this issue should be left to “historians — not politicians — to decide how best to label what had occurred.” Rice should have known that reputable historians the world over have already declared that the Armenian killings constituted genocide.
As Secretary of State in 2007, Rice once again battled against the adoption of an Armenian Genocide resolution. She reports that she “begged” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to prevent the House from voting on the resolution, but the Speaker rejected her request. Rice and Defense Secretary Bob Gates then delivered a press statement against the resolution, standing in front of the White House. She also got eight former secretaries of state to sign a joint letter opposing the resolution.
Rice proudly states in her memoir that she managed to block the vote on the resolution, in keeping with her promise to the Turks. Once again, instead of defending the noble values and high principles on which America was founded, the secretary of state of the most powerful nation on earth caved in to the diktats of a third world bully!
Concluding her narrative, Rice makes false accusation against Armenia’s leaders, claiming that “the democratically elected Armenian government had little interest in the resolution. In fact, it was engaged in an effort to improve relations with Turkey, and it didn’t need it either.” Rice is contradicting the U.S. government’s public announcement that the 2003 Armenian presidential elections did not meet international standards. Furthermore, the then Pres. Kocharian did not oppose the genocide resolution and was not seeking to improve Armenia’s relations with Turkey. In fact, a State Dept. official reported that during his meeting with Kocharian in Yerevan, the Armenian President was “in a foul mood” because the White House had just blocked the genocide resolution.
Rice is now a professor at Stanford University. Ironically, another Armenian Genocide denier, former Secretary of State George Shultz, is also at Stanford. Faculty members, students, alumni and donors should advise Stanford University officials that genocide deniers are not welcome at one of America’s most distinguished institutions of higher learning.
Readers are urged to fax Prof. Rice at 1-650-721-3390, expressing displeasure at her appalling efforts against U.S. acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide.
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Readers should start a class action against Ms. Rice and et al.
If it is not done already, I suggest organising protests at her book signings. Short window to do this.
filthy little neo-con criminal wannabe, can you expect anything better for this little tarball.
Mr. Sassounian makes some good points, however, the biggest objection of Mr. Rice’s “professorship” should come from Armenians. We should intellectually confront her at every lecture and every opportunity possible until she resigns just like Jews would en mass if this issue was about the Holocaust. Her lectures should be flooded with such confrontation regarding this issue, her office should be drowned in letters, her whole life should be made into an intellectual nightmare until she resigns from her post.
Great piece Mr. Sassounian, on point, accurate and direct. Professor Rice is trying to rewrite history and improve her tarnished image as former Secretary of State and National Security Adviser in the Bush II administration, but to no avail. Her latest book is doing nothing more but shedding light on her true colors. Her accomplishments as a diplomat have been credited to a failed foreign policy that until this day is costing us taxpayers billions of dollars. Where are the WMD’s right? That is probably what she will be most known for is fear mongering the general public about “smoke coming in the form of a mushroom cloud” in order to have a pre-text for the Iraq war, which will undoubtebly be her legacy.
On the issue of the Armenian Genocide, which cannot be argued nor debated internationally, it is sad for an African-American like herself to make these unfounded comments. African-Americans have shared similiar plight in that they have been prejudiced because of their race and origin. Therefore, as a person of color whos people have subjected to prejudice and genocide (Rwanda, Sudan), it was insensitive for her to make these remarks. If we cannot be “historians” then I guess maybe we should have tolerated slavery and other forms of injustices in US history because it ONLY happened 100 years ago right? Doesnt sound nice does it.
Hypocracy at its best, I wish that she hadnt gone the extra mile to deny the Armenian genocide. But we know what history will judge her by at least—failed diplomat.
Since the genocide happened “100 years ago”, slavery happened even longer than that, so in the best interest of America and the economy it is time the US get rid of programs like affirmative action and fire all those lazy good for nothing “workers” in the government who got their jobs with such a program. Maybe then puppets like pit-bull Condi and “where am I” Obama can get their jobs like everyone else – proper qualifications.
Great post!!Also, flood the dog with emails, letters etc………where is the influence of all those big shot US Armenians now……why is the late Governor Duekmakjian sooooo quiet….if you cannot stick up for your ancestry, you are , and always will be, a failure
I truly agree with you.
Your comment is a blow below the waist. It suggests that both Obama and Miss Rice are black, ergo beneficiaries of affirmative action programs and by association they are part of what you describe as “those lazy good for nothing “workers” in the government who got their jobs with such a program’. Stop being a racist for God sake. If you want respect, respect others and don’t be spiteful ignoramus.
I disagree……what respect is she deserving of when she brags about the denial of a genocide in which my forefathers were slaughtered??We are not as below the waist as we should be
While working for Bush, Dr. Condoleezza Rice had earned the infamous nickname of “Warrior Princess,” supposedly, reflecting strong nerves and delicate manners. I couldn’t agree with that White House’s label more, except to say that those “Condoleezza nerves” were not “strong”, but “wrong.” After all, Dr. Rice, a proponent of 2003 Iraq invasion with her WMD salesmanship, is the same “strong nerved delicate mannered” lady who is somewhat responsible today along with her boss “the W” for second-hand killing 655,000 innocent Iraqi civilians. As a 3rd generation Armenian genocide survivor, I am digging deep within my slaughtered great-grandparent’s souls to find forgiveness for you, Dr. Rice. The world needs better people than you. In fact, America has had ethically STRONG and morally UPRIGHT diplomats and ambassadors before, such as the likes of Mr. Henry Morgentau, who did not have to belittle nor demean a genocide that he witnessed nor did he brag about the barbaric killings of a race. My label for you, Condoleezza, is simple: ” Rice, kills a race twice. ” Congratulations!
We must all acknowledge that the US and its officials are only out to protect their interests. If their interests coincide with democratic values and human rights, then they promote this notion. On the other hand, if genocide and other violations get in the way of their interests, they simply discredit and spin the matter. It is naive for anyone to think that the US or any other human on this earth will work for the betterment of others without cause.
Typical of that woman and her kind… to brag, to pretend, to be full of herself. Her partisanship is obvious; diplomatically bankrupt, she should be accosted wherever and whenever and definitely make her proffership at Stanford to suffer the consequences for such an insensitive, brash, boorish conduct. She never failed as a public figure; she was a nondescript non starter from day one. A puppet, whose strings were pulled by others. Her only achievement as a crooked wannabe career diplomat was the negation of the genocide.
Why are the Turks so afraid of calling a mass murder of a race as “genocide”. Pathetic that an African would sell her principals only to keep a job … her principles are available to the highest bidder.
Armenians should have their act together. Reviewing the article and the comments, they were all Condoleezza Rice centric. Yet, Miss Rice clearly indicates in her memoir that at least in 1991, it was an assignment that was given to her by her then boss, George Herbert Walker Bush (the father) to kill the Genocide resolution. Later in 2007, rewarded by Bush the son as Secretary of State, she did the same thing with the approval of her boss the famous G.W. Bush. Between Papa Bush and Baby Bush, Miss Rice common to both, the Genocide issue got battered badly. With that in mind, I am baffled to say that majority of Armenians have “Republican” predilections despite the fact that when it comes to the Genocide issue it is the Democrats that support their cause in larger numbers.
Armenians have not resolved this schizophrenic dilemma they face between their pocket interests and emotional satisfaction. That is why they play the finger pointing Genocide denier game against individuals rather than policies. They have to make up their mind, politically speaking where their interests lie. If Armenians vote republicans to office, they are putting anti Genocide, oil interest dogmatist leadership in charge who openly will sell the Armenian cause for a few drops of oil. And do not kid yourselves, whether Azerbaijan or Turkey, there is a lot of oil interest at stake.
It is abundantly clear that with the 2010 victory of Republicans in Congress the Armenian cause took a big hit. Therefore, rather than “dump” on Miss Rice as Genocide denier thus giving her an ill deserved notoriety that will only add to increase the sales of her memoir, Armenians should have a joint policy to defeat those who are avowed Genocide deniers no matter what their “tax policies” or “anti Obamacare” positions are. They can do that at the alter of elections every two years. And they should practice this tactic of “defeating the rascals” in all 50 states by using their campaign donations to bring down those who are Genocide deniers in Congress rather than support those who make empty promises just to be elected. In one word, Armenians should put their money where their heart is or stop whining about this and that person being a Genocide denier. Whether a democrat or republican in Congress is a Genocide denier, they should work to defeat them and not consider any other issue of interest in making their choice who to support. Also, be cognizant that Genocide is active and doing well in the world and do not try to get Armenian patent rights on the term without aligning yourselves against any genocide that takes place, whether in Rowanda, Cambodians and modern Turkey against Kurds, for those in Congress who try to white wash fresh genocides will most certainly not rush to become Armenian Genocide claims defenders.
In many ways Ms. Rice’s attitude stems from the Armenians’ inability to organize themselves effectively and preempt such open manifestation of an outright contempt towards the Armenian Genocide in particular, and Armenian Americans in general.
This is a clear indication that our efforts are ineffective, and that we are simply petting our own backs for jobs done in a mediocre manner.
The fact that the Condoleeza Rices of the world permit themselves to openly espouse such an anti-Armenian viewpoint and proudly brag about having worked against us reflects the mediocrity of our own standards and actions, and clarifies what they think of our (dis)abilities.
Something has to change.
People should brag to Rice about the African slaves that were killed and raped during the slavery period in US. Given she loves to deny crimes of humanity, I’m sure she will love to hear it.
Much of what motivates the hostility of many US Diplomats towards Armenian-Americans is displacement. We get to receive the negativity they have for other more powerful groups. There is ultimately no substitute for getting Armenian-Americans elected to Congress, particularly the Senate. There are other groups in American life which can never be treated the way we are, because their members of Congress can hold the feet of the executive to the fire. Get as few as three senators elected (MA, NJ, CA) regardless of party and you will have a whole new dynamic in that dropping resolutions will still be possible, but it will come at a price — increased aid to Armenia, warnings to Azerbaijan about violence, and further restrictions on Turkish military access to the US.
With all due respect to everyone, protesting, and being disrespectful will not bring justice, therefore use the power of the mighty pen and paper to express yourselves. We need educated individuals to come to the forefront. Thank you.
Here is an idea: insure that her legacy is deeply controversial and negative by writing a book that makes the case against her. Kissinger will never be able to salvage his reputation and legacy due to Chilean and Cypriot writers who have dug up every bit of dirt on him. He will not be remembered for the brilliant academic he was but for the criminal he became. Let her and Schultz and whoever else harms us face the same prospects.