A video showing an Armenian activist talking to Vice-President Joe Biden was posted on YouTube earlier today. In the video, Biden says, “The Turks have to come to the realization of what the reality is.”
He also makes the stunning revelation that Armenia’s president called him, asking the Obama Administration to refrain from recognizing the Armenian Genocide on the eve of the roadmap agreement and President Obama’s April 24 statement.
The full text of the exchange between Biden and the activist follows.
Question: “I’m Armenian, and I want to thank you for the work you did in the Senate. I have a question. I am very involved in the Armenian American community and as you know we’ve been…”
Vice-President Biden: “Oh, I know.”
Question: “… we’ve been very, very burned. I want to know what is the message that we should be giving to our community?”
Biden: “What you should be giving to your community is that we are not backing off. The Turks have to come to the realization of what the reality is. And what we got to do is, you know, this, the compromise that was going on and being worked at for a while… Tell them that it was the ArmenianPresident that called me and said ‘Look, do not force this issue now, while we are in negotiations. We passed. That’s past right now.’ So anyway, reality has a way of intruding.”
Joe Biden is full of it. It’s election time and he has to pander for votes. If he is not backing off, how come i can’t hear him use the word GENOCIDE in this video.. Yes reality has a way of intruding. I used to respect him. As it turns out, he is just another windbag, that’s all…
I say baloney. Another attempt by the obama administration to cover their behinds in respect to their broken promises to the Armenian community of the US.
I didn’t believe the “sellout” rhetoric before but after hearing this from Biden, Serzh really did sell us out to the Turks.
The usual empty words.The Armenian president fell for the turkish trickery AGAIN.
Wait and see ,when April 24 2011 approaches,they will pull another fast one .You guys are so naive,to fall for this. The ARF was right from the beginning to oppose the protocol trick.If you guys fall to this again,then you deserve it.
Incorrigible Joe Biden!
Everyone should take this Youtube video with a grain of salt. Things can be taken out of context. President Sarkissyan probably thought that the Protocols were a done deal when he called the VP. Now he knows that no Protocol can be a done deal unless the Armenian people says so.
Let’s be careful not to fall in traps meant to divide the Diaspora and Armenia further.
It is encouraging that Biden realizes that the “truth” cannot be covered for too long, and nothing can overcome the strong will of a people.
Everyone, keep up your efforts in fighting for our just cause.
Well said Katia K.
Politicians twist words and even outright lie as a matter of course.
Don’t believe anything Biden says; like the other writer noted, he could have easily used the words ‘Armenian Genocide’….
Democrats are desperate, so Biden had to manufacture something … from bits and pieces of conversations … to mollify Armenian-American voters.
Everybody: Stay United, Stay United, Stay United – against external threats.
Throughout our history, whenever we have allowed ourselves to be divided by outside interests, we have been weakened and lost much.
When we have closed ranks and presented a united front, we are immovable as Mount Ararat.
Best recent example: when Turks/Azeris attempted a 2nd Genocide against Artaskhtsi; had we fallen for attempts to divide us then, we’d now be begging ‘world leaders’ to recognize a 2nd Armenian Genocide, and to do something about it.
Instead, our brothers and sisters of Artsakh are alive and free.
Thank you Mr. Biden 🙂
Turkey has to have her past in order to have a meaningful present and future. The USA should also review her policy with regards to the Armenian Genocide. I don’t believe that Obama refrained from recognising the Armenian Genocide just because Serj Sarkissyan told him to do. We all know the lethal combination of policies and the dirty politics that go on behind stopping this great historical tragedy to be recognised once and for all. Don’t kid yourselves and most important, don’t kid us!!!!!!!!!!
“Tell them that it was the ArmenianPresident that called me and said ‘Look, do not force this issue now, while we are in negotiations. We passed. That’s past right now.’ So anyway, reality has a way of intruding.” Joe Biden
What did the Vice President mean with that comment? Was he saying that the Obama administration was forcing this on us, and the Armenian president said do not force (recognize) this issue (Genocide) now, because we’re in negotations?
“So anyway, reality has a way of intruding.” Joe Biden. What reality is he refering to? I think a clarification is in order from the Vice-President’s office.
I’ve heard about the Armenian President calling on a US President to recognize the Armenian Genocide but for our very own President Sarkisian to call Biden up and urge him not to recognize the truth is just plain ludicrous. Did the Turks spend one penny lobbying Washington to ignore truth during the signing of the so called protocols or did benevolent Sarkisian help the Turks out during this economic downturn and agree to do their work for them pro bono?
Have you no shame Sarkisian?
Either Serge Sargsian is lying, or Biden is. We need some clarification from the White House and Armenia.
I just do not believe this VP guy.
Now he does not have any excuse, trying to blame armenian president.
That is ridiculous.
We all know what Mr. Biden promised to get elected including Mr Obama and Mrs klinton, they all tricked Armenians.
And just upon that we should vote for them??? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Any Armenian who believes this garbage- 6 days before the midterm election- is a FOOL, plain and simple.
Very well said
I agree with Harry, what does Biden mean when he said, reality has a way of intruding?? So disappointing.
Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us!
Hello ANCA, any comment?
I think Joe Biden is not telling the truth.
It would be interesting to ask Mr. Biden to reveal “the stenographies and recordings of all official phone conversations of U.S. Vice President”, as “Armenian President’s Administration gives its official consent to publish the mentioned phone conversation’s recording.” (see the link below)
http://www.aysor.am/en/news/2010/10/27/president-biden/
If both parties want to get out dry out of the water it will we decided that the translators of the phone conversation did a poor job.
Every self respecting Armenian should press more clarification of this issue and evidence to the contrary if any… Any one fallowing the events of the now “frozen” Armenian-Turkish protocols will clearly remember how the Sarkisyan administration was using all the resources available to it (legal or illegal) to force the protocols on the Armenian nation, they also will remember how the Armenian administration was playing with words on its position of the Armenian genocide recognition and its fundamental place for the Armenian nation. Everyone clearly remembers that the Armenian president and its administration/ the coalition, only started talking and emphasizing the genocide issue well after they were badly fooled and in the process embarrassed when the Turks cleverly tricked them, left them alone in the room, scrunching their …
As much as everyone knows that there are no angels on any sides specially when one talk about politics and politicians, IE / Vice President Joe Biden, or the rest of President Obama / administration, I think it is the President Sarkisian’s office that should publicize any recorded tape of the conversation. The Ball is in the President Sarkisian’s court and not the Vice-President Biden’s.
Couldn’t agree with you 1,2,4. Armenian President’s Administration publicly labeled Biden as a liar. It is now up to Biden to clear his name or to swallow the insult.
Ara jan, lol
You might have had a point if either of the two parties had any credibility or for that matter any dignity left…
And then again, I think after all said and done, Vice-President Biden/ President Obama and rest of the Administration are not the President of Armenia, or have a constitutional obligation, like President Sarkisyan ( chapter11 of Armenian constitution) in connection to the Armenian Genocide. As much as everyone hoped that the Obama administration will be more honorable then it’s predecessors in keeping their pre election pelage, the genocide issue never was nor anytime will be a responsibility, a central issue for them like it is, and always will be for any Armenian president. America’s President is not accountable to the Armenian nation, the Armenian President is. Beggars can’t be choosers after all.
Armenian nation everywhere always has and always will expect Armenia’s President to come true on this issue 100%, may the name of a President be SERJ, POGHOS , PETROS or MARTIROS…
Don’t be surprised if Mr. Biden tells later I mean after elections are over “Oh, you know guys I was supposed to say that Turkish president called me. I’m an old guy, have problems with memory, sorry about it”. I for instance do not believe that Mr. Sarkissian would have said such a thing to him. But wait and see what kind of noise will ANC make out of this.
Biden is lying at least in the part where he says that Sargsyan called him. Biden called Sargsyan twice on April 20 and April 23, 2009. The rest is on the record and at least the Armenian side does not object the release of the tape to media. Does Biden have reservations? Why? If the protocols were the obstacle to the US recognition, then why did not Joe Biden do so last year on April 24 when the protocols were frozen beyond repair?
I read it in Asbarez,
(A video showing an Armenian activist talking to Vice-President Joe Biden was posted on YouTube earlier today. In the video, Biden says, “The Turks have to come to the realization of what the reality is.”
Question: “I’m Armenian, and I want to thank you for the work you did in the Senate. I have a question. I am very involved in the Armenian American community and as you know we’ve been…”
Vice-President Biden: “Oh, I know.”
Question: “… we’ve been very, very burned. I want to know what is the message that we should be giving to our community?”
Biden: “What you should be giving to your community is that we are not backing off. The Turks have to come to the realization of what the reality is. And what we got to do is, you know, this, the compromise that was going on and being worked at for a while… Tell them that it was the ArmenianPresident that called me and said ‘Look, do not force this issue now, while we are in negotiations. We passed. That’s past right now.’ So anyway, reality has a way of intruding.”)
If this so-called “Armenian Activist” character is really exist, then Why he or she doesn’t come out of his Mouse-hole and throw light on this …”Tazzag” (excuse my Tikranagerd language Mr Biden, if not your invention) news? instead goes on pasting the news on a You Tube.
For this very reason those liars should be voted out, they think their old strategy of divide and conquer still works, taking Armenians as naive and simple minded, though they claim to be university grads I bet they cannot spell Armenian Genocide,,