Biden says U.S. must reaffirm its record on Armenian Genocide

Biden says U.S. must reaffirm its record on Armenian Genocide

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Vice President Joe Biden has written a letter to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) declaring that: “The United States must reaffirm, once and for all, our record on the Armenian Genocide.”

"Thank you for your commitment and continued leadership to strengthen the U.S.-Armenian relationship," Biden said in a letter addressed to ANCA.

"At a time when democratic principles are under attack around the world and decades of progress are at risk, bold leadership in defense of our shared values and our shared vision for the future is more important than ever.

"The United States must reaffirm, once and for all, our record on the Armenian Genocide. We must never forget or remain silent about this horrific and systematic campaign of extermination that resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children and the mass deportation of 2 million Armenians from their homes.

"If we do not fully acknowledge, commemorate, and teach our children about genocide, the words "never again" lose their meaning. The facts must be as clear and as powerful for future generations as for those whose memories are seared by tragedy. Failing to remember or acknowledge the fact of a genocide only paves the way for future mass atrocities."

As a Senator, Biden consistently supported issues of special concern to Americans of Armenian heritage.

Hovever, the Obama-Biden Administration– over the course of two full terms in office – pivoted hard against the spirit and letter of its high-profile campaign pledge to recognize the Armenian Genocide, deepening official U.S. complicity in Turkey’s genocide denials and ongoing obstruction of justice for this crime.

The Armenian Genocide

The Armenian Genocide (1915-23) was the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I. It was characterized by massacres and deportations, involving forced marches under conditions designed to lead to the death of the deportees, with the total number of deaths reaching 1.5 million.

The majority of Armenian Diaspora communities were formed by the Genocide survivors.

Present-day Turkey denies the fact of the Armenian Genocide, justifying the atrocities as “deportation to secure Armenians”. Only a few Turkish intellectuals, including Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk and scholar Taner Akcam, speak openly about the necessity to recognize this crime against humanity.

The Armenian Genocide was recognized by Uruguay, Russia, France, Lithuania, Italy, 45 U.S. states, Greece, Cyprus, Lebanon, Argentina, Belgium, Austria, Wales, Switzerland, Canada, Poland, Venezuela, Chile, Bolivia, the Vatican, Luxembourg, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Sweden, Venezuela, Slovakia, Syria, Vatican, as well as the European Parliament and the World Council of Churches.

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