THE IRAQI ARMENIANS WILL NOT BE ALONE
The US Armenians feel themselves responsible for the damage caused to the Armenian community of Iraq during the American military invasion.
In the US congress the lobbying of the issue of adopting a law supposing assistance to the Armenian community of Iraq suffered because of the military actions is being continued. Several members of the House of Representatives formed an initiative group for elaborating a draft law on allocating $20 million for the needs of Iraqi Armenians. However, they did not get the necessary support of the administration. The Armenians of Bagdad and Mosul have to count on themselves and their foreign fellow-countrymen only. The Armenian community of the US continues to collect money to help them.
The Central administration of the Fund of Armenian aid initiated a campaign in the USA for collecting money for the Iraqi Armenians. Hundreds of Armenians living in different cities of America made their contributions. The money will be spent first of all in order to recover the Armenian schools and educational institutions. It is planned also to help those Armenians who lost their homes. So, the Armenian of America undertook the functions that according them their country should have undertaken. In the beginning of summer they sent a message to President Bush urging to suppose a certain sum for the Armenian community within the framework of the program on after-war rehabilitation of Iraq. However, the administration did not react. The White house has forgotten that besides Muslims, there also Christians living in Iraq. While the Armenians suffered a lot during the invasion. Four Iraqi Armenians have died, their houses were destroyed. Being the 4th big ethnical group of Iraq, the Armenians were not even claiming to participate in the formation of the temporary government and expressed their readiness to recognize any legitimate authority. This fact should have been appreciated by Washington. The price of the issue is $20 million. "The Armenians of Iraq do not have a vote in the formed governing council of the country and that is why they are worrying about their security and main rights, - the letter of the House of Representatives addressed to their colleagues reads, - $20 million is the sum that will allow to maintain them".
However, the United States will hardly agree to compensate the harms caused to the Armenian community of Iraq. However, the American Armenians will not remain indifferent, as they believe they have certain responsibilities for their compatriots. So, it turns that the Bush administration has just ignored the leaders of Armenian organizations struggling for the national interests of America.
However, the United States will hardly agree to compensate the harms caused to the Armenian community of Iraq. However, the American Armenians will not remain indifferent, as they believe they have certain responsibilities for their compatriots. So, it turns that the Bush administration has just ignored the leaders of Armenian organizations struggling for the national interests of America.
