[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H2231-H2238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                84TH COMMEMORATION OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, today I come to the floor to again 
commemorate the anniversary of one of the darkest stains on the history 
of modern civilization, the genocide of the Armenian people by the 
Ottoman Turkish Empire.
  I greatly appreciate the strong support of so many of our colleagues 
in this effort, especially the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), 
my fellow cochairman of the Armenian Issues Caucus. I commend him for 
arranging this special order and for his continued dedication to these 
vitally important issues.
  I would also like to recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Radanovich) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) for 
introducing a resolution calling for a collection of all U.S. records 
relating to the Armenian genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish, as every Member does, that this special order 
did not have to take place. We would like to believe that such a 
tragedy could never have happened in the modern world because it is 
painful to accept that man is capable of committing and tolerating such 
atrocities.
  Unfortunately, we have seen over and over the tragic results of 
hatred and ignorance: the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, and today 
the ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. Far too often the so-
called civilized nations of the world have turned a blind eye.
  I cannot stand here at this moment and talk about genocide without 
mentioning a genocide which is happening right now before our eyes. 
Today the United States is not sitting by and simply watching this 
happen, unlike its reaction to the Armenian genocide 84 years ago. The 
United States is embarking on a new phase of foreign policy.
  This is perhaps, Mr. Speaker, the first time in all of human history 
that the greatest power in the world is not using its power with the 
aim of advancing itself and its own interests, but with the intent of 
protecting and defending a group of oppressed people. The American 
people can be proud that we are finally using every effort to stop the 
ethnic cleansing of innocent people. These efforts were not made in the 
past, resulting in the genocides of the Holocaust Rwanda, and Armenia. 
They are, thank God, being made today.
  Today, I come to the House floor to commemorate a very specific 
genocide which began on April 24, 1915. On that date, over 200 Armenian 
religious, political, and intellectual leaders were arrested in 
Istanbul and killed, marking the beginning of an 8-year campaign which 
resulted in the destruction of the ethnic Armenian community which had 
previously lived in Anatolia and Western Armenia. Between 1915 and 
1923, approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed and more than 
500,000 were exiled.
  The U.S. Government was aware of what was happening during these 
tragic years. U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, 
Sr. sent back graphic descriptions of death marches and mass killings, 
as did other Western diplomats. Although the U.S. and others voiced 
concerns about the atrocities and sent humanitarian assistance, little 
was actually done to stop the massacres.
  The Armenian genocide was the first genocide of the modern age and 
has been recognized as a precursor of subsequent attempts to destroy a 
race through an official systematic effort. We must call this what it 
was, genocide, and we must never forget that it happened. Congress has 
consistently demanded recognition of the historic fact of the Armenian 
genocide.

  The modern German government, although not itself responsible for the 
horrors of the Holocaust, has taken responsibility for and apologized 
for it. Yet, Mr. Speaker, the Turkish government continues to deny that 
the Armenian genocide even happened. This, unfortunately, is consistent 
with the Turkish government's position that it, today, has no problem 
concerning the rights of its Kurdish population.
  Armenia and Armenians will remain vigilant to ensure that this tragic 
history is not repeated. The United States should do all that it can in 
this regard as well, including a clear message about the historic fact 
of the Armenian genocide. We do Turkey no favors by enabling her self-
delusion, and we make ourselves hypocrites when we fail to sound the 
alarm on what is happening in Turkey today.
  Armenia, Mr. Speaker, has made amazing progress in rebuilding a 
society and a nation, a triumph of the human spirit in the face of 
dramatic obstacles. Armenia is committed to democracy, market economics 
and the rule of law. We must continue to take a strong stand in 
Congress in support of these principles and respect for human rights, 
and I am proud to stand with Armenia in so doing.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I join many of my colleagues today in 
remembering and acknowledging the atrocities endured by the people of 
Armenia earlier this century.
  Eighty-four years ago, on the night of April 24, 1915, the Turkish 
government placed hundreds of the most prominent public figures in the 
Armenian community under arrest. They were apprehended and sent to 
prison. In the end, most of these cultural leaders and scholars were 
executed. The most disturbing part is that these deaths were only the 
beginning as an attempted extinction of an entire civilization was to 
shortly follow. For this reason, April 24 is commemorated as the date 
of the beginning of the Armenian Genocide.
  The atrocities committed against the Armenian people during this time 
can be categorized as a genocide because such an organized killing of a 
people would require the central planning and resources only a 
government is capable of implementing. The Armenian Genocide was 
centrally planned and administered by the Ottoman Empire against the 
entire Armenian population under its rule. It was carried out during 
World War I between the years 1915 and 1918. The Armenian people were 
subjected to deportation, torture, massacre, and starvation. Hundreds 
of thousands of Armenians were forcibly moved from Armenia and sent to 
the desert to die of thirst and starvation. Others were methodically 
massacred throughout the region.
  Most estimates illustrate that one and a half million Armenians 
perished between 1915 and 1923. There were an estimated two million 
Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire prior to World War I, and more 
than one million Armenians were deported in 1915. Hundreds of thousands 
more were either killed or died of hunger or exhaustion.

[[Page H2232]]

  Even after the systematic and deliberate actions of the Ottoman 
empire and the millions of Armenian lives that were taken, there still 
remains a denial on the part of the Turkish government that this 
genocide actually occurred. This is a mistake. This is wrong.
  Our world today is filled with nations fighting against one another. 
The lives of thousands of men, women, and children are taken every day 
from these conflicts. If we hope to ever stop these merciless killings 
and ensure that lives can be saved, it is imperative that we 
acknowledge the perilous acts of our past. We can learn from our 
history and make sure that it never repeats itself.
  Today, I join my colleagues in condemning the atrocities committed 
against the Armenians and continue to emphasize our need to prevent 
similar tragedies from developing. We must recognize and openly 
acknowledge the atrocities committed against humanity before we are 
able to prevent them from happening again in the future.
  I am proud to have been able to participate in this special tribute 
to the Armenian community.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, once again I rise, along with 
my colleagues, in solemn commemoration of the events of April 24th, 
1915. On that day, a group of leaders of the Armenian community in 
Turkey was murdered. That fateful day marked the beginning. By 1923, 
about a million and a half Armenians had been killed and 500,000 more 
had been deported. The Armenian community of the Ottoman Empire was 
uprooted, as this bloody century witnessed its first genocide.
  Many survivors came to the United States to rebuild their lives. As a 
community and as individuals, they attained remarkable successes, 
contributing greatly to their new homeland and consolidating Armenians' 
longstanding reputation for resourcefulness and resilience. But they 
never forgot their roots or their ancient homeland or the terrible 
wrong done to them. Our remarks today demonstrate our solidarity with 
them as they grieve over their losses, even while contemplating how 
much Armenia and Armenians have accomplished in this century.
  Every commemoration of the Armenian Genocide is somber. But 1999's 
ceremonies are especially so. After all these years, after all the 
invocations and prayers, after all the memorials, it is horrifying to 
realize that the century is ending as it began. Once again, a 
government is using all its instruments of war against a civilian 
population solely because of its ethnic and religious affiliation. In 
Kosovo, marauding soldiers and paramilitary groups are terrorizing and 
killing men, women and children, in the implementation of a deliberate 
policy devised by truly evil people, led by Slobodan Milosevic. The 
twisted drive for ``purity'' is bad enough when reflecting the sincere 
convictions of intolerant and unenlightened masses of people; but it is 
somehow even more awful when stirred and manipulated by cynical 
politicians, determined to hang on to power and willing to employ 
literally any means--even the most unconscionably savage--to do so. The 
worst instincts of the human heart are claiming new victims, despite 
our earnest pledges that such atrocities would never happen again.
  In this century, Armenian Christians, European Jews, and Muslims in 
the former Yugoslavia--among others--have been singled out as targets. 
The fate that has befallen them all demonstrates the universality of 
the lesson of their suffering. If the international community ignores 
the massacre of minorities, its perpetrators will be emboldened. Though 
nothing can compensate the Armenians for the losses of the genocide, 
the sacrifice they made earlier this century helped change the world's 
consciousness. I pray that we have learned from the hard lesson taught 
us by the Armenians and their sufferings. Days of commemoration are 
meant to honor those who have gone before us, and hopefully the lessons 
learned will provide some solace to the grieving on this sacred day.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 84th 
anniversary of the Armenian Genocide that took place in Turkey between 
1915 and 1923. This antecedent for all subsequent 20th-century 
genocides began on April 24, 1915, when the rulers of the Ottoman 
Empire began the systematic and ruthless extermination of the Armenian 
minority in Turkey. By the end of the Terror, more than 1.5 million 
Armenian men, women, and children had been massacred and more than half 
a million others had been expelled from the homeland that their 
forbearers had inhabited for three millennia.
  Last weekend I traveled to the Kosovo war zone with other members of 
a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Delegation. The official 
briefings were important and informative; but the visit to a refugee 
camp was staggering. I saw whole landscapes of misery, broad vistas of 
suffering, vast panoramas of despair and destruction. Yet I heard very 
little. The silence was deafening. It was the sound of deep sadness. I 
was in Macedonia, but I suspect that the scenes I was witnessing are 
reminiscent of the Anatolian plateau circa 1920, when the Armenian 
population was experiencing a demographic disaster of Biblical 
proportions.
  As we enter the Third Millennium of the Christian Era, it behooves us 
to remember. If we ignore the lessons of the Armenian Genocide, then we 
are destined to continue our stumblings through the long, dark tunnel 
of endless ethnic-cleansings, genocides, and holocausts. Let us, then, 
remember to remember.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember and commemorate 
the Armenian genocide of 1915 through 1923. Each year, we pause from 
our legislative schedule to pay tribute to those killed in the terrible 
Armenian Genocide, which began in 1915 under the Ottoman Empire. We 
take time to remember those who were forcibly removed from their 
homeland and relocated, killed or imprisoned solely for their Armenian 
heritage. One reason we do this is to draw importance to the event so 
it never happens again. Unfortunately, we are in the midst of another 
ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.
  One and one half million people perished during the Armenian 
genocide. Virtually the entire Armenian population was eliminated from 
the Ottoman Empire in the eight years of the Armenian Genocide. This 
terrible point in history marked the first genocide of the 20th 
Century. It is a sad and shameful period in history. We must remember 
it, and work toward preventing such terrible atrocities in the future.
  In my district in Southwestern Illinois, there is a significant 
population of Armenian-Americans. I would like to pay special tribute 
to those survivors who eventually made their way to the 12th District. 
These survivors suffered terrible atrocities and upheaval. They have 
never forgotten their ordeal, and through them we hear their history. 
These survivors are an important link to a past that we cannot ignore. 
Many in the Armenian community in my district attend St. Gregory's 
Armenian Apostolic Church in Granite City, Illinois. St. Gregory's has 
a strong tradition of preserving Armenian heritage and remembering the 
atrocities of the Genocide of 1915-1923.
  I would like to mention that I am a cosponsor of Rep. Radanovich and 
Bonior's resolution which affirms the U.S. record on the Armenian 
Genocide. This important resolution calls on the President to collect 
and house all relevant U.S. records on the Armenian Genocide and 
provide them to the House International Relations Committee, the United 
States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Armenian Genocide Museum in 
Yerevan, Armenia. The legacy of the genocide must be remembered.
  Each year, my colleagues and I take to this floor to pay tribute to 
the victims of a terrible crime against humanity. This is just one way 
in which the Congress can continue to pay recognition to those who were 
killed during this terrible episode in Armenia's history. It is my 
sincere hope that we and future generations will never forget these 
atrocities.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my thoughts on one 
of the most atrocious events in human history--the genocide of the 
Armenian people. I would like to thank Mr. Porter of Illinois and Mr. 
Pallone of New Jersey, the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on 
Armenian issues, for holding this special order.
  It shames and saddens me to say that the human race is no stranger to 
genocide--the great purges in Russia, during which Stalin methodically 
killed millions of Russians; the holocaust, in which 6 million Jews 
were systemically slaughtered by the Nazis; and less well known, but 
certainly just as significant, the Armenian genocide in which 1.5 
million Armenians were exterminated by the Ottoman Turks.
  I feel a special kinship to the Armenian people. As many of you know, 
I am a Greek-American, and my ancestors, too, suffered at the hands of 
the Ottoman Turks.
  In fact, every March, I conduct a special order in this Chamber to 
commemorate Greek Independence Day. On that day, one hundred and 
seventy-eight years ago, the Greeks mounted a revolution which 
eventually freed them from the tyranny of the Ottoman Empire.
  Unfortunately, the Armenians were not as fortunate as their Greek 
brothers and sisters. This atrocity lasted from 1915 till 1923. In the 
end, one and one half million Armenians had been systematically 
eliminated and hundreds of thousands were driven from their homes by 
the Ottoman Turks. They were people like you and me. People with 
families and friends, hopes and dreams, and they were all destroyed by 
the Ottoman Turks.
  Today, I want to acknowledge this dark moment in history and remember 
the Armenian people who tragically lost their lives. We in Congress 
must always remember tumultuous moments in history where people 
suffered because they were different.
  Of course, we all want to forget these horrific tragedies in our 
history and bury them in

[[Page H2233]]

the past. However, it is only through the painful process of 
acknowledging and remembering that we can keep similar dark moments 
from happening in the future.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask that we take a moment to 
reflect upon the hardships endured by the Armenians. In the face of 
adversity the Armenian people have persevered. The survivors of the 
genocide and their descendants have made great contributions to every 
country in which they have settled--including the United States, where 
Armenians have made their mark in business, the professions and our 
cultural life.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to observe one of the 
most tragic events in our history, the Armenian Genocide, which took 
place during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. Each year on April 
24th, the Armenian community, along with their friends and supporters 
around the world gather in remembrance of the 1.5 million Armenians who 
lost their lives.
  The facts on the Armenian genocide are well documented. By the 
direction of the Ottoman Government, thousands of Armenian citizens 
were ruthlessly killed in their eastern Anatolian villages. Hundreds of 
thousands more were forcibly deported to Syria and then marched into 
the desert and abandoned without water, food, or shelter. This tragedy 
of history has left deep scars in the hearts and minds of its survivors 
and their descendants. In remembrance of one of the twentieth century's 
darkest chapters, we must make a commitment to ourselves and to our 
children that such atrocities will not be allowed to repeat themselves 
ever again.
  Following the war, hundreds of displaced Armenians came to the United 
States to rebuild their shattered lives. Their contribution, as well as 
that of their descendants, has greatly enriched American society. It is 
my hope that the memories of the past will serve to remind us of the 
importance of tolerance and respect for the diversity of our people.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my appreciation to Mr. 
Pallone and Mr. Porter for organizing this special order today to 
commemorate the Armenian genocide. This year, as NATO fights ethnic 
cleansing in Kosovo, it is especially important for us to remember the 
Armenian genocide, and to remember our promise of ``never again.''
  On April 24, 1915, more than two hundred Armenian religious, 
political, and intellectual leaders were arrested and killed. From 1915 
to 1923, 1\1/2\ million people lost their lives in the slaughter. 
Another half million lost their homes and property, and watched as the 
symbols of their religion and culture were destroyed.
  Anyone who has studied or discussed these tragic events 84 years 
ago--not to mention the preposterous historical revisionism that still 
exist to this day--can fully understand how important this tribute is 
to the Armenian community in this country, some of whom still live with 
the memories of the horror.
  Regrettably, the world's inaction in the face of these atrocities 
sent a message that human rights violations would be tolerated. The 
line from Armenia to Auschwitz is direct. When contemplating the 
destruction of the Jewish people, Hitler is reported to have said, 
``who remembers the Armenians?''
  This day is set aside to remind us that those who forget history are 
doomed to repeat it. As we speak, in Yugoslavia, Serbian President 
Slobodan Milosevic is engaged in gross violations of the human rights 
of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. The images splashed across our 
television screens and newspapers of ethnic cleansing, forced 
deportations, and random executions there are horrors for which the 
Armenian genocide was a tragic precedent.
  Today, we honor the memory of the victims of the Armenian genocide, 
and vow once more that genocide will not go unnoticed and unmourned. We 
gather today to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to fight all crimes 
against humanity.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. I rise today to join my colleagues in 
paying homage to the countless number of Armenians who were deprived of 
their freedom and senselessly killed because of their religious or 
political beliefs. The Armenian Genocide that occurred between 1915-
1923 represents a disgraceful period in world history that should not 
be ignored or distorted.
  Armenians have endured many hardships and unwarranted treatment by 
foreign countries throughout their history. This was most prevalent 
during the late 19th and early 20th century when Armenians were 
persecuted by Ottoman and Russian leaders for attempting to reform 
their political system. The Ottoman government, in particular, was 
responsible for causing the death of more than 1 million Armenians 
between 1915 and 1923. As disgraceful as these acts were, the Armenian 
people persevered and eventually seceded from the USSR to become an 
independent state. In 1992 they became a member of the United Nations 
and in 1995 held their first open legislative elections as an 
independent country.
  Although Armenia has made great strides to become an independent 
state, the scars of their past remain. The senseless acts of violence 
inflicted upon their ancestors deserve historical recognition. It is 
important to ensure that future generations are made aware of the 
countless number of Armenians who were killed because of their 
religious and political affiliation.
  With similar acts of human rights violations occurring in the Balkans 
and elsewhere, the world should never forget the atrocities that 
occurred in Armenia.
  Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I am once again rising to honor the 
anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide to remember the 1.5 million 
Armenian men, women, and children who were killed, and the additional 
500,000 Armenians who were forcibly deported by the Ottoman Empire 
during an eight-year reign of brutal repression.
  As history reveals, a group of Armenian leaders were forcibly taken 
into Turkey on April 15, 1915, and subsequently murdered. Over the next 
eight years, Armenians were deprived of their homes, their humanity, 
and ultimately their lives. In addition, post-World War I did not see 
those who were responsible come to justice. Although the Allied Powers, 
England, France, and Russia, jointly issued a statement that for the 
first time charged another nation with committing ``a crime against 
humanity,'' war criminals were never brought to justice. In years to 
come, firsthand sources indicate that Hitler proclaimed, ``Who, after 
all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians;'' thus allowing 
him to believe that his ``Final Solution'' could not only begin but 
also would be forgotten.
  It brings me great sadness to remark on these terrible events not 
only because of the tragedy itself but also because we are seeing 
history repeat itself in Kosovo. Genocides occur when humanity ignores 
the cries of those being exterminated and forgets to hold those 
responsible accountable. We cannot and should not let that happen 
again.
  As we in Congress grapple with the problems of today, I ask that we 
learn from the terrible events of yesteryear and move to educate 
today's generation about the lessons we have learned. The fact that the 
United States still hasn't even formally recognized the Armenian 
Genocide remains a stain on our heritage and the values we hold dear to 
us. It is for this reason that I am proud to be an original co-sponsor 
of the ``U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution'' that will be 
introduced this week. This resolution directs the President to provide 
a complete collection of all United States records related to the 
Armenian Genocide to document and affirm the United States record of 
protest and recognition of this crime against humanity. Co-sponsoring 
this resolution is a small step but an important one.
  In closing, I would like to thank Representatives Pallone and Porter 
for their ongoing support of Armenian issues and for organizing this 
special order remembering the people and events surrounding the 
Armenian Genocide. I am proud of my Armenian heritage and the 
contributions of so many Armenians to our great nation. It is my 
sincere hope that we not forget this tragedy and that we learn from it 
so that we never repeat its course.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on this somber occasion to 
pay tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide, and to remind our 
nation and the world about one of the greatest tragedies and darkest 
moments of the 20th Century.
  On April 24, 1915, the Armenian Genocide began. Within the next eight 
years, 1.5 million Armenians had been massacred and 500,000 more had 
been deported during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. They were 
denied their freedom, deprived of their possessions, and systematically 
massacred.
  For those who have spent years attempting to refute the facts or 
minimize the extent of this tragedy, the facts are indisputable. The 
Armenian Genocide is a fact, a disturbing fact. Those who deny it are 
guilty of historical sabotage, and just as guilty as those who continue 
to deny that six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust in 
Europe. I am certain that years from now some will also deny the human 
tragedy and ethnic cleansing taking place in Kosovo today.
  Many survivors of the Armenian Genocide came to America in search of 
freedom. Their

[[Page H2234]]

stories, passed from one generation to the next, serve as a record of 
the horrors faced by millions. Their stories will help in our efforts 
to ensure that history is not distorted and that future generations are 
fully aware of what truly happened.
  On this solemn day, I commend Armenian Americans for their 
contributions to our nation and join with them in paying tribute to the 
victims of the Armenian Genocide.
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand and join with my 
colleagues in commemorating the 84th anniversary of the Armenian 
Genocide. I would like to thank the other members of the Congressional 
Caucus on Armenian Issues, and particularly the co-chairmen Mr. Porter 
and Mr. Pallone, for their tireless efforts in organizing this fitting 
tribute.
  84 years ago Saturday, April 24, 1915, the nightmare in Armenia 
began. Hundreds of Armenian religious, political, and educational 
leaders were arrested, exiled, or murdered. These events marked the 
beginning of the systematic persecution of the Armenian people by the 
Ottoman Empire, and also launched the first genocide of the 20th 
century. Over the next eight years, 1.5 million Armenians were put to 
death and 500,000 more were exiled from their homes. These atrocities 
are among the most cruel and inhumane acts that have ever been 
recorded.
  As we reflect today on the horrors that were initiated 84 years ago, 
I cannot help but be disturbed by those who wish to deny that these 
deeds occurred. Despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary--
eyewitness accounts, official archives, photographic evidence, 
diplomatic reports, and testimony of survivors--they reject the claim 
that genocide, or any other crime for that matter, was perpetrated 
against Armenians. Well, History tells a different story.
  Let me read a quote from Henry Morgenthau, Sr., U.S. Ambassador to 
the Ottoman Empire at the time: ``When the Turkish authorities gave the 
orders for these deportations, they were merely giving the death 
warrant to a whole race; they understood this well, and, in their 
conversations with me, they made no particular attempt to conceal the 
fact.* * * ''
  The world knows the truth about this tragic episode in human affairs. 
We will not allow those who wish to rewrite History to absolve 
themselves from responsibility for their actions. This evening's event 
here in the House of Representatives is testament to that fact. We can 
only hope that the recognition and condemnation of this, and other 
instances of genocide, will prevent a similar instance from happening 
again as we move into the 21st Century. I would like to once again 
thank the organizers of this event and I would like to once again 
reaffirm my sincere thanks for being given the opportunity to 
participate in this solemn remembrance.
  Ms. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, April 24th marks the 84th anniversary of the 
Armenian Genocide, an act of mass murder that took 1.5 million Armenian 
lives and led to the exile of the Armenian nation from its historic 
homeland.
  It is of vital importance that we never forget what happened to the 
Armenian people. Indeed the only thing we can do for the victims is to 
remember, and we forget at our own peril.
  The Armenian Genocide, which began 15 years after the start of the 
twentieth century, was the first act of genocide of this century, but 
it was far from the last. The Armenian Genocide was followed by the 
Holocaust, Stalin's purges, ethnic cleansing in Kosovo, and other acts 
of mass murder around the world.
  Adolf Hitler himself said that the world's indifference to the 
slaughter in Armenia indicated that there would be no global outcry if 
he undertook the mass murder of Jews and other he considered less than 
human. And he was right. It was only after the Holocaust that the cry 
``never again'' arose throughout the world. But it was too late for 
millions of victims. Too late for the six million Jews. Too late for 
the 1.5 million Armenians.
  Today we recall the Armenian Genocide and we mourn its victims. We 
also pledge that we shall do everything we can to protect the Armenian 
nation against further aggression; in the Republic of Armenia, in 
Nagorno-Karabagh, or anywhere else.
  Unfortunately, there are some who still think it is acceptable to 
block the delivery of U.S. humanitarian assistance around the world. 
Despite overwhelming international condemnation. Azerbaijan continues 
its blockade of U.S. humanitarian assistance to Armenia.
  It is tragic that Azerbaijan's tactics have denied food and medicine 
to innocent men, women, and children in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabagh, 
and created thousands of refugees. The U.S. must stand firm against 
Azerbaijan's brazen violations of international law until it ends this 
immoral blockade. We must make clear that warfare and blockades aimed 
at civilians are unacceptable as means for resolving disputes.
  Mr. Speaker, after the Genocide, the Armenian people wiped away their 
tears and cried out, ``Let us always remember the atrocities that have 
taken the lives of our parents and our children and our neighbors.''
  As the Armenian-American author William Saroyan wrote, ``Go ahead, 
destroy this race.* * * Send them from their homes into the desert.* * 
* Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh again, 
see if they will not sing and pray again. For, when two of them meet 
anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.''
  I rise today to remember those cries and to make sure that they were 
not uttered in vain. The Armenian nation lives. We must do everything 
we can to ensure that it is never imperiled again.
  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise somberly to remember and commemorate 
the tragedy of the Armenian Genocide.
  During the final years of the Ottoman Empire, from 1915-1923, 1.5 
million Armenians had been massacred and 500,000 more were forcibly 
removed from their native land. April 24 is the day which is annually 
remembered by not only the world's Armenian community, but by people 
all over the world who hold basic human rights sacred. On this day in 
1915, hundreds of Armenian leaders and intellectuals were arrested in 
Constantinople and killed. Additionally, thousands more were murdered 
in the streets. The attempt at systematic extermination of the Armenian 
people was conducted over the next eight years.
  The lack of an international response to this disaster is 
frightening. Hitler saw this as proof that he could carry out the 
holocaust with no consequences, and, like tyrants afterward, used the 
Armenian Genocide as a blueprint for his campaign of terror.
  Unfortunately, the Turkish government, despite overwhelming evidence, 
refuses even today to acknowledge that the genocide ever occurred. The 
disaster we commemorate today has sadly been repeated often throughout 
the century. Today we sometimes refer to it as ethnic cleansing, but it 
all adds up to the same result--mass murder. We see this terror 
continue throughout the world today. In Somalia, Hutus systematically 
murdered hundreds of thousands of Tutsis, and afterward received 
refugee assistance from the United Nations once the Tutsis gained 
control. The massacre of Christians and other peoples in Somalia by 
Muslims goes practically unnoticed by the world.
  Today we must make sure that we never forget the Armenian Genocide, 
and work to ensure that individuals who commit these atrocities are 
brought to justice.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the Houston on this 
very sad day. In Colorado, parents are grieving their murdered sons and 
daughters. In the Balkans, Albanian refugees are running for their 
lives, having been kicked out of their homes by Serbian thugs who rape, 
torture, and kill their former neighbors. In central Africa, civil wars 
are rocking the Cargo furthering the horror started there by the 
genocidal murders of Hutus and Tutsis. In China, North Korea and Cuba, 
communist dictators continue to deny their citizens basic human rights 
and imprison anyone who dissents.
  That is the world today. But I rise, joining my colleagues, to remind 
the world of a genocide that happened 84 years ago in the part of the 
world we now call Turkey. On April 24, 1915 more than 200 Armenian 
religious, political and intellectual leaders from Constantinople--what 
is Istanbul--were arrested and sent into exile. By silencing the 
leading representatives of the Armenian people, the government of the 
Ottoman Empire was able to proceed with its premeditated and methodical 
extermination of the Armenian people. Between 1915 and 1923, more than 
1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were deported, forced into 
slave labor concentration camps, tortured, and murdered. The goal of 
this atrocity was to remove all traces of the Armenian people and their 
rich heritage from Anatolia.
  At the time, the world had not coined such terms as concentration 
camps, genocide, ethnic cleansing or holocaust. It is tragic that in 
this century we have had to come up with new words to describe Man's 
inhumanity to Man. And it is tragic that as we end this century, 
history is repeating itself as Serbs in Yugoslavia unleash their 
cruelty upon the Kosovar people.
  It is vital that we remember the countless victims of the Turkish 
genocide against the Armenians. We honor the memory of those killed and 
the bravery of those who, having been forced out of their homes and off 
their land, traveled throughout the world and re-established themselves 
in distant lands far from home.
  We remember, Mr. Speaker. We remember and we speak here today so that 
History will record that 80 years later, the victims of this genocide 
are not forgotten. It is important that people like Mr. Slobodan 
Milosevic and other tyrants around the world realize that we do not 
forget and we will not let the world forget the evils they perpetrate 
against their own people.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise along with many of my colleagues, 
to commemorate

[[Page H2235]]

the Armenian Genocide of 1915-1923. Many of us here are already quite 
familiar with the details: on April 24, 1915, 84 years ago this week, 
over two hundred Armenian religious, political, and intellectual 
leaders were executed by the Turkish government. This mass execution 
was not an isolated incident, but rather was the beginning of a 
systematic campaign perpetrated by the Ottoman Turk government. These 
executions had also been preceded by a historic pattern of persecution 
officially sanctioned by the Ottoman Sultan. To Armenians around the 
world, April 24th marks the start of an organized campaign by the 
government of Ottoman Turkey to completely eliminate the Armenian 
population from the Ottoman Empire. During the following eight years, 
from 1915-1923, 1.5 million Armenians lost their lives, whether 
directly or indirectly at the hands of the Ottoman government.
  I stand here before my colleagues to also praise the efforts that we 
make today to end persecution and genocide around the world. I rise not 
as a Democrat or a Republican, but as a human being, honoring the 
memory of those massacred, so that this will never happen again. It is 
our responsibility and obligation as humans to acknowledge these tragic 
events in history and to ensure that the memories of those massacred 
are honored and respected for all time. In that light, we must not 
allow the Turkish government's denials of the Armenian genocide to go 
unanswered. Explaining away the Genocide as a series of internal 
conflicts during and after WW I that caused the unfortunate death of 
many Armenian people, not only insults the memories of the victims and 
survivors, but also offends our own sensibilities. It is therefore our 
responsibility to ensure that events such as the Armenian Genocide are 
not forgotten and NEVER repeated. As a Congressman, a Jew, and as a 
person, I stand here today to honor the memory of those who have been 
massacred by totalitarian governments throughout history. In fact, 
there are many comparisons between the suffering of the Armenian people 
and the Jewish people. Quite simply, just as we pledge to never forget 
the tragedy of the Holocaust, we must also not let the Armenian 
Genocide go unacknowledged, as that would be the equivalent of 
forgetting. The obvious lesson in this is that we must not ever turn 
our backs to the suffering of any people. In fact, I think this lesson 
resonates loudly in our actions today in Kosovo.
  Lastly, I want to thank my colleagues, Congressmen John Porter and 
Frank Pallone, for leading this effort in the House of Representatives. 
Their combined leadership on the Armenian Issues Caucus makes us all 
proud to work together on this issue of concern to all human beings.
  Mr. MARKEY. Mr. Speaker, I join Armenians throughout the United 
States and around the world on this solemn day of remembrance 
commemorating the genocide of innocent Armenian people perpetrated 
during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. On this day, the 84th 
Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide committed in Ottoman Turkey from 
1915 to 1923, it is crucial that we recall the horrific events of this 
dark chapter in world history and dedicate ourselves to preventing such 
atrocities in the future.
  History shows that in 1915 the systematic massacre of Armenian 
political, religious, and intellectual figures began. This slaughter 
continued until 1923, although the memories of this campaign of terror 
still haunt us today. From 1915-1923, the Armenian population was 
expelled from their homeland. One and a half million Armenians lost 
their lives and over 500,000 surviving refugees rebuilt their lives 
outside of Armenia, many of them coming to the United States to build 
their new homes. The Armenian-American population, many of whom reside 
in my district, have prospered in the United States and contributed to 
our cultural enrichment, enhanced our diversity and become strong 
members of our society.
  Despite the calculated effort to banish the Armenian people from 
their land and eradicate Armenian culture and tradition, today the 
Republic of Armenia is striving to establish a strong and progressive 
nation committed to establishing democratic institutions and ideals. 
The Armenian government has launched a program of industrial reform, 
privatized agricultural land, and made substantial progress in small-
enterprise privatization. Armenia has also made an effort to take steps 
to resolve the Karabagh conflict and moved to stabilize its economy 
based upon free market principles. I am proud we are here today to 
demonstrate American solidarity in our support of Armenian efforts to 
achieve a bright future.
  As we acknowledge the 84th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, we 
join with our Armenian friends in remembering those who lost their 
lives as a result of this terrible tragedy. While we reflect upon the 
past and commit ourselves to learning from the history of this 
humanitarian disaster, we also look forward to a brighter future for 
Armenia. We look forward to a time in which Armenia will, we hope, grow 
prosperous, achieve economic strength, and, above all, enjoy peace.
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, in a dark time in Europe, a nation slowly 
collapsed. At this tumultuous time of great societal transformations, 
uncertain futures, and with governmental change looming on the horizon, 
leaders fell back on the one proven weapon that assured their personal 
survival. It is a weapon that feeds upon fear, desperation, and hatred. 
It transforms the average citizen into a zealot, no longer willing to 
listen to reason. This weapon is, of course, nationalism. It's result 
is ethnic strife and senseless genocide, committed in the name of false 
believes preached by immoral, irresponsible, reprehensible leaders.
  Today I rise not to speak of the present, but in memory of the 
victims of the past, who suffered needlessly in the flames of vicious, 
destructive nationalism. On April 24, 1915, the leaders of the Ottoman 
government tragically chose to systematically exterminate an entire 
race of people. We gather in solemn remembrance of the results of that 
decision, remembering the loss of one-and-a-half million Armenians.
  The story of the Armenian genocide is in itself appalling. it is 
against everything our government--and indeed all governments who 
strive for justice--stands for; it represents the most wicked side of 
humanity. What makes the Armenian story even more unfortunate is 
history has repeated itself in all corners of the world, and lessons 
that should have been learned long ago have been ignored.
  We must not forget the Armenian genocide, the holocaust, Rwanda, or 
Bosnia. Today, on this grim anniversary, we must remember why our armed 
forces fight in the skies over Yugoslavia.
  We must not sit idly by and be spectators to the same kind of 
violence that killed so many Armenians; we must not watch as innocent 
Kosovars are brutalized not for what they have done, but simply for who 
they are. Ethnic cleansing is genocide and cannot be ignored by a just 
and compassionate country. We owe it to the victims of past genocides 
to stamp out this form of inhumanity.
  It is an honor and privilege to represent a large and active Armenian 
population, many who have family members who were persecuted by their 
Ottoman Turkish rulers. Michigan's Armenian-American community has done 
much to further our state's commercial, political, and intellectual 
growth, just as it has done in communities across the country. And so I 
also rise today to honor the triumph of the Armenian people, who have 
endured adversity and bettered our country.
  But again, Mr. Speaker, it is also my hoe that in honoring the 
victims of the past, we learn one fundamental lesson from their 
experience: Never Again!
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in 
commemorating the 84th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
  We observe the Armenian genocide today so as not to forget. We 
remember the horrific conflagration that engulfed the lives of 1.5 
million innocent Armenian men, women, and children so that governments 
around the world will know that they will be held accountable for their 
bloody deeds by the consciousness of mankind. In one of the darkest 
chapters of the 20th century, the government of the Ottoman Empire 
systematically implemented a policy of extermination against its 
Armenian population through ruthless marches of forced starvation and 
endless waves of bloody massacres.
  Over 8 decades have now come and gone since the tragic event unfolded 
and, yet, the Turkish Government continues to deny the undeniable. The 
Armenian genocide is a historical fact that has been indelibly etched 
in the annals of history. If cannot be erased from our collective 
memory.
  To heal the open wounds of the past, the Turkish Government has a 
moral obligation to acknowledge and recognize the Armenian genocide. 
Turkey must come to terms with its past. It must also come to terms 
with its present actions against the Republic of Armenia.
  The government of Turkey should immediately lift its illegal blockade 
of Armenia, which it has had in place since 1993. Turkey must also stop 
obstructing the delivery of United States humanitarian assistance to 
Armenia. This is not only unconscionable but it also damages American-
Turkish relations. Turkey is indeed an important ally of the United 
States. However, until Turkey faces up to its past and stops its silent 
but destructive campaign against the Republic of Armenia, American-
Turkish relations will continue to be strained.
  Mr. MOAKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues in 
remembering the Armenian people who lost their lives in one of 
history's greatest atrocities, the Armenian genocide. Today, the 
importance of such a commemoration could not be more timely, as our 
brave troops in Yugoslavia struggle to stop another similar atrocity. 
As new reports of ethnic cleansing, torture and rape continue to arise 
in the Balkans, I believe it is especially important that the United 
States officially recognize this horrible episode.

[[Page H2236]]

  Mr. Speaker, despite attempts to minimize its effect, the Armenian 
Genocide is a historical fact. This was an episode so terrible that our 
ambassador to the Ottoman Empire at the time, Henry Morgenthau, 
commented, ``The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem 
almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian 
race in 1915.''
  On April 24, 1915, Turkish officials arrested and exiled more than 
200 Armenian political, intellectual and religious leaders. This 
symbolic cleansing of Armenian leaders began a reign of terror against 
the Armenian people that lasted for the next 8 years, and resulted in 
the death of more than 1.5 million Armenians. In the assault, another 
500,000 Armenians were exiled from their homes.
  Acts of deportations, torture, enslavement and mass executions 
obliterated the Armenian population and changed the world forever. 
These mass exterminations and incidents of ethnic cleansing are the 
first examples of genocide this century, and have often been referred 
to as the precursor to the Nazi Holocaust.
  Mr. Speaker, the accounts by survivors of this incident are 
chillingly similar to those we are currently hearing from those lucky 
enough to escape Milosevic's terror in Yugoslavia. It is amazing how 
often history will repeat itself, and how often we don't listen to the 
past. The memory of the Armenian Genocide, no matter how cruel and 
brutal, must serve as a lesson to us all to never ignore such actions. 
We owe that to the Armenian people who showed such bravery in a time of 
great pain and tragedy.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on this occasion each year we remember the 
terrible events that took place in Ottoman Turkey 84 years ago.
  While the rise of independent Armenia just 8 years ago serves as a 
clear symbol of the Armenian nation's will to survive, the tragic 
events that occurred over 80 years ago should not be forgotten--and 
have not been forgotten.
  Beginning in 1915, the decaying Ottoman Empire, in a final struggle 
against its own disintegration, engaged in a genocidal campaign of 
executions and attacks against many of its ethnic Armenian residents in 
a vain effort to turn the tide of the First World War.
  Those attacks, while failing to turn the tide of war, resulted in the 
loss of tens of thousands of lives of innocent men, women and children.
  This special order today honors those victims and commemorates their 
untimely deaths.
  Mr. Speaker, as I have said on earlier occasions, I am hopeful that, 
as we today honor the memory of those who lost their lives long before 
the Armenian nation regained its independence, we can nonetheless look 
forward to that day when the new, independent Republic of Armenia and 
its people will live in peace with their neighbors--a peace that will 
never see Armenian men, women and children subjected to the horrors and 
atrocities their ancestors experienced over 80 years ago.
  Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce that later this 
week I will be joined by my colleagues Mr. Rogan, Mr. Bonior, Mr. 
Pallone and a bipartisan group of legislators in introducing 
legislation to affirm the U.S. historical record on the Armenian 
Genocide.
  We take this step to bring together in a collection all the U.S. 
records on the Armenian genocide and then to provide this collection to 
the House International Relations Committee, the U.S. Holocaust 
Memorial Museum, here in Washington, DC, and the Armenian Genocide 
Museum in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.
  In so doing, we reaffirm the principled stand taken by U.S. 
diplomats, religious leaders, and government officials during the years 
of the Genocide, and in the years since that terrible tragedy.
  Our archives contain extensive documentation of the widespread 
opposition to Ottoman Turkey's brutal massacres and deportations. They 
contain, as well, records of the unprecedented efforts of the American 
people to bring relief to the survivors of this, the century's first 
genocide. As many in this Chamber know, the United States led the 
international humanitarian campaign to aid those who escaped the 
Genocide, the countless thousands who found refuge in the camps and 
orphanages established through the generosity of the American people.
  In introducing this legislation, we also take a stand against those 
who would, in a cold political calculation, deny genocide, past or 
present. By affirming the U.S. historical record of the Armenian 
Genocide, we challenge this denial and reinforce our national resolve 
to prevent future genocide.
  Please add your name today as a cosponsor of this legislation and 
join with me at the Armenian National Committee's Genocide Observance 
being held this evening in the Rayburn House Office Building.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, April 24, marks the 84th 
anniversary of the beginning of the Armenian genocide. I rise today to 
commemorate this terrible chapter in human history, and to help ensure 
it will be forgotten.
  On April 24, 1915, the Turkish government began to arrest Armenian 
community and political leaders. Many were executed without ever being 
charged with crimes. Soon thereafter the government deported most 
Armenians from Turkish Armenia, ordering that they resettle in what is 
now Syria. Many deportees never reached that destination. From 1915 to 
1918, more than a million Armenians died of starvation or disease on 
long marches, or were massacred outright by Turkish forces. From 1918 
to 1923, Armenians continued to suffer at the hands of the Turkish 
military, which eventually removed all remaining Armenians from Turkey.
  We mark this anniversary of the start of the Armenian genocide 
because this tragedy for the Armenian people was a tragedy for all 
humanity. It is our duty to remember, to speak out and to teach future 
generations about the horrors of genocide and the oppression and 
terrible suffering endured by the Armenian people.
  We should not be alone in commemorating these horrific events. We 
will know that humanity has progressed when it is not just the 
survivors who honor the dead but also when those whose ancestors 
perpetrated the horrors acknowledge their terrible responsibility and 
honor as well the memory of genocide's victims.
  Sadly, we cannot say that such atrocities are history. We have only 
to recall the ``killing fields'' of Cambodia, mass ethnic killings in 
Bosnia and Rwanda, and ``ethnic cleansing'' in Kosovo to see that the 
threat of genocide persists. We must renew our commitment never to 
remain indifferent in the face of such assaults on humanity.
  We also remember this day because it is a time for us to celebrate 
the contribution of the Armenian community in America--including 
hundreds of thousands in California--to the richness of our character 
and culture. The strength they have displayed in overcoming tragedy to 
flourish in this country is an example for all of us. Their success is 
moving testimony to the truth that tyranny and evil cannot extinguish 
the vitality of the human spirit.
  Surrounded by countries hostile to them, to this day the Armenian 
struggle continues. But now with an independent Armenian state, the 
United States has the opportunity to contribute to a true memorial to 
the past by strengthening Armenia's emerging democracy. We must do all 
we can through aid and trade to support Armenia's efforts to construct 
an open political and economic system.
  Adolf Hitler, the architect of the Nazi Holocaust, once remarked 
``Who remembers the Armenians?'' The answer is, we do. And we will 
continue to remember the victims of the 1915-23 genocide because, in 
the words of the philosopher George Santayana, ``Those who cannot 
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.''
  Mr. LEVINJ. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with my colleagues in 
Congress, Armenian Americans in my district, and Armenians all over the 
world as we commemorate the 84th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
  Between 1894 and 1923, approximately 2 million Armenians were 
massacred, persecuted, or exiled by the Ottoman Empire. Today, fewer 
than 80,000 declared Armenians remain in Turkey. The Eastern provinces, 
the Armenian heartland, are virtually without Armenians. There are 
still Armenian refugees and internally displaced persons in Russia, an 
issue not well-known internationally. They face extreme difficulties 
and hardship.
  The years since the Armenian Genocide have magnified its tragedy, not 
diminished it. It is true for the hundreds of thousands who lost their 
lives as well as their families for whom the void can never be filled.
  It also has been true for all the world. The Holocaust of the 1930's 
and 1940's has been followed by a number of genocides in the last three 
decades. The failure of the Turkish government to acknowledge the 
sinful acts of its predecessors sent the wrong message to the rulers of 
Cambodia, Rwanda and Yugoslavia. It is especially poignant at this time 
to observe and remember the Genocide against the Armenian people in 
1915 as the world watches man's inhumanity to men, women and children 
in Kosovo in 1999.
  The failure of countries of the world to take prompt notice of these 
modern atrocities should remind all of us of the failure of other 
nations to promptly acknowledge the massacre of Armenians in the 
Ottoman Empire.
  There is more that the United States can do to ensure that history 
does not forget the Armenian genocide. Along with Representatives 
Bonior and Radanovich, I will shortly join as an original cosponsor of 
the ``United States Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution.'' This 
legislation calls on the President to collect all U.S. records on the 
Armenian Genocide and provide them to the House International Relations 
Committee, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the 
Armenian Genocide Museum in Yerevan, Armenia.
  It is the duty of all of us to join Armenian Americans in remembering 
the Armenian

[[Page H2237]]

genocide. We have been fighting this battle for formal acknowledgment 
by the Turkish government for many years. We must not give in until the 
battle is won.
  Mr. DOOLEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my 
colleagues in commemorating the 84th anniversary of the Armenian 
genocide.
  Like the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide stands as a historical 
example of the human suffering which persecution and intolerance have 
brought far too often this century.
  One and one-half million Armenian people were massacred by the 
Ottoman Turkish Empire between 1915 and 1923. More than 500,000 
Armenians were exiled from a homeland that their ancestors had occupied 
for more than 3,000 years. A race of people was nearly eliminated.
  However great the loss of human life and homeland that occurred 
during the genocide, a greater tragedy would be to forget the Armenian 
genocide took place. As recent events in the Balkans illustrate, to 
ignore the horror of such events almost assures their repetition in the 
future. Adolf Hitler, in preparing his genocide plans for the Jews, 
predicted that no one would remember the atrocities he was about to 
unleash. After all, he asked, ``Who remembers the Armenians?''
  Our statements today are intended to preserve the memory of the 
Armenian loss, and to remind the world that the Turkish government 
still refuses to acknowledge the Armenian genocide. The truth of this 
tragedy can never, and should never be denied. The ethnic Albanian 
refugees of Kosovo attest to the suffering which accompanies forced 
exile.
  This 84th anniversary also brings to mind the current suffering of 
the Armenian people, who are still immersed in tragedy and violence. 
The unrest between Armenia and Azerbaijan continues in Nagorno-
Karabakh. Thousands of innocent people have already perished in this 
dispute, and still many more have been displaced and are homeless.
  In the face of this difficult situation comes an opportunity for 
reconciliation. Now is the time for Armenia and its neighbors, 
including Turkey, to come together, to work toward building 
relationships that will ensure lasting peace.
  Meanwhile, in America, the Armenian-American community continues to 
thrive and to provide assistance and solidarity to its countrymen and 
women abroad. Now numbering nearly 1 million, the Armenian-American 
community is bound together by strong generational and family ties, an 
enduring work ethic, and a proud sense of ethnic heritage. Today we 
recall the tragedy of their past, not to place blame, but to answer a 
fundamental question, ``Who remembers the Armenians?'
  Let us take this opportunity today to contemplate the Armenian 
genocide, and with the global community standing as witnesses, affirm 
that we do remember them.
  Mr. WEYGAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in somber recognition of the 
beginning of the Armenian genocide. This horrific tragedy claimed the 
lives of over one million Armenians in a nine-year campaign of 
systematic persecution, expulsion, and violence, and displaced at least 
a further 500,000 Armenians from their historic homeland in eastern 
Turkey.
  Few Americans are aware that the Holocaust of World War II was in 
fact the second genocide of this century; for political reasons, the 
United States government has long refused to recognize the Armenian 
exterminations and expulsions as a genocide. Make no mistake: this 
persecution was not the accidental and unfortunate by-product of a 
period of upheaval and chaos. From 1915 through 1923, the Young Turk 
government of the Ottoman Empire attempted to erase all trace of the 
Armenian people and culture from Turkey. In order to achieve this goal, 
government forces engaged in direct killing, starvation, torture, and 
forced death marches. The term ``genocide'' constitutes the only means 
sufficient to describe such an outrage, and the suffering of the 
Armenian people dictates that we acknowledge the Armenian genocide as 
such.
  While paying tribute to the victims of the Armenian genocide, 
however, we must not forget to celebrate the fortitude and persistence 
of the Armenian people who have survived and thrived in spite of this 
persecution. The United States has a large Armenian-American population 
which has made significant and positive contributions to their 
communities and to this nation as a whole. The Republic of Armenia 
struggled through the turmoil of the dissolution of the Soviet Union to 
emerge as a force for democracy and a strong civil society in that 
region. The Armenian people have transformed tragedy into triumph, and 
I salute the power of their spirit.
  As many of my colleagues may recognize, this anniversary becomes 
particularly poignant in light of the ongoing crisis in the Balkans 
today. I am reminded of the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, who 
observed, ``* * * the Armenian genocide was the greatest crime of the 
war, and the failure to act against Turkey is to condone it * * * the 
failure to deal radically with the Turkish horror means that all talk 
of guaranteeing the future peace of the world is mischievous 
nonsense.'' Sadly, these words are all too applicable to the situation 
we now face in Kosovo and Serbia.
  Hitler, when outlining the strategy that culminated in the ``Final 
Solution,'' reportedly remarked: ``Who today remembers the 
extermination of the Armenians?'' Today, let us all prove Hitler wrong 
by not only remembering and mourning the Armenian genocide, but also by 
continuing our efforts on behalf of the Kosovar people to ensure that 
such a tragedy can never again be visited upon any people in this 
world.
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I stand with my colleagues today to 
remember the Armenian genocide which occurred between 1915 and 1923.
  Eighty four years ago the Ottoman Empire began a systematic eight-
year purge of Armenians within its borders. Ultimately, 1.5 million 
men, women and children were executed. In addition, 500,000 Armenians 
were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in other countries. 
Many of those refugees came to the United States. In the decades since, 
these immigrants have made innumerable contributions to American 
society.
  This first genocide of this century of genocides demonstrates the 
depths of brutality and evil that humanity can reach. By remembering 
it, we remember how important it is to work to prevent such evil from 
recurring.
  I have a special connection to the fate that befell the Armenians, as 
my family has also fallen victim to ruthless genocide. My family was 
nearly destroyed by the genocide that Hitler led throughout Europe 
against the Jews. Two of my grandparents were killed in the Holocaust. 
My father survived the extermination of his village by the Nazis and my 
mother spent the war fleeing the Nazis by going deeper and deeper into 
Russia. I was born in a displaced-persons camp in Germany after World 
War II.
  Today, we look across the world and see history repeating itself in 
the most horrific terms. We are in the midst of a battle in the Balkans 
to confront the genocide being carried out by Yugoslavian President 
Slobodan Milosevic.
  However, even the most terrible events can have a ray of hope for the 
survivors. We can look at Armenia today and see that a people can 
indeed be restored after suffering such a devastating blow. After the 
genocide, the Armenians were oppressed for decades by the Soviet Union, 
but they persevered. Finally, in 1991, the Armenian people voted for, 
and achieved, their independence. Their young republic was the first of 
the former Soviet republics to achieve economic growth. This is a proud 
people, and with good reason. They are survivors--survivors who look to 
a brighter future, but who will never forget what happened. As you can 
see by the outpouring in Congress today, Mr. Speaker, we won't forget 
either.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of honor, 
compassion and resolve that I rise to speak on the floor of our United 
States House of Representatives on behalf of the 1.5 million Armenian 
victims of the 1915 genocide. As a member of the Congressional Armenian 
Caucus, I am deeply honored to represent a large Armenian community 
located in the city of Montebello in my 34th Congressional District.
  Together with my colleagues, I share a heartfelt compassion for the 
tremendous suffering visited upon the Armenian populations as a result 
of the systematic and deliberate campaign of genocide by the rulers of 
the Ottoman Turkish Empire during the period of 1915 to 1923. Let no 
succeeding generation forget these unspeakable atrocities, nor seek to 
deny the terrible truth of its occurrence.
  The United States Archives are replete with material documenting the 
Ottoman Turkish government's premeditated exterminations, including the 
executions of the Armenian leadership in Istanbul and other Armenian 
centers, and the male population conscripted into the Ottoman Army. The 
surviving women, children and elderly were sent on horrific death 
marches through the Syrian Desert and subjected to rape, torture and 
mutilation along the way.
  Mr. Speaker, the Armenian-American communities throughout the United 
States, as well as all people of goodwill, stand firm in our resolve 
not to let the world forget the Armenian genocide of 1915. In 
solidarity with the countless victims of the Jewish Holocaust, the 
Cambodian genocide and the present massacres being committed in Kosovo, 
we must continually recognize these crimes against humanity and 
reaffirm the American people's commitment to steadfastly oppose the use 
of genocide anywhere in the world.
  It is altogether fitting that on this last anniversary of the 
Armenian genocide of 1915 in this 20th century, and in recognition of 
the atrocities being committed in the Balkans today, to restate from 
this same floor of the House, the truly memorable words of our late

[[Page H2238]]

colleague, the Honorable Les Aspin, then chairman of the House Armed 
Services Committee on April 28, 1992:

       We look back in order to memorialize those who died under 
     Ottoman rule, to restate that they shall not have died 
     unmourned and unnoticed, to shout that millions of us, 
     Armenians and non-Armenians alike, will never forget.
       We look forward to declare that this must never happen 
     again, that the deaths of one and a half million people must 
     serve as a perpetual warning to the world, alerting us to the 
     threat of evil and uniting us to combat anyone who might 
     again think of committing wholesale murder.

  Mr. Speaker, in remembrance of those Armenian leaders executed during 
the genocide of 1915, I am honored to recognize some of the outstanding 
Armenian-American leaders of today, who have contributed so much to the 
betterment of our nation, our beloved state of California and our 
communities in the 34th Congressional District.
  In particular, I wish to honor the Most Reverend Archbishop Lapajian, 
and the Reverend Babouchian, Pastor of the Holy Cross Armenian 
Apostolic Cathedral in Montebello, California for their faithful 
spiritual guidance.
  And, it is appropriate to recognize two former Armenian-American 
elected officials who made an enormous contribution to the State of 
California and the communities of the 34th Congressional District, the 
Honorable George Deukmejian, who served as a Member of the State 
Assembly, state Senator, Attorney General and Governor of California; 
and the Honorable Walter J. Karabian, who served as Majority Leader of 
the California State Assembly. Their exemplary service has been a 
beacon of hope to all that wish to realize the American dream of 
opportunity and success.
  In addition, I am pleased to recognize the service of the Honorable 
Tom Malkasian, City Treasurer of the city of Montebello, and member of 
the board of the Armenian Mesrobian School.
  I have also recently had the privilege to visit several worthy 
leaders and institutions of the Armenian community in my district 
including Raffi Chalian, President of the Armenian National Committee; 
David Ghoogasian, Principal of the Armenian Mesrobian School; Anita 
Haddad, Co-Chairwoman of the Armenian Relief Society; Manouk 
Zeitounian, leader of the Homenetmen Athletics and Boy Scouts; Joseph 
Gharibian, Member of the Board of Representatives of the Holy Cross 
Armenian Apostolic Cathedral; and most significantly, Lucy Der 
Minassian, Co-Chairwoman of the Armenian Relief Society, and herself a 
survior of the Armenian genocide of 1915.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing let every American stand with our Armenian 
brothers and sisters noting this anniversary throughout the world, 
together with the victims of torture and genocide whenever and wherever 
it occurs, to honor their precious memory, in compassion for their 
terrible suffering, and with unflinching resolve to never, never 
forget.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, today, we solemnly observe the Armenian 
genocide, a tragedy that took place nearly 84 years ago.
  The courage and strength of the survivors and the memory of those who 
perished are an inspiration to all of us to stand up here today. It is 
our task to make sure that the Armenian genocide will never be 
forgotten.
  Over 6 million people of Armenian descent live in this country. Many 
of them can still recount the persecution they faced from the Ottoman 
Empire and the stories of the night of April 24, 1915, the night the 
genocide began.
  In observance of this date, we must remember the hard lessons learned 
from this tragedy so that we will never forget our duty to fight 
against human rights abuses, ``ethnic cleansing,'' genocide and other 
crimes against humanity.
  As we support the brave men and women fighting to stop the genocide 
of ethnic Albanian's in Kosovo, we see that genocide is not simply a 
sad chapter in history. The lessons of the Armenian genocide are ever 
salient. In the Kosovo case, our country's message must be clear. When 
a leader decides to erase a race of people from the earth, we will 
react with all due force and determination to make sure that leader 
fails.
  The blood of genocide victims stains not only the hands of the 
perpetrators, but also those who do nothing to stop it. We can not wash 
our hands of this tragedy. We must remember the crimes of the past and 
work to end all types of genocide. This includes dedicating ourselves 
to ending the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, we must never forget what happened to the 
Armenians 84 years ago, just as we must never overlook the human rights 
violations which are happening today in all corners of the world.

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