Politics 13:24 02/03/2010

If Turks had not denied the Genocide, CBS wouldn’t have aired this show

Turks have only themselves to blame for their unhappiness with the airing of a revealing program on the Armenian Genocide by CBS on February 28.


Were it not for the Turkish government’s constant denials and distortions, the Armenian Genocide could have become a forgotten episode in world history. Yet, because Turks refuse to face their crimes and persist in concocting outrageous lies, fair-minded people everywhere take various measures to set the record straight, as CBS did in “60 Minutes” last Sunday. As long as Turks continue their refusal to acknowledge the truth, they will suffer the indignation of being called mass murderers and genocide deniers by the international community -- an deserved punishment for committing such heinous crimes, and then covering them up! The Triumvirate of executioners of the Armenian nation -- Talaat, Enver, and Jemal -- could have never imagined that millions of people around the world, a century later, would still remember the dastardly crimes they committed in 1915?


It was noteworthy that several days before CBS aired this program, Turkish organizations were already urging their members to write to the network’s executives to complain about the segment on the Armenian Genocide, even though they had no clue about its content! The well-known Armenian saying, "kogh sirde togh," aptly describes this bizarre Turkish behavior. Loosely translated, this expression characterizes "a thief afraid of being exposed." With a guilty conscience, Turks constantly fear of being blamed for committing genocide and loudly proclaim their innocence, long before anyone accuses them of perpetrating such a crime.


The 12-minute segment on the Armenian Genocide totally debunked the Turkish myth of innocence in a most dramatic fashion. CBS correspondent Bob Simon along with Prof. Peter Balakian traveled all the way to Deir Zor, Syria -- “the Armenian Auschwitz” -- where they uncovered bone fragments of Armenian victims, by simply scratching the surface of the desert sand with their fingertips.


The shocking images must have left an indelible mark on the minds of millions of viewers. Fast talking Turkish denialists could not wipe away what the audience saw with their own eyes! No one could believe former Turkish Ambassador Nabi Sensoy’s deceptive words, that Armenians were not killed but simply deported. When pressed by Bob Simon, Sensoy first dismissed the significance of the unearthed bones, and then tried to couch his falsehoods in an aura of respectability by stating that UN’s definition of genocide required the element of "intent." He finally admitted that many Armenians "perished," but that was not the Turks’ intent. How could 1.5 million men, women, and children, rounded up from all corners of the Ottoman Empire, vanish into thin air? Turkey’s Ambassador to Washington, who was unceremoniously dismissed from his post after that interview, conveniently forgot to mention another clause of the UN definition of genocide: "Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction." It is regrettable that CBS provided a national platform to this genocide denialist -- something it would never do when airing a program on the Holocaust. Would CBS put on the air a Nazi or a Holocaust denier to present "the other side of the story?"


Of course, it is not possible to cover all facets of the Armenian Genocide in 12 minutes. The segment on “60 Minutes” could have been even more devastating to the Turks, had the producers of been a bit more diligent in their investigation. For example, it is not true that "no U.S. President has ever uttered the word genocide." It is well known that Pres. Reagan, in his Presidential Proclamation of April 22, 1981, made reference to the Armenian Genocide.


Bob Simon also stated that Turkish-instigated political pressure blocked the passage of a congressional resolution on the Armenian Genocide in 2007. What he neglected to mention were the two resolutions that were adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1975 and 1984. When Simon asked the Turkish envoy why eight former U.S. Secretaries of State had rallied behind Turkey to kill the 2007 resolution, Amb. Sensoy responded by pointing to Turkey’s importance to the United States. He was implying that geopolitical considerations far outweighed the loss of 1.5 million lives!


Finally, Bob Simon wrongly asserted that the Armenia-Turkey Protocols contained a clause calling for the formation of a historical commission "to rule on whether a genocide took place." Although this clause is vaguely worded, it does not call for the establishment for such a fact-finding commission.


Regardless of these errors, millions of Americans who watched the program must have come away with the clear understanding that in 1915 the Turks had engaged in "race extermination," as U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau had reported to the State Department.


In order to counter the negative Turkish comments inundating CBS, readers are urged to send e-mails thanking "60 Minutes" for its enlightening program that effectively fights genocide denial. To view the TV program and send a comment, please click on: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6253043n.


We also thank Prof. Balakian for his eloquent explanations and for accompanying the CBS crew to the Syrian desert.

By Harut Sassounian
Publisher, The California Courier


 



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:00
This year's EU happiness index is out
The happiest and least happy nations in the European Union have been revealed - and the results might surprise you. Austria, Poland and...
16:58
Jubilee concert to mark Hovhannes Chekidjian's anniversary
The National Opera and Ballet Theater of Armenia will host a jubilee concert on 23 December to mark the 95th birth anniversary...
16:36
Circular nomadism a unique trillion-year-old culture of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan's biggest complex is its lack of history. Outraged by it, Azeris shout it out on social media and in public statements that...
16:05
Israel destroys largest mosque in Gaza
Israeli war jets destroyed on Friday the oldest and largest mosque in the Gaza City, Xinhua reported, citing Palestinian security sources....
15:36
France announces €15 million in additional aid for Armenia
France will continue its support for Armenia and the Armenian people following the November 30 vote in Parliament, providing €15 million in...
15:00
Armenia will continue its commitment towards genocide prevention – Foreign Ministry
Today is the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime....
14:36
Armenian GM Tigran Harutyunyan among leaders of Roma Citta Aperta
Armenian GM Tigran Harutyunyan is among the leaders of the International Chess Festival Roma Citta Aperta. Tigran has 5.5 points out of...
14:06
Expert comments on joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan
The joint statement by the Armenian prime minister’s office and the Azerbaijani presidential administration cannot mark the launch of...
13:31
Whistleblowers are not 'snitchers', Armenian lawyer insists
The event dedicated to the International Anti-Corruption Day organized within the framework of the National Awareness Campaign on the...
12:57
Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem visits Cows' Garden
His Beatitude Archbishop Nourhan Manougian, the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, on Friday made a surprise visit to the barricaded Cows’...
12:38
OSCE ready to help Armenia, Azerbaijan continue dialogue
The OSCE stands ready to help as a platform for continued dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Foreign...
12:15
Erdogan calls France's military assistance to Armenia 'provocation'
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed France's dispatch of armored personnel carriers to Armenia as a...
11:53
Khachaturyan to attend Argentine president's inauguration
Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan is paying a working visit to Argentina on December 9-12, the presidential office reports....
11:30
Bloomberg reveals world's richest families in 2023
Move over, Waltons. Another family has emerged as the richest dynasty in the world. For the first time, the House of Nahyan has joined...
11:15
Stepantsminda-Larsi highway closed to trucks
The Rescue Service has warned drivers of a closed road in Armenia as of Saturday morning. In particular, the road linking the Amberd high...
11:00
UN chief welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement to normalize relations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan to improve their relations, Xinhua...
17:00
Apple plans major expansion of iPhone production in India
Apple is planning to produce more than 50 million iPhones in India annually, a report has claimed, adding that the company aims to reach this...
16:58
Missing Armenian soldier's father still hopes for his son's return
Garik Ayvazyan, the father of Armenian soldier Pap Ayvazyan who went missing during the 2020 Artsakh war, searched for his son's name in the...
16:36
Expert accuses int’l community of ignoring human rights violations in Armenia
Constitutional law expert Gohar Meloyan has warned of recurrent human rights violations in Armenia and accused the international community of...
16:04
NATO welcomes joint statement by Armenia, Azerbaijan
NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia Javier Colomina has welcomed the joint statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan....
15:36
Russia welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization efforts
Russia on Friday voiced support for an agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which announced this week that they would exchange prisoners of...
15:16
Political technologist links Russia's silence over Armenian-Azeri deal to Ruben Vardanyan
The joint statement by the offices of the Armenian premier and the Azerbaijani president was welcomed by the EU, the U.S. and Turkey. Russia has...
14:30
Hunter Biden faces second criminal case
Federal prosecutors have filed tax charges against Hunter Biden, a second criminal case against the US president's son, BBC News...
14:15
Rep. Pallone calls for U.S. security assistance to Armenia
Congressman Frank Pallone has called for U.S. security assistance to Armenia to ensure a lasting peace in the South Caucasus. "Glad to...
13:59
Kazakh president accepts Pashinyan's invitation to visit Armenia
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Friday held a phone call to discuss bilateral ties....
13:36
Armen Gyulbudaghyants takes charge of Armenia's U-21 football team
Armen Gyulbudaghyants has taken charge of Armenia's U-21 football team and BKMA Yerevan. He will also act as FFA sports director and will...
13:15
U.S. welcomes release of Armenian, Azeri soldiers
The United States welcomes the statement by Armenia and Azerbaijan of the release of two Azerbaijani and thirty-two Armenian...
13:05
Return of Armenian POWs 'a matter of hours or days', MP says
The repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) from Azerbaijan will take place within a short time, senior pro-government MP Sargis...
12:35
EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has welcomed the prisoner swap agreement...
12:17
8 injured in multi-vehicle crash in Armenia
Eight people were injured after a five-vehicle collision in Armenia’s Aragatsotn Province on Friday morning. The Rescue Service of...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}