ARMENPAC accused Tancredo of caving in to pressure from the Turkish lobby on the Armenian Genocide resolutions (Senate Resolution 106 and House Resolution 106):
"I have no doubt in my mind that Congressman and Presidential candidate Tom Tancredo caved in to the lobby of a foreign government. That is the only logical explanation for the sudden and unexplained withdrawal of support for the Armenian Genocide recognition legislation. Recognition of a genocide that took the lives of 1.5 million people isn't one of those issues that legislators tend to flip-on. Either you understand that it happened and you recognize the value of having it reflected in our foreign policy to ensure that it never happens again – or you don’t.," said ARMENPAC Rocky Mountain Regional Director Pamela Barsam-Brown.
"Those of us in the Armenian community who work with legislators on this issue know how they are constantly pressured by the Turkish lobby to withdraw their support, and we commend those who have remained steadfast in their support in the face of denial. Obviously Congressman Tancredo, who has Presidential aspirations, felt that he could no longer lend his support to an issue he once believed in after the representatives from a foreign government came calling. I can only assume that this type of purposeful indecisiveness is what we can expect if Mr. Tancredo is ever elected President," concluded ARMENPAC Executive Director Jason Capizzi.
http://www.armenpac.org/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?id=EEApAukyFVsQXDKQTs
ARMENPAC failed to research Tancredo before accepting Tancredo as a co-sponsor of the resolution. Time will tell whether Turkish political leaders would blunder by allying themselves with Tancredo. Tancredo avoided military service in Vietnam using a mental excuse. Tancredo is a strong supporter of the Iranian Communist MEK (MKO, PMOI, NCRI, Rajavi Cult, or Pol Pot of Iran) terrorists. The State Department has had the MEK on the list of terrorist organizations since the administration of former President Bill Clinton. The MEK has committed atrocities in Iran and in Iraq. Tancredo cannot claim to be ignorant about the issue of genocide. Even the New York Times reported in 2003 that many Iranians regard Massoud Rajavi as the Pol Pot of Iran.
“Erdogan enlists U.S. Jews’ support for opposing the Armenian Genocide Resolution”28.09.2007
PanARMENIAN.Net has reported that Turkey’s prime minister met in New York on Wednesday with representatives of the American Jewish community to discuss this issue: Conference of Presidents, the Appeal of Conscience, the Foundation, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Congress, and Bnai Brith International. Erdogan described genocide recognition claims as baseless, suggested the creation of a joint commission of Turkey and of Armenia to study historical facts, and requested the Jewish community to support Turkey’s position. Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that the ADL regards the events of 1915 ‘as being tantamount to genocide’ but that members of Congress are not historians and should not be voting on such resolutions.
"The Prime Minister also recalled Turkey’s call to Armenia to establish a joint commission to study historical facts, and stated that Turkey expected the Jewish community to confirm its support," a statement issued after the meeting said. Following the meeting, Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), said that “at times there could be disagreement between friends, referring to the League’s had accepted the events of 1915 ‘as being tantamount to genocide’. A quotation from Foxman included:
‘I believe that we should focus on the future, not the past. If the Jewish community, the United States and the Congress are willing to assist they should bring together Turkey and Armenia for the grandchildren of the two parties’
http://www.panarmenian.net/news/eng/?nid=23507
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GENOCIDE SCHOLARS (IAGS)
On June 13, 2005, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS) communicated to Turkey’s prime minister the group’s position on the Armenian Genocide:
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