Move to Honor Armenians Fails in Senate

Senate supporters of a resolution commemorating the killings of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turks early this century were unable to end a filibuster Thursday by senators who wish to avoid offending Turkey and who fear the resolution could create a major diplomatic crisis.

After more than two days of emotion-charged debate, the Senate split down the middle, voting 49-49 on a procedural motion to cut off debate. The outcome was a setback for supporters of the resolution, who needed 60 votes--a three-fifths majority--of the Senate to break the filibuster and proceed to a vote.

The filibuster was led by Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) who called the resolution “a foreign policy disaster in the making.”

Noting the narrowness of the vote, however, Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R.-Kan.) vowed to try again next week after making changes in the resolution that he said will satisfy the Bush Administration’s objections.

Senate aides said the two senators not present for the vote--Dan Coats (R-Ind.) and Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.)--are both likely to side with Dole when the motion comes up again next Tuesday, leaving the Republican leader still nine votes short.

Dole said that in addition to having its language changed, the measure would be offered again in a different, non-binding form that would not require a presidential signature--and that he hopes the changes will persuade enough senators to switch sides by next week.

The resolution, sponsored by Dole, would have the Senate honor the memory of 1.5 million Armenians killed by the Ottoman Turks by designating April 24 a national “day of remembrance” on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of “the Armenian genocide of 1915-23.”

While Congress routinely passes commemorative resolutions having little or no practical policy impact, the unusually bitter controversy surrounding this one stems from one emotionally charged word: genocide.

No one disputes that hundreds of thousands of Armenians died during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire. But Turkey, now an important North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally, disputes the manner of their deaths and vehemently denies allegations of genocide. In an intensive lobbying campaign, its representatives here have warned that passage of even a symbolic resolution will provoke a crisis in U.S.-Turkish relations if the word genocide is mentioned.