Democrats back recognition of genocide

Claudia Peschiutta

GLENDALE -- The fight to gain official U.S. recognition of the

Armenian Genocide has taken a step forward.

As it has in the past, the California Democratic Party recently

endorsed a resolution calling for official recognition of the Armenian

Genocide, officials said.

Approved at the party’s annual convention on April 1, the resolution

calls on Congress and the president to recognize the killings that

occurred when Armenians were exiled by the Ottoman Turks in 1915 as a

genocide.

Secretary of State Colin Powell recently asked the Maryland

Legislature not to approve a genocide recognition measure.

“The Armenian-American community felt under siege by the Bush Jr.

White House,” said Bob Mulholland, campaign advisor for the California

Democratic Party. “We rallied to support them.”

The resolution, which was approved unanimously, was introduced by Paul

Krekorian, who lost his bid to become the Democratic candidate for the

43rd Assembly District in 2000.