[StBernard] Genocide resolution on hold

[Westley Annis]

Genocide resolution on hold
Washington Watch for Sept. 10, 2007
The Advocate 

Citing lobbying records, The New Republic magazine recently reported that
The Livingston Group earned about $13 million in lobbying fees from the
government of Turkey since 2000.

The Livingston Group is led by Bob Livingston, a former congressman from
Louisiana.

Part of the money went to generate opposition to a U.S. House of
Representatives resolution that would have recognized the Turkish genocide
of 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923, the magazine said.

The Turkish government has denied the mass massacres and Livingston has been
successful in preventing the resolution from coming up for a vote thus far.

Livingston was not quoted in the article and a message left with his
spokesman was not returned last week.

The magazine reported that U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner, signed on as a
co-sponsor of the Armenian resolution but withdrew his name on the same day
after receiving a call from Livingston.

A Jindal spokesman, however, said the support was pulled after the
congressman realized that his name was mistakenly added to the resolution by
a staff member.

"It's no big conspiracy or anything," said Trey Williams, Jindal's
spokesman. "It was just a staff oversight."

The Bush administration has taken a hands off approach on the issue. At a
recent House subcommittee hearing, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said
the matter was not a U.S. issue.

"I think that the best way to have this proceed is for . the Turks and
Armenians to come to their own terms about this," she said.
Political Horizons for September 9, 2007