White House Requested to Block Armenian Genocide Recognition Resolution

American media is reporting new details about the behind-the-scenes negotiations that resulted in Lindsey Graham blocking the Armenian Genocide recognition resolution in the Senate weeks ago, writes 'Azatutyun'.

“The request came from the White House. Many were outraged and puzzled when the Republican senator hastily rushed to the Senate after a heated argument with the Turkish president in the White House, and did something that would likely please Erdogan: Lindsey Graham immediately blocked a resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide,” Axios reported.

Previously, while participating in a meeting between Trump and Erdogan at the White House, Graham had sharply criticized the Turkish leader for his invasion of Syria and attacks on the Kurds. Witnesses told media that when Erdogan, in an attempt to justify himself, pulled out an iPad and showed an anti-Kurdish, clearly propagandistic video depicting the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Forces as a terrorist, Graham responded by saying, “Do you want me to tell the Kurds to prepare a video about what you've done to them?”

“However, after that, as the senator was preparing to leave the Oval Office, one of the high-ranking officials from the White House approached him and requested him to return to the Senate and block the resolution recognizing the Armenian Genocide, which would infuriate Erdogan,” Axios wrote.

Graham confirmed this information: “After the meeting, we gathered and started discussing what had happened. A legislative official of the White House approached me and said that Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey was about to put the Armenian Genocide resolution to a vote and asked, ‘Would you mind blocking it?’ I said, ‘Of course.’” Moreover, the Republican senator insisted that he complied with the administration's request purely because the Turkish president was still in Washington at the time. “The timing was not right; I am trying to save Turkish-American relations if possible,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Graham presented a completely different justification: “I believe we should not embellish history or try to rewrite it, but rather focus on present issues. Given the situation in Syria and certain hopes that we might find solutions, I am blocking this resolution not because of the past, but for the sake of the future,” the senator announced.

Axios's correspondent asked, “Did you not feel uncomfortable taking this step?”

“It was uncomfortable,” Graham admitted, promising that this would not happen again. “I like Menendez; he has worked on this document for years, but I think it would have been excessive to vote on it just when the Turkish president was in our city. But next time, I do not intend to block it,” he stated.

That “next time” came quickly. Exactly one week later, Democrat Robert Menendez reintroduced resolution number 150, calling for the Senate to proceed with a vote immediately. This time, he was joined by Republican Ted Cruz, who had been present with Graham at the meetings between Presidents Trump and Erdogan.

“Turkey is a NATO ally and an important partner, but friends and allies can tell each other the truth. And we do not respect America and the values we espouse if we are afraid to tell the truth and deliberately engage in its concealment,” Cruz emphasized.

However, the resolution was again blocked, this time by Republican David Perdue's efforts.