Armenian Genocide Resolution Upsets Turks and White House

Starting in 1915, the declining Ottoman Empire killed one and a half million Armenians. For decades, Armenian-Americans have demanded that Congress label that "genocide," and yesterday the House Foreign Relations Committee did so. By using that single word, a committee of Congress has created an international incident with possible consequences for US troops in Iraq. Modern Turkey rejects the description of "genocide" so strongly that uttering it is a crime against the "national identity"--punishable by law. Turkey is now threatening to cut off US supply lines and attack separatists in Iraqi Kurdistan. What does "genocide" mean under international law? Is the Congressional declaration long overdue? Is it worth an ill-timed insult to a contemporary Muslim ally?