Armenian-American clout buys genocide breakthrough

By Mary Milliken

GLENDALE, California (Reuters) - At 93, Armenian American filmmaker Michael Hagopian may finally see his community's clout pay off if the U.S. Congress recognizes the 1915 massacre of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide.

"U.S. representatives in Congress and state governments now realize the Armenian community has a lot of political power and they can make contributions to political causes and various parties," said Hagopian, best known for his film "The Forgotten Genocide".

This week, the House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee approved a resolution branding the massacre of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 as genocide, brushing aside President George W. Bush's warnings that it would harm relations with Turkey, a key ally.

Rep. Adam Schiff, whose district around the city of Los Angeles includes a large Armenian American community, was one of several lawmakers who pushed for the resolution after heavy lobbying by constituents.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who also represents many Armenian Americans, seems determined to bring the non-binding resolution to a vote in the full House probably next month. It is unclear if and when the Senate will follow suit.

Turkey argues that both Turks and Armenians were killed in the years of violence and warfare that accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

It is a crime in Turkey to portray the killings as "genocide" and Ankara recalled its ambassador to Washington after Wednesday's vote to express its anger.

There are an estimated 1.5 million to 2 million Americans with Armenian forefathers and many grew up hearing horrific stories of the massacres. After years of lobbying, they are surprised and pleased to see their cause making headlines around the world.