Citing U.S. Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland’s denial of the Armenian Genocide and his contradictory responses to Senate inquiries – both against the background of the continued failure of the Administration to offer a meaningful and forthright explanation of its reasons for firing the current U.S. Ambassador, John Evans – the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) has issued a statement formally opposing Hoagland’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia.
The ANCA statement says, “Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland has disqualified himself as a candidate to serve as our nation’s ambassador to the Republic of Armenia. During the course of his Senate confirmation process, Ambassador-designate Richard Hoagland has taken a number of actions that demonstrate that he cannot effectively represent U.S. interests and American values. He has asserted that the Armenian Genocide does not qualify as an instance of genocide. He also stated that the issue of defining the tragedy of the Armenian people should not be decided at the political level, but academics, civic leaders should deal with that issue.
For these reasons, we respectfully request that the U.S. Senate not move forward with Ambassador Hoagland’s nomination.”
