Bush urges Congress to reject Armenian genocide bill

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Source: CCTV.com | 10-11-2007 09:53

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, accompanied by Defense Secretary Robert Gates, left, speaks to reporters, outside the White House in Washington, following a meeting with President Bush. The administration strongly urged Congress to reject legislation that would declare the World War I-era killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians a genocide. (AP Photo)

A US House committee has approved a resolution calling the 1915 massacres of Armenians genocide despite warnings from the White House. The Foreign Affairs Committee approved the bill with a 27-21 vote. The bill declares Armenians were killed in a systematic genocide at the hands of the Ottomans during World War One.The vote now sends the measure to the full House floor.

Earlier President Bush urged Congress to reject legislation that would declare the World War One killings of hundreds of thousands of Armenians genocide. Bush says the resolution will harm the country's ties with Turkey, a key NATO ally that has provided support to US efforts in Iraq. Turkey calls the resolution an insult and rejects it. It has warned of damage to bilateral ties if Congress passes the measure.