Madam Speaker. each year on April 24. Armenian communities around the world commemorate the start of the Armenian genocide. This year marks the 93rd anniversary of this ominous date in history when Ottoman authorities began rounding up leaders of the Armenian community. The arrests were followed by eight years of massacres. death marches. and forced deportations to rid the Ottoman Empire of its Armenian population. At the time. American diplomats. under the leadership of U.S. Ambassador Henry Morgenthau. Sr.. recorded and reported information about these atrocities. While the calls for international action were soon eclipsed by the tumult of World War 1. the State Departments historical records of these accounts are a remarkable example of the important role our diplomatic corps play as human rights observers around the world.
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deportations