Clinton says judgment on history opens dangerous door, French bill faces further int'l reaction

“To try to use the power of the government to resolve historical issues, in my opinion, opens a door that is a very dangerous one to go through,” Clinton was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying on Thursday. Clinton's call for caution when handling historical issues signaled an attempt to sidestep the ongoing dispute between Turkey and France, the AP commented.

In response to questions demanding why the US has refrained from passing a bill that would match the recent move of the French government, Clinton said that Washington was wary of compromising free speech and the issue was best left for scholars to handle.

Late on Wednesday night, US Ambassador to Turkey Francis Ricciardone told a group of media representatives in the city that Turkey must face its history to fully become the country it wants to be, noting that he had seen signs the country was moving in that direction. Ricciardone noted that all countries had painful moments in their histories, but it was necessary to acknowledge them alongside the glorious moments.

Although the US unofficially recognizes the killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks at the onset of World War I, US presidents have traditionally refrained from describing the incidents as “genocide,” a term belonging to the sphere of international law. Every April, when Armenians all over the world commemorate what they believe to be the beginning of the alleged genocide almost a hundred years ago, eyes turn to the US president to see whether he will publically use the term. So far, no US president has used the word genocide when referring to the killings.

Although there is political support for the French bill, which is due to become law next week, after formally receiving the French president's signature it was slammed by French civil institutions as well as international organizations, which stress that such a punishment confronts the French ideals of freedom of expression. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published an open letter, in which its Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard addresses the French parliament, to reiterate the organization's concerns about the proposed law.

“The exchanges between the law's supporters and opponents, involving leading figures and going to the very heart of our fundamental rights, have been so heated that even its supporters must realize that the Constitutional Council's opinion is indispensible,” Julliard stated in the letter, with reference to the argument that the bill, if it becomes law, might violate the French constitution. “We therefore urge you to demand its referral to the Council,” he added.

“There are four key aspects of the law that disturb us: A conflict with the principle of the right to free expression, a lack of proportionality between the offence and penalty, a violation of parliament's competence and a lack of clarity in the wording,” Julliard added, highlighting his organization's concerns.

Bosnia-Herzegovina calls on France to recognize genocide in Srebrenitsa

In the belief that France was moving toward adopting a bill that passes judgment on a disputed historical event, the parliament of Bosnia-Herzegovina has urged Paris to draft a law on the Bosnian genocide of the ‘90s, Turkey's Star daily reported on Friday.

A Bosnian lawmaker, Safet Keşo, has prepared a proposal for his parliament to penalize denial of the Bosnian genocide in Srebrenitsa. During the period thousands of Bosnian civilians, including women and children, were systematically killed by the Bosnia-Serbian army, which is speculated to have been supplied by Serbian troops. Bosnians now seek to send a proposal to the French Parliament, as Keşo stated that everybody, including France, was witness to Srebrenitsa. “It would make much more sense if they [The French Parliament] showed interest in genocides recognized and witnessed internationally; it is ridiculous of them to deal with incidents they did not even witness,” Keşo was quoted as saying by the daily.