Saying 'genocide' kills a career (Michael Doyle)

Ambassador John Evans ended one life and started another when he uttered one remarkable word: genocide. As the U.S. ambassador to Armenia, and a career diplomat, Evans knew the uses of circumlocution. Some words, he understood, must be avoided. But then, speaking in Fresno, Los Angeles and Berkeley, Calif., two years ago, Evans violated U.S. policy by declaring that Armenians were the victims of a genocide from 1915 to 1923. "Clearly, I had stepped out of the box," Evans said in an interview. "But what I didn't know precisely was what the reaction would be." He found out soon enough. Evans' State Department superiors published apologies in his name. They cut him out of decision-making, then ended his ambassador's posting altogether. His Foreign Service career collapsed, while his fellow diplomats debated whether he was heroic or foolhardy. "I had some colleagues who managed to tell me I did the right thing," Evans said, "and I had others who were dubious." The fallout continues: The United States still lacks a permanent ambassador in Yerevan because of Senate discontent with Evans' treatment. Today is the day Armenians worldwide commemorate the start of the 1915 horrors. Members of Congress will give speeches. President Bush will issue a traditional declaration, but won't say "genocide." Evans will speak freely at the National Press Club, something he couldn't do during his 35-year State Department career. He's also written a manuscript, for which he's seeking a book publisher. "I came to what I felt was an ethical dilemma," Evans said. "I felt I could not carry out the policy of denial of the Armenian genocide."