lead_224_005_004_tr.txt

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ALAN K. SIMPSON
WYOMING
ASSISTANT REPUBLICAN
LEADER

VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
RANKING MINORITY-SUBCOMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE POLICY

ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE
RANKING MINORITY-SUBCOMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR REGULATION

United States Senate
WASHINGTON, DC 20510

October 30, 1989
[initialed] AS

Honorable Robert Dole
Senate Minority Leader
141 Hart Senate Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Bob:

Here is one that has gotten out of hand, my friend! Regarding this commemorative for the Armenian Genocide, let me review my participation and activity in that matter.

Under no circumstances did I enjoy being involved -- even though comparatively briefly -- in a situation where my position was inimical to my leader. You know of the respect and admiration in which I hold you and I always try very diligently to extricate myself from conflicts like that. Let me "review the bidding" with you on this one.

Our old friend Charles "Mac" Mathias, and a number of others, contacted me expressing concern about offending the government of Turkey on a "mere" commemorative. Between the time you introduced the resolution and the time it got to the Judiciary Committee, my office had been flooded with mail and telephone calls -- all negative.

When the group of commemoratives came up before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I was smack in the middle of a rather spirited discussion with our mutual friend Dennis DeConcini on the EVD Immigration bill which I feel very strongly about. I had been trying to express my rich and pungent views on that turkey of a bill for over a month. I had insisted on having a quorum present. A quorum was present on that day, and I had made the simple request that the group of commemoratives be held over in the hope that I could finish the business at hand, and try to understand more fully the "flood" of communications I had received.

I did not enjoy in any way then being the target of interest groups throughout the land. During this hyper-activity of lobbying efforts, I simply indicated to various parties that I would support any substitute that would remove the word "genocide" because of the sensitivities and hostility that it seemed to generate. I initially supported such a proposal in the Judiciary Committee,

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Robert Dole

but then determined that it would seem to still be detrimental to our relationships with Turkey -- one of our strongest NATO allies. This is the reason for my reluctance to support the Armenian resolution. It is my understanding that the Turkish government has now restricted the movements of our military personnel in that country in "retaliation" for the Committee's 8-6 approval of this resolution.

I do not intend in any way to be the "point man" in opposing this resolution on the Senate floor. But, I certainly wanted you to have a brief review of the circumstances which brought me to this stage of the debate. I am truly sorry that it reached the point where I had involved myself in an issue where I ran a thumb in the eye of one of my finest friends in the Senate and my respected leader.

I just wanted you to have this information.

My best to you.

Most sincerely,
[signature]
Alan K. Simpson
United States Senator

AKS/mjw

[handwritten note] Bob - Is there some way out of this one? Warmly-
Al

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