Two separate Armenian lobbies, both active in the US, have come to blows over their differing claims of genocide and demands from Turkey. The lobby representing the extremely nationalistic Armenian Tasnaksutyen Party, ANCA, has accused the American Armenian Assembly (AAA), of taking part in a conspiracy by the White House. According to ANCA, the AAA is playing a role in the Bush adminstration's efforts to get Turkey to accept genocide charges in return for not having to give up any land or monetary reperations to Armenia.
The Armenian newspaper "Asberez," which is printed and distributed largely in Los Angeles, also accuses the AAA of "assisting in the cover-up of the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians." In a response to this, Anthony Barsamian, a representative from the AAA, said "Prior to finding a just solution to this all, none of us is going to support Turkey's recognition of the genocide."
The arguments between these two lobbies regarding the approach to the question of the Armenian genocide charges spread all the way to projects carried out by the now defunct Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission. Concluding two years ago that the charges of genocide were convincing enough to bring to the United Nations, the commission then announced that a UN Treaty on Genocides from 1948 would not cover the time period the Armenians were after. The ANCA lobby at this time charged that "Turkish supporters" were controlling the work of the Commission.