After Hitch, Turkey and Armenia Normalize Ties

[iandhr]

Source: NY TIMES


ZURICH — Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark agreement to restore normal diplomatic relations and open their borders on Saturday, after a last-minute dispute over language sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other diplomats into frantic efforts to salvage the deal.


For Turkey and Armenia, neighbors sundered by a century of bitterness over the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks, the tumultuous day illustrated how hard it is to heal the wounds of history.

For Mrs. Clinton, it was a first taste of down-to-the-wire, limousine shuttle diplomacy.

The arduous negotiations between the countries had been actively encouraged by the Obama administration, and with an agreement in sight, Mrs. Clinton flew to Switzerland to witness the signing as a show of American support. Instead, she found herself performing triage.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/world/europe/11armenia.html?hp

[grytpype]

1. Obviously this is another embarrassment for Obama.

How dare he work for world peace.