AHI Letter to Chairman Jesse Helms Raises Concerns About Nomination of Richard Holbrooke as U.S. Permanent Representative at the United Nations

On June 16, 1999 the American Hellenic Institute sent a letter to Chairman Jesse Helms of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee raising concerns about the nomination of Mr. Richard Holbrooke as U.S. Permanent Representative at the United Nations. A copy is attached.

The letter details four principal areas of concern about Mr. Holbrooke:

1. His commitment to the rule of law and its impartial application;
2. His identification of the true nature of the Cyprus problem as one of Turkish aggression and illegal occupation;
3. His acceptance of the territorial status quo in the Aegean as defined by international law; and
4. His willingness to apply international law and American values to Turkey's abuses of human rights.

The letter urges the Committee to question Mr. Holbrooke on these issues and, if his answers are unsatisfactory, to consider rejecting his nomination.