During his campaign, Obama said he'd finally (finally) recognize the Armenian genocide, in which nearly 1 million Armenians disappeared from the public record between 1915 and 1916. But he danced around the topic in a recent speech commemorating the killings.

Barack Obama was unequivocal during the campaign: As president, he would recognize the nearly century-old massacre of Armenians in Turkey as genocide.

In breaking that promise Friday, the president did the same diplomatic tiptoeing he criticized the Bush administration for doing.

Like George W. Bush before him, Obama did not want to alienate vital ally Turkey by declaring the slaughter of an estimated 1.5 million Armenians to be genocide - especially with Turkey and Armenia now exploring reconciliation.

Turkey objected to the speech anyway.

Armenians around the world are pissed. Slog reader Nevdon—an American citizen—writes from Germany:

It took almost 100 days but I am over Obama. My Obama New Yorker cover and button is coming off the wall of my studio. We are really depressed (really, my wife started crying when she heard) that he has reneged today on his campaign promise to recognize the Armenian genocide. In Armenia, no one expected him to follow through as the last four US presidents have also lied about doing this. But I thought he'd be differant and it is a little heart breaking to be wrong. I would appreciate it if you posted something to Slog about this. It is a big deal, but doesn't seem to be getting much press.

Christopher Hitchens covers why and how it's a big deal—for Armenia, for Turkey, for America, for Iraq, and for the struggle of secular vs. theocratic Islamic states—here:

It is for the Turks, whose bravest cultural spokesmen and writers take genuine risks to break the taboo on discussion of the Armenian question. And it is also for Americans, who, having elected a supposedly brave new president, are being told that he—and our Congress too—must agree to collude in a gigantic historical lie.