Lies, Damned Lies, and G enocide

This article analyzes the claim that “deliberate denial [of genocide] is a form of aggression that ought to be regarded as a contribution to genocidal violence in its own right.” Its objective is to demonstrate that the claim is substantially correct: there are instances of genocide negation that are genocidal acts. The article suggests that one such instance is contained in a letter sent to Professor R obert J ay L ifton by T urkey's ambassador to the U nited S tates. The article is divided into three parts. In the first part, it delineates and discusses the unexpected contents of the letter to L ifton. In the second, it primarily deals with three topics: lying, genocide, and A ustinian performatives. In the third part, it takes the points made in the second part and applies them to the contents of the letter to L ifton, and demonstrates that the letter is an instance of genocide negation that is genocidal.