One of the most influential Armenian lobbying groups in America has accused US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of stacking the deck in favor of a friendly audience according to the list of organizations invited for a February dialogue with the stateswoman.

On January 8 Clinton’s office issued invitations to several leading Diaspora organizations for a face-to-face discussion of concerns centering on Armenia’s current negotiations to implement protocols aimed at normalizing relations between historic enemies Armenia and Turkey.

The invitees include the Armenian Assembly of America, the North America Dioceses, the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), the Knights of Vartan and the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

With the exception of the ANCA, the groups have voiced support for the Clinton-led campaign to ratify and implement the protocols. While AGBU, the Assembly, the Dioceses and the Knights of Vartan issued a statement urging support of the protocols, ANCA – the primary body of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation Dashnaktsutyun – has mounted a vigorous opposition campaign since the protocols were announced early last September.

Clinton’s call for dialogue, ANCA charges “does not represent our traditional community leadership nor does it reflect the widely understood Armenian American opposition to the Turkey-Armenia Protocols,” according to a letter sent Monday to Clinton by ANCA chairman Ken Hachikian.

ANCA (www.anca.org) claims that the Secretary of State’s invitation stems from a letter the ANCA sent Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid urging Clinton to give Armenian-Americans “an opportunity to share their views with you.” Now, however, the Secretary has extended a “lopsided” invitation, according to the ANCA view expressed in its news journal, Asberez.

The Armenian Assembly of America (www.aaainc.org) welcomed Clinton’s offer.

“This meeting offers an important opportunity to discuss the Administration's efforts to hold Turkey accountable (for ‘counter-productive actions’)," Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny said.

Hachikian’s letter to Clinton, however, argues that some organizations were “intentionally excluded” and calls for including at least 14 additional Diaspora groups, among which include the Armenian Relief Society and the United Armenian Fund.

“As presently configured, the meeting you have proposed will not serve the vital and worthwhile aim of healthy discourse, and would, at this sensitive moment, in fact be counter-productive” Hachikian wrote. “The current arrangement, which, by all appearances, intentionally excludes so many of our traditional community and Church leaders on the basis of their views and values, would set an undemocratic and highly negative precedent.”

Some political analysts in Armenia agree that ANCA’s reaction is justified, but that any discussion is senseless.

“We have ended up in a ridiculous situation, because, in fact, the Armenian National Assembly (NA) is waiting for Turkey to ratify the protocols, after which NA will ratify them by all means,” says political scientist Yervand Bozoyan. “In this regard, it would be much better if Clinton met Turkish organizations.”