Many nations now call the slaughter of 1915-1916 as "genocide." This week the 100th anniversary of the notorious event was observed. Pope Francis and the European parliament called on Turkey to recognize the killings as genocide.

Turkey, successor to the Ottoman Empire, admits many Armenians were killed in WWI, but rejects the label of "genocide," saying their deaths occurred in the confusion of war, not by design. The United States, a very close ally of Turkey, avoids  the "g" word. Interestingly, Israel does too, perhaps not wanting to detract from the genocide Jews  suffered in WWII.

Armenians insist the Ottoman authorities were determined to eradicate the ancient Armenian people. Turks claim that Armenian guerilla bands known as "dashnaks" acted as a fifth column for their bitter foe, Russia, which was attacking the crumbling Ottoman Empire. Large numbers of Armenian civilians were herded from their homes in eastern Turkey, across the mountains, and into the wastes of northern Syria.