Suspended on full pay, reports the Times.
Subscribe to the Z Word blog via RSS - click on the orange button below. For more information on using RSS, please read this helpful guide.
RSS
- Z Word Merges With The Propagandist
- New Message from Hamas To Israelis: Leave Or Die
- Bob From Brockley Goes One State
- American Human Shields In Korea
- Gurvitz The Progressive Blogger
- Mercosur and Another Confusing Recognition
- The PA’s Choice: Palestinian State or Palestinian Cause
- Assange and Shamir
- Iranian Revolution: Lessons Learnt?
- Gideon Levy And The Dog That Doesn’t Bark
The NY Times article was just another attack on Israel.
No matter the behavior of Israel haters those who pointed it out will be accused of pro Israel bias.
The article also omited to mention the fact that HRW had been getting monies from Saudi donors some of whom are tied to the government. Now, these Saudis surely care about human rights, don’t they?
It is also telling that while the article repeated allegations of Israeli abuses it never offered any proof to support them.
It’s as if whatever anti-Israel individuals say is taken as axiomatic.
Norblog has posted a comment on the “Garlasco latest” worth reading:
“HRW against stupidity”
http://normblog.typepad.com/normblog/2009/09/hrw-against-stupidity.html
The NY Times article repeats the assertion which originally came from Garlasco that his grandfather “was conscripted” into Hitler’s army. How do they know that the claim is true. Did they check the record to make sure that grandad wasn’t a volunteer?
jdyer, I don’t think it’s particularly important if Garlasco lied about his grandfather; he for sure lied when he said in his recent HuffPo piece that he never ever thought that his hobby could arouse any misgivings. As is documented e.g. in the excellent blog post at CST, Garlasco consulted with his “fellow collectors” at the “germancombatawards” site before he published his book if he should do so under his own name:
“Flak88 [i.e. Garlasco]: So I am trying to figure out what to do. My book is clsoe to done, but I am not sure if I should put my name on it. If folks at work found out I might very well lose my job. That is the reality, so don’t dwell on it – ok? But this is a small group of people – should I worry? And shouldn’t I stand up for myself? And if I use a psyeudonym isn’t that worse, like I am trying to hide something?”
A poster named “Skip” responds:
“Skip: Put your name on it and F**k ´em. I don´t think theres much chance of anybody outside of this hobby just happening to pick such a book up. Of course, if they google you it will probably turn up but hey, like everybody said, its a reference book and not a political work. Don´t forget in the foreword to mention how terrible war is and that your book is to remind people of this fact. Yes, WE all know this but a lot of non-historically minded people might not understand otherwise.”
This is documented at:
http://thecst.org.uk/blog/?p=512
Gilles Paris, a journalist at the French daily ‘Le Monde’ wrote a piece on his blog ‘Guerre ou Paix’ (War or Piece) solely devote to the Israel-Arab conflict, entitled “Offensive against HRW”. The title sets the tone.
He makes two interesting points, which could well reflect Le Monde’s overall view on the conflict :
a) he acknowledges heavy reliance on NGOs reports (’Les organisations non-gouvenementales dont les travaux de terrain (très souvent utilisés ici) …”);
and
b) how much he distrusts NGO Monitor, the Israeli government and media. He is suspicious of Gerald Steinberg because he says he is a consultant for the Israeli army. That, according to Gilles Paris, disqualies him. It is my understanding that this is not the case. Gilles Paris also thinks that the revelations (which he puts on the conditional “serait” in order to convey doubt (”Marc Garlasco, serait un collectionneur averti et acharné d’insignes et de symboles nazis”) were timed to coincide with the NGO report debunking HRW accusations against Israel.
http://israelpalestine.blog.lemonde.fr/2009/09/11/offensive-contre-human-rights-watch/
Regardless of whether Garlasco’s grandfather was conscripted or volunteered, something isn’t quite right about a supposed human rights expert whose chosen way to demonstrate his love for “Opa” is to collect Nazi memorabelia with such a passion.
Its a question of credibility isnt it?
People dont hesitate to question anyones credibility who supports Israel if they have ties to Israel (through the IDF etc)…yet here we are meant to believe that Garlesco’s after hours activities play no part in his attitude towards Israel.
I dont know about you guys BUT if I was a so called military expert for a human rights group, one that has high visibility, then Id be doing everything possible to ensure that my credibility couldnt be called in to question.
Unless of course Garlesco believed that because he worked for HRW that somehow protected him from criticism?
Yes indeed, a question of credibility.
Mailman