Bizarre Allegations

Montreal-Last week, two leading Turkish papers began running a series of

ill-informed columns about Nadire Mater, an Istanbul-based author of a popular

book on the Turkish military. Mater's book, "Mehmedin Kitabi," was based on

interviews with dozens of Turkish veterans, some of whom described

less-than-flattering images of Turkish military life and behavior.

Ms. Mater received a grant from the Chicago-based MacArthur

Foundation to cover her research and living expenses while writing the book. Emin Colasan of Hurriyet and Deniz Som of Cumhuriyet say MacArthur is an ally of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA. This is one of the most bizarre conspiracy theories I've ever heard. Fortunately, it does little more

than expose the ignorance of its creators.

No journalist in the U.S. would ever claim that MacArthur is pro-CIA.

Indeed,I read one of the articles that Colasan and Som cite as the "source"

For their claims, and it makes exactly the opposite argument. The article

Published by J. Michael Waller on August 21, 2000 in Insight Magazine, is

entitled, "Funding Subversion of National Security," and argues that

foundations such as MacArthur are not promoting U.S. national security interests and agencies enough. As a result, Waller argues, "the next generation is intellectually rooted in a fundamental distrust of the United States and of U.S. might and mission during the Cold War and sees the United States as even less to be trusted as the world's sole superpower."

Insight Magazine is a right wing journal, and it is concerned that

Liberal foundations such as MacArthur are too critical of the CIA and its

Sister agencies. How Colasan and Som managed to miss this point is beyond

me. One wonders whether they ever read their "sources." More likely than not,

the relied on research assistants who have made them seem very foolish.

I am a sociology professor at McGill University in Canada, and before

That at Johns Hopkins University. I am also a frequent critic of the CIA, the

U.S. military, and America's military allies, and have published my views

İn major newspapers around the world. Just recently, for example, I wrote in

The -Boston Globe and Le Monde, France's top newspaper, that there should be an

investigation into U.S. human rights abuses during the Cold War, including

actions by the CIA.

I have also received more than $60,000 in MacArthur Foundation grants

Over the years. If MacArthur worked for the CIA, why would they fund my work?

The record of virtually all my close professional colleagues is

similar. Most of them are professors in political science or sociology at top U.S. universities, and most of them are vocal critics of one or another

aspect of U.S. foreign policy. All of them are critics of CIA covert

operations, and none of them could be remotely considered CIA agents. Yet they have ALL received MacArthur grants at some point in their career. How do Colasan And Som make sense of that?

Some years ago, I wrote to Nadire Mater and encouraged her to apply

To MacArthur for a grant. I knew she had conducted a few interviews with

Turkish soldiers, and realized she would need financial support if she was to

Continue her important work. All militaries have their dark side, especially

During times of war. Few Turkish journalists, however, had the courage to

Write about those sensitive topics. Having received $15,000 myself some years

Earlier to interview Israeli soldiers about their actions against Palestinians,

I figured that MacArthur might be interested in Nadire's project. MacArthur

does not have any particular interest in Turkey, but it does like to fund

courageous researchers willing to discuss sensitive issues.

If Colasan and Som had done their homework, they would have quickly

Discovered that MacArthur is uniformly considered a left-liberal foundation

Because it funds research into human rights abuses, environmental issues,

İnternational legal reforms, and the like. These are the kind of topics to which the CIA is allergic, seeing them as subversive of U.S. national interests. If the US were another kind of country, the CIA would have tried to shut MacArthur down years ago.

There are U.S. foundations that are more sympathetic to the CIA and

İts conservative brand of foreign policy, of course. The U.S. has a wide

Range of foundations created by wealthy individuals who have sought to

İnfluence public opinion while protecting their money from taxation. Families such as Ford, Gates, MacArthur, Hewlitt Packard, Rockefeller and others have

Created such foundations, all of which fund research, seminars, radio programs,

Television documentaries, and the like. Each foundation supports a different

Package of political views; indeed, much of American politics is conducted

Through ideological debates funded by private foundations.

In the foundation world, however, MacArthur is considered one of the

Most critical when it comes to the CIA, FBI, the military, and other

National security agencies. There is not a single reputable journalist in this

country, either right or left, who does not know this. Indeed, every day the

entire country listens to the news on National Public Radio, and learns from

the credits that the MacArthur Foundation helped fund programs on the

environment and human rights. When Colasan and Som next visit the US, they should tune in and learn.

Colasan and Som's mistake is so basic it would be akin to a U.S.

Journalist writing about Turkey and confusing MHP with the PKK, or True Path

With Hizbullah. Their allegations reflect badly on them, their newspapers,

And the entire Turkish newspaper industry.

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(*) James Ron, Professor, Canada Research Chair in Conflict and Human Rights, McGill University