Pages

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Ambassador who once blamed Muslim antisemitism on Israel reportedly has a thing for hookers

Remember Howard Gutman? He is the US ambassador to Belgium who made an outrageous and ignorant speech in 2011 saying that Muslim antisemitism is nothing like the traditional European type, because it is really a result of Israeli policies.

It is easy enough to prove him wrong, as I did then.

Unfortunately, his deeply flawed thinking is almost certainly part of the reason why HRW and Amnesty will be quick to condemn traditional antisemitism in Europe but remain stubbornly silent on Arab and Muslim antisemitism.

Anyway, even though I am fully aware that it is a cheap shot, this is irresistible:
A DS [Bureau of Diplomatic Security] agent was called off a case against US Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman over claims that he solicited prostitutes, including minors.

“The agent began his investigation and had determined that the ambassador routinely ditched his protective security detail in order to solicit sexual favors from both prostitutes and minor children,” says the memo.

“The ambassador’s protective detail and the embassy’s surveillance detection team . . . were well aware of the behavior.”

Undersecretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy ordered the investigation ceased, and the ambassador remains in place, according to the memo.

Gutman was a big Democratic donor before taking the post, having raised $500,000 for President Obama’s 2008 campaign and helping finance his inaugural.
If the report is true, it looks like Gutman put as much thought into his personal actions as he did in his revelation that centuries-old Muslim Jew-hatred was postdated to 1967.

(h/t Elliott)