Diana Johnstone
Encyclopedia
Diana Johnstone is a American leftist political writer based in Paris, France. She focusesg primarily on European politics and Western
foreign policy. Johnstone received a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota
and was active in the movement against the Vietnam War
, organizing the first international contacts between American
citizens and Vietnam
ese representatives.
Johnstone was European editor of the U.S. weekly In These Times
from 1979 to 1990, and continues to be a correspondent for the publication. She was press officer of the Green group in the European Parliament from 1990 to 1996. Johnstone is also a regular contributor frequently in the CounterPunch
online magazine.
Johnstone was the subject of some controversy after 2003 because of the claim that she has denied the Srebrenica massacre
, an allegation that she rejects. She denied that genocide-level of killings occurred in Srebrenica in her book, Fools' Crusade: Yugoslavia, Nato, and Western Delusions. The book was rejected from publishing in Sweden
prompting Noam Chomsky
and several other signatories to oppose the withdrawal of the book by its Swedish publisher in an open letter in 2003. Johnstone in that book also expresses doubts over the use of systematic rape in the war in Bosnia and the number of victims of rape, the authenticity of the Racak massacre in Kosovo
, and the true figure of Bosnian war dead. Richard Caplan of Reading and Oxford University reviewed the work in Internnational Affairs, where he described the work as "a revisionist and highly contentious account of western policy and the dissolution of Yugoslavia".
Johnstone's right to publish was defended in a letter signed by, among others, Noam Chomsky
, Arundhati Roy
, Tariq Ali
and John Pilger
. The letter has gone on to spark controversy after a contested interview with Chomsky in The Guardian
by Emma Brockes
which Chomsky described as "an exercise in defamation that is a model of the genre".
Most of Johnstone's adult life has been spent in France
, Germany
, and Italy
.
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
foreign policy. Johnstone received a Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and was active in the movement against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, organizing the first international contacts between American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
citizens and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese representatives.
Johnstone was European editor of the U.S. weekly In These Times
In These Times
In These Times is a politically progressive monthly magazine of news and opinion published by the Institute for Public Affairs in Chicago...
from 1979 to 1990, and continues to be a correspondent for the publication. She was press officer of the Green group in the European Parliament from 1990 to 1996. Johnstone is also a regular contributor frequently in the CounterPunch
Counterpunch
Counterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
online magazine.
Johnstone was the subject of some controversy after 2003 because of the claim that she has denied the Srebrenica massacre
Srebrenica massacre
The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, refers to the July 1995 killing, during the Bosnian War, of more than 8,000 Bosniaks , mainly men and boys, in and around the town of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by units of the Army of Republika Srpska under the command of...
, an allegation that she rejects. She denied that genocide-level of killings occurred in Srebrenica in her book, Fools' Crusade: Yugoslavia, Nato, and Western Delusions. The book was rejected from publishing in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
prompting Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
and several other signatories to oppose the withdrawal of the book by its Swedish publisher in an open letter in 2003. Johnstone in that book also expresses doubts over the use of systematic rape in the war in Bosnia and the number of victims of rape, the authenticity of the Racak massacre in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, and the true figure of Bosnian war dead. Richard Caplan of Reading and Oxford University reviewed the work in Internnational Affairs, where he described the work as "a revisionist and highly contentious account of western policy and the dissolution of Yugoslavia".
Johnstone's right to publish was defended in a letter signed by, among others, Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
, Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...
, Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali , , is a British Pakistani military historian, novelist, journalist, filmmaker, public intellectual, political campaigner, activist, and commentator...
and John Pilger
John Pilger
John Richard Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US....
. The letter has gone on to spark controversy after a contested interview with Chomsky in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
by Emma Brockes
Emma Brockes
Emma Brockes is a British author and journalist for The Guardian newspaper. She lives in New York.Brockes graduated in 1997 with a first from St Edmund Hall, Oxford University where she was editor of the student newspaper Cherwell and won the Philip Geddes prize for journalism...
which Chomsky described as "an exercise in defamation that is a model of the genre".
Most of Johnstone's adult life has been spent in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Books by Diana Johnstone
- The Politics of Euromissiles: Europe's Role in America's World Schocken BooksSchocken BooksSchocken Books is a publishing company that was established in Berlin with a publishing office in Prague in 1931 by the Schocken Department Store owner Salman Schocken. It published the writings of Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Franz Kafka and S. Y...
(April 1985) ISBN 0805272070 - Fools' Crusade: Yugoslavia, Nato, and Western Delusions Monthly Review Press (January 1, 2003) ISBN 158367084X