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SPARKS FLY OVER SCHOLAR'S AZERBAIJANI TIES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY EVENT
Brenda Shaffer. who promotes Azerbaijan in the U.S. media and to
American officials, reacted angrily at a Columbia University event
this week on European energy when a student asked her about her
failure to disclose her ties to Azerbaijan's state-owned energy giant
SOCAR. (file photo)
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Opinion-Shaping Campaign Reaches 'The New York Times'
By Carl Schreck
October 24, 2014
WASHINGTON -- A political scientist's ties to Azerbaijan's state-owned
energy giant SOCAR sparked a testy exchange at a Columbia University
discussion on European energy on October 23 when a student asked the
scholar about her ties to the firm.
Brenda Shaffer, a professor at Israel's University of Haifa, responded
to a question about her failure to disclose her links to SOCAR by
grilling her interlocutor -- journalist and Columbia graduate student
Casey Michel -- about his cholesterol, love life, and finances.
"Part of the American way is a right to privacy," Shaffer replied.
"Like, if I asked you, Casey, 'OK, what's your wife's name? What
school do you go to? Who funds your scholarship right now? Where do you
work? How do you pay your meals? ... What's your cholesterol count?'
There's nothing to be ashamed of in any of those answers."
The sharp response came during a question-and-answer session at an
event titled "Southern Gas Corridor: Progress and Challenges" held
in New York at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy. The event's
main speaker was SOCAR Deputy Vice President Vitaliy Baylarbayov.
Michel asked Shaffer to address a decision by "The New York
Times" to attach an editor's note to her September 9 commentary
on Azerbaijani-Armenian tensions, stating that the piece "did not
disclose that the writer has been an adviser to Azerbaijan's state-run
oil company."
Shaffer said she believes her students "benefit from the fact that
I have been on every side of the table."
But she accused Michel of ignoring the subject of her piece, namely
"Russia's intervention in the South Caucasus, and how they played
a role in the loss of lives between both Armenians and Azerbaijanis
and the danger that this is for the region and for U.S. policy."
"You come in and try to...pick apart everything in my background or
whatever. Why don't you, instead of shooting the messenger, why don't
you look at my message?" Shaffer said.
Michel replied that he had no problem with the content of her article
and repeated that he was interested in a comment on Shaffer's failure
to disclose her affiliation with SOCAR, according to an audio recording
of the exchange made available to RFE/RL.
"Like I said, I'm not going to ask you your cholesterol count,"
Shaffer said. "I mean, who pays your scholarship, Casey? How do you
pay your tuition?"
The moderator of the event then steered the discussion back to the
SOCAR-led Southern Gas Corridor, which Azerbaijan is pushing as a
key route to lessening Europe's reliance on Russian gas in the wake
of the Ukraine crisis.
SOCAR Adviser
Azerbaijan's critics have accused Baku of touting its role as an
energy partner for Europe and the United States while downplaying
its human rights record, which Western officials and rights groups
say has deteriorated precipitously in recent months.
Shaffer, who is currently a visiting researcher at the Center for
Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies (CEREES) at Georgetown
University, is among the most visible figures promoting this role
for Azerbaijan in the media and in Washington.
As RFE/RL's Robert Coalson reported in September, in many of these
public appearances Shaffer does not mention that she has served as
an adviser to SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev.
"The New York Times" attached its editor's note to Shaffer's op-ed
after the newspaper was shown a photograph of her business card
identifying her as an adviser for "strategic affairs" to the SOCAR
president, according to the report.
Panelist Or Moderator?
Shaffer's precise role at the Columbia University event this week
was also unclear.
Shaffer was described as the "moderator," according to an archived
version of the announcement posted on the Center on Global Energy
Policy's website as recently as October 19.
The updated version, however, lists the moderator as Jesse McCormick,
the center's associate director, and does not mention Shaffer.
McCormick introduced Shaffer at the event as a "panelist," prompting
Shaffer to quickly correct him, according to a recording from the
event.
"Moderator," she said.
Ke Wei, the center's program coordinator, referred questions about
the decision to replace Shaffer as the listed moderator to an outside
public relations firm, BerlinRosen. A message left with the firm
seeking comment went unreturned on October 23.
Neither Shaffer nor SOCAR's U.S. representatives responded to requests
for comment.
Also unclear is the precise role that Columbia's respected Harriman
Institute for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies -- where
Michel is a second-year student -- played in the SOCAR event.
Just days prior to the event, the institute's website featured
an announcement inviting those interested to join "the Center on
Global Energy Policy and the Harriman Institute" for the discussion,
according to anarchived version of the page.
But that announcement, which also listed Shaffer as the moderator,
was later scrubbed from the site.
Neither of the original announcements mentioned Shaffer's affiliation
with SOCAR.
Alexander Cooley, deputy director of the Harriman Institute, told
RFE/RL that the institute "was not a co-sponsor of this event or
even affiliated with it" and that the announcement on its website
"was inaccurate and was removed to reflect our actual nonaffiliation
with the event."
Asked about printed promotional materials for the event that
prominently mentioned both Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy
and the Harriman Institute, Cooley said the institute had "no further
comment on this matter."
http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-columbia-shaffer-socar-adviser/26654044.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Brenda Shaffer. who promotes Azerbaijan in the U.S. media and to
American officials, reacted angrily at a Columbia University event
this week on European energy when a student asked her about her
failure to disclose her ties to Azerbaijan's state-owned energy giant
SOCAR. (file photo)
Related Articles
New Report Highlights Lack Of Transparency In Azerbaijan's Oil Industry
It's no secret that oil wealth plus autocracy often equals secrecy
and corruption, despite international efforts to fight the problem
through greater business transparency. A new report on Azerbaijan's
oil industry underlines the challenge.
Deal Signed To Send Azeri Gas To Europe In U.S., Calls To Hold
Energy-Rich Baku's Feet To The Fire Over Rights Azerbaijan's
Opinion-Shaping Campaign Reaches 'The New York Times'
By Carl Schreck
October 24, 2014
WASHINGTON -- A political scientist's ties to Azerbaijan's state-owned
energy giant SOCAR sparked a testy exchange at a Columbia University
discussion on European energy on October 23 when a student asked the
scholar about her ties to the firm.
Brenda Shaffer, a professor at Israel's University of Haifa, responded
to a question about her failure to disclose her links to SOCAR by
grilling her interlocutor -- journalist and Columbia graduate student
Casey Michel -- about his cholesterol, love life, and finances.
"Part of the American way is a right to privacy," Shaffer replied.
"Like, if I asked you, Casey, 'OK, what's your wife's name? What
school do you go to? Who funds your scholarship right now? Where do you
work? How do you pay your meals? ... What's your cholesterol count?'
There's nothing to be ashamed of in any of those answers."
The sharp response came during a question-and-answer session at an
event titled "Southern Gas Corridor: Progress and Challenges" held
in New York at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy. The event's
main speaker was SOCAR Deputy Vice President Vitaliy Baylarbayov.
Michel asked Shaffer to address a decision by "The New York
Times" to attach an editor's note to her September 9 commentary
on Azerbaijani-Armenian tensions, stating that the piece "did not
disclose that the writer has been an adviser to Azerbaijan's state-run
oil company."
Shaffer said she believes her students "benefit from the fact that
I have been on every side of the table."
But she accused Michel of ignoring the subject of her piece, namely
"Russia's intervention in the South Caucasus, and how they played
a role in the loss of lives between both Armenians and Azerbaijanis
and the danger that this is for the region and for U.S. policy."
"You come in and try to...pick apart everything in my background or
whatever. Why don't you, instead of shooting the messenger, why don't
you look at my message?" Shaffer said.
Michel replied that he had no problem with the content of her article
and repeated that he was interested in a comment on Shaffer's failure
to disclose her affiliation with SOCAR, according to an audio recording
of the exchange made available to RFE/RL.
"Like I said, I'm not going to ask you your cholesterol count,"
Shaffer said. "I mean, who pays your scholarship, Casey? How do you
pay your tuition?"
The moderator of the event then steered the discussion back to the
SOCAR-led Southern Gas Corridor, which Azerbaijan is pushing as a
key route to lessening Europe's reliance on Russian gas in the wake
of the Ukraine crisis.
SOCAR Adviser
Azerbaijan's critics have accused Baku of touting its role as an
energy partner for Europe and the United States while downplaying
its human rights record, which Western officials and rights groups
say has deteriorated precipitously in recent months.
Shaffer, who is currently a visiting researcher at the Center for
Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies (CEREES) at Georgetown
University, is among the most visible figures promoting this role
for Azerbaijan in the media and in Washington.
As RFE/RL's Robert Coalson reported in September, in many of these
public appearances Shaffer does not mention that she has served as
an adviser to SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev.
"The New York Times" attached its editor's note to Shaffer's op-ed
after the newspaper was shown a photograph of her business card
identifying her as an adviser for "strategic affairs" to the SOCAR
president, according to the report.
Panelist Or Moderator?
Shaffer's precise role at the Columbia University event this week
was also unclear.
Shaffer was described as the "moderator," according to an archived
version of the announcement posted on the Center on Global Energy
Policy's website as recently as October 19.
The updated version, however, lists the moderator as Jesse McCormick,
the center's associate director, and does not mention Shaffer.
McCormick introduced Shaffer at the event as a "panelist," prompting
Shaffer to quickly correct him, according to a recording from the
event.
"Moderator," she said.
Ke Wei, the center's program coordinator, referred questions about
the decision to replace Shaffer as the listed moderator to an outside
public relations firm, BerlinRosen. A message left with the firm
seeking comment went unreturned on October 23.
Neither Shaffer nor SOCAR's U.S. representatives responded to requests
for comment.
Also unclear is the precise role that Columbia's respected Harriman
Institute for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies -- where
Michel is a second-year student -- played in the SOCAR event.
Just days prior to the event, the institute's website featured
an announcement inviting those interested to join "the Center on
Global Energy Policy and the Harriman Institute" for the discussion,
according to anarchived version of the page.
But that announcement, which also listed Shaffer as the moderator,
was later scrubbed from the site.
Neither of the original announcements mentioned Shaffer's affiliation
with SOCAR.
Alexander Cooley, deputy director of the Harriman Institute, told
RFE/RL that the institute "was not a co-sponsor of this event or
even affiliated with it" and that the announcement on its website
"was inaccurate and was removed to reflect our actual nonaffiliation
with the event."
Asked about printed promotional materials for the event that
prominently mentioned both Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy
and the Harriman Institute, Cooley said the institute had "no further
comment on this matter."
http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan-columbia-shaffer-socar-adviser/26654044.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress