(JTA) — The special rapporteur of the United Nations on the Palestinians, U.S. academic Richard Falk, denied accusations that he supported 9/11 conspiracy theories.
"I wish to be absolutely clear," Falk said in a statement released Jan. 26. "I do not endorse the theory that the U.S. government orchestrated the 9/11 attacks."
He blamed U.N. Watch, an advocacy group affiliated with the American Jewish Committee, saying it "created this mess, deliberately distorted comments I made, in my personal capacity, on my blog," Falk said.
Addressing debate over whether politics played a role in the Tucson shooting, Falk had written on his personal blog earlier this month, "What seems most disturbing about the 9/11 controversy is the widespread aversion by government and media to the evidence that suggests, at the very least, the need for an independent investigation that proceeds with no holds barred."
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, called for Falk’s removal as the U.N. Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories.
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