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== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Roger Cohen was born in London to a [[Jewish]] family. His father, [[Sydney Cohen]], a doctor, immigrated from [[South Africa]] to England in the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Jew in England |author=Roger Cohen |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 30, 2009 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/opinion/01iht-edcohen.html}}</ref>He attended [[Balliol College]], having considered its rival [[St John's College, Oxford|St. John’s College]] as "a too-beautiful refuge of sporty underachievers".
Roger Cohen was born in London to a [[Jewish]] family. His father, [[Sydney Cohen]], a doctor, immigrated from [[South Africa]] to England in the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Jew in England |author=Roger Cohen |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=November 30, 2009 |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/opinion/01iht-edcohen.html}}</ref>He attended [[Balliol College]]. In the late 1960s, he studied at Westminster, one of Britain's top private schools. He won a scholarship and would have entered College, the scholar's house, but was told a Jew could not attend College or hold a Queen's Scholarship. Instead, he received an Honorary Scholarship. <ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/01/opinion/01iht-edcohen.html A Jew in England]</ref>


In 1973, Cohen and his friends traveled throughout the [[Middle East]], including [[Iran]] and [[Afghanistan]]. He drove a [[Volkswagen Kombi]] named 'Pigpen' after the drummer of [[Grateful Dead]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/opinion/29cohen.html?|title=Return to Bamiyan |last=Cohen|first=Roger|date=October 29, 2007|work=The New York Times|accessdate=4 May 2009}}</ref> Cohen graduated with M.A. degrees in History and in French in 1977.<ref name=ab>[http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/5914013-1.html The New York Times Names Roger Cohen Foreign Editor]. Business Wire. Published March 14, 2002.</ref> He then left that year for Paris to teach English and to write for ''Paris Metro''. He started working for [[Reuters]] and the agency transferred him to [[Brussels]].<ref name=media/>
In 1973, Cohen and his friends traveled throughout the [[Middle East]], including [[Iran]] and [[Afghanistan]]. He drove a [[Volkswagen Kombi]] named 'Pigpen' after the drummer of [[Grateful Dead]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/opinion/29cohen.html?|title=Return to Bamiyan |last=Cohen|first=Roger|date=October 29, 2007|work=The New York Times|accessdate=4 May 2009}}</ref> Cohen graduated with M.A. degrees in History and in French in 1977.<ref name=ab>[http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices/5914013-1.html The New York Times Names Roger Cohen Foreign Editor]. Business Wire. Published March 14, 2002.</ref> He then left that year for Paris to teach English and to write for ''Paris Metro''. He started working for [[Reuters]] and the agency transferred him to [[Brussels]].<ref name=media/>

Revision as of 14:09, 1 December 2009

Roger Cohen
Born (1955-08-02) August 2, 1955 (age 69)
London
EducationWestminster School in London and Balliol College, Oxford (Modern History and Languages)
Occupation(s)Journalist, Columnist, Author
Notable credit(s)The International Herald Tribune, The New York Times
SpouseFrida Baranek
Children4

Roger Cohen (born August 2, 1955) is a British-born journalist and author. He is a columnist for The New York Times and International Herald Tribune.[1] He has worked as a foreign correspondent in fifteen different countries.[2]

Biography

Roger Cohen was born in London to a Jewish family. His father, Sydney Cohen, a doctor, immigrated from South Africa to England in the 1950s.[3]He attended Balliol College. In the late 1960s, he studied at Westminster, one of Britain's top private schools. He won a scholarship and would have entered College, the scholar's house, but was told a Jew could not attend College or hold a Queen's Scholarship. Instead, he received an Honorary Scholarship. [4]

In 1973, Cohen and his friends traveled throughout the Middle East, including Iran and Afghanistan. He drove a Volkswagen Kombi named 'Pigpen' after the drummer of Grateful Dead.[5] Cohen graduated with M.A. degrees in History and in French in 1977.[6] He then left that year for Paris to teach English and to write for Paris Metro. He started working for Reuters and the agency transferred him to Brussels.[7]

Cohen is married to the sculptor Frida Baranek and has four children. The family lives in Brooklyn, New York. [8]Cohen has not lived in London since 1980.

Journalism career

In 1983, Cohen joined The Wall Street Journal in Rome to cover the Italian economy. The Journal later transferred him to Beirut.[7]He joined The New York Times in January 1990.[6] In the summer of 1991, he co-authored with Claudio Gatti In the Eye of the Storm: The Life of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The authors wrote the books based on information from Norman Schwarzkopf's sister Sally, without Schwarzkopf's help.[9]

Cohen worked for The New York Times as its European economic correspondent, based in Paris, from January 1992 to April 1994. He then became the paper's Balkan bureau chief, based in Zagreb, from April 1994 to June 1995. He covered the Bosnian War and the related Bosnian Genocide. His expose of a Serb-run Bosnian concentration camp won the Burger Human Rights Award from the Overseas Press Club of America.[6] At this time and afterward, questions arose about whether or not Cohen's pro-Bosnian Muslim/pro-Sarajevo and anti-Bosnian Serb beliefs crossed the line, making him more of an advocate than an objective reporter.[10]

He wrote a retrospective book about his Balkan experiences called Hearts Grown Brutal: Sagas of Sarajevo in 1998.[10] It won a Citation for Excellence from the Overseas Press Club in 1999.[7] Cohen wrote in Hearts Grown Brutal that his coverage of the war changed him as a person, and that he considers himself lucky to still be alive.[11] He later called this period the proudest achievement in his entire journalistic career.[7]

He returned to the paper's Paris bureau from June 1995 to August 1998. He served as bureau chief of the Berlin bureau after September 1998. He took over as foreign editor of the paper's American office in the direct aftermath of the September 11 attacks. His unofficial role was made formal on March 14, 2002. In his tenure, he planned and then oversaw the paper's coverage of the War in Afghanistan.[6] During his first visit to India as an editor, he entered the country without obtaining a visa, having assumed that he would not need one. He was then stuck in diplomatic limbo for several hours. He has called this the stupidest thing he has ever done in his career.[7]

In 2004, he began writing a column called 'Globalist', which is published twice a week in The International Herald Tribune.[7] In 2005, he wrote his third book, Soldiers and Slaves: American POWs Trapped by the Nazis' Final Gamble, and he published it through Alfred A. Knopf.[1] In 2006, he became the first senior editor for The International Herald Tribune.[7]

After columnist Nicholas D. Kristof took a temporary leave in mid-2006, Cohen took over Kristof's position. He has written editorials for the Times since then.[2] On April 28, 2009, Cohen wrote an open letter to Philip Weiss clarifying that "I've never had a permanent place in NYT paper. My deal is in IHT (paper) and online; in NYT online with same display as other columnists; and in NYT paper intermittently when schedules permit."[12]

Political commentary

Iraq

Cohen supported the American-led invasion of Iraq. He criticized the Bush administration's handling of the occupation while still supporting the cause given the brutality of Saddam Hussein's regime. In January 2009, he commented that Saddam's "death-and-genocide machine killed about 400,000 Iraqis and another million or so people in Iran and Kuwait." He wrote that "I still believe Iraq’s freedom outweighs its terrible price."[13]

He opposed the 2007 'surge' of troops into Iraq. In June 2007, he advocated pulling out 105,000 soldiers. He argued, "Pulling out a lot of troops is the only way to increase pressure on Maliki to make the political compromises - on distribution of oil revenue, the constitution and de-Baathification - that will give Iraq some long-term chance of cohering."[14]

In November 2008, Cohen stated that "gains are real but fragile" in Iraq. He criticized Democratic candidate Barack Obama's calls for sixteen month withdrawal from the country, calling it irresponsible. Cohen wrote that "we’re going to have to play buffer against the dominant Shia for several years".[15]

Iran

Cohen wrote a series of articles for The New York Times in February 2009 about his trip to Iran. He expressed opposition to military action against Iran and encouraged negotiations between the United States and the Islamic Republic.[16] He claimed that Iranian Jews were well treated, writing "of a a Jewish community living, working and worshiping in relative tranquility." He praised the hospitality of the Iranians: "I’m a Jew and have seldom been treated with such consistent warmth as in Iran."[16] He paid an Iranian agency $150 a day for a translator, who filed a report on Cohen’s doings with the Iranian government.[17]

His depiction of Jewish life in Iran sparked criticism from columnists and activists such as Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic Monthly[18] and Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. In his Jerusalem Post op-ed, Medoff criticized Cohen for being “misled by the existence of synagogues” and further argued that Iranian Jews "are captives of the regime, and whatever they say is carefully calibrated not to get themselves into trouble."[19] The American Jewish Committee also criticized Cohen's articles. Dr. Eran Lerman, director of the group's Middle East directory, argued that "Cohen’s need to argue away an unpleasant reality thus gives rise to systematic denial".[20]

Cohen defended his observations, describing Iran as a country of "subtle shades." He wrote: "Life is more difficult for them than for Muslims, but to suggest they inhabit a totalitarian hell is self-serving nonsense."[21] Cohen met with members of Los Angeles's Iranian Jewish and Bahai community at Sinai Temple after receiving critical mail about his column.[22] Cohen defended his views and analysis on Iran and Israel to a partly hostile audience.[17] Rabbi David Wolpe of Sinai Temple criticized Cohen after the event, saying "Increasingly I came to believe that Iran was not Cohen's sole concern; he wanted it as a stick with which to beat Israel over Gaza, whose incursion he wrote left him ashamed."[23]

After June 2009 Iranian Presidential election, Cohen argued that the announced results in favor of President Ahmadinejad over reformist Mir Hussein Moussavi were fabricated. He wrote that despite being repressive, "the Islamic Republic offers significant margins of freedom by regional standards. I erred in underestimating the brutality and cynicism of a regime that understands the uses of ruthlessness."[24] A few weeks later he called the regime and its pursuit of nuclear weapons "reasonable."

Israel

Cohen wrote in January 2009 that the Israel-Palestinian conflict should not be seen by the United States as just another part of the War on Terrorism. He called for the ending of Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and the ending of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. He also supported the reconciling of Hamas with Fatah after their violent split. As such, he criticized the Obama administration for its continuance of past United States policies towards Israel.[8]

Cohen opposed Operation Cast Lead, labeling it "wretchedly named — and disastrous".[8] He has accused Israelis of the "slaying of hundreds of Palestinian children" in the campaign.[25] In a March 8 column, Cohen stated that he had "never previously felt so shamed by Israel’s actions."[26]

Pakistan / Afghanistan

On November 8, 2007, Cohen described the then $10 billion given to the Pakistani government and $22 billion given to the Afghani government as "self-defeating". He called Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf "a dictator with a gentleman’s itch". He also stated that "the U.S. must stick with him and maintain aid for now", but it should press Musharraf for more political reforms.[27]

In September 2008, Cohen stated that only the Afghani people themselves can win the War in Afghanistan. He wrote:

In Afghanistan, a Taliban-led insurgency is growing in reach and effectiveness. There’s talk of a mini-surge in U.S. troops there -- now about 34,000 -- to counter the threat, but little serious reflection on what precise end perhaps 12,000 additional forces would serve. Until that’s clarified, I’m against the mini-surge.[15]

Awards

Cohen has won numerous awards and honors, among them the Peter Weitz Prize for Dispatches from Europe, the Arthur F. Burns Prize, and the Joe Alex Morris lectureship at Harvard University.[6][7] He received an Overseas Press Club award for his coverage of third world debt in 1987, the Inter-American Press Association "Tom Wallace" Award for feature writing in 1989.[6]

Quotes

"Living through a war in Europe was a harrowing experience in many ways, but I think that for everyone there of my pampered generation, it was also an education. In war, you see people pushed to their limits. To try to evoke that, to convey those experiences and so to impact government policy when governments are doing their best to ignore terrible things - that can be rewarding in more lasting ways than most journalism."[7]

Cohen says that "journalism is a young person's game." "When the phone goes in the middle of the night and you're 25 and you're asked to go to Beirut, it's the greatest thing. But when that happens at 50, less so."[7]

Published works

References

  1. ^ a b Roger Cohen. The New York Times. Accessed May 2, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Roger Cohen Is Entitled to His Opinion. By Jack Shafer. Slate Magazine. Posted November 9, 2007.
  3. ^ Roger Cohen (November 30, 2009). "A Jew in England". The New York Times.
  4. ^ A Jew in England
  5. ^ Cohen, Roger (October 29, 2007). "Return to Bamiyan". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f The New York Times Names Roger Cohen Foreign Editor. Business Wire. Published March 14, 2002.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Roger Cohen: My Life In Media. The Independent. Published 12 February 2007.
  8. ^ a b c Cohen, Roger (January 11, 2009). "Mideast Dream Team? Not Quite". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  9. ^ In the Eye of the Storm: The Life of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. Entertainment Weekly. Published August 23, 1991.
  10. ^ a b Roberts, Walter R. (1999). "Hearts Grown Brutal". Mediterranean Quarterly. 10 (3): 137–139.
  11. ^ Hearts Grown Brutal - Reviews. Barnes and Noble. Accessed May 3, 2009.
  12. ^ Fact-checking Marty Peretz. By Philip Weiss. philipweiss.org Posted April 28, 2009.
  13. ^ Cohen, Roger (January 17, 2008). "A Center Called McCain". Der Speigel. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  14. ^ Cohen, Roger (June 17, 2007). "The Long View in Iraq". The New York Times.
  15. ^ a b Cohen, Roger (November 8, 2008). "Real Wars and the US Culture War". Der Speigel. Retrieved 3 May 2009.
  16. ^ a b Cohen, Roger (February 22, 2009). "What Iran's Jews Say". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  17. ^ a b Tugend, Tom (March 16, 2009). "Roger Cohen spars with Iranian Jewish expats". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  18. ^ "Roger Cohen's Very Happy Visit with Iran's Jews. Jeffrey Goldberg's Atlantic Blog. Published Feb. 26, 2009.
  19. ^ Medoff, Rafael (February 26, 2009). "Don't turn Iran's Jews into a political football". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 22 April 2009.
  20. ^ AJC Responds to Roger Cohen Columns on Iran. By Dr. Eran Lerman. American Jewish Committee. Published April 13, 2009.
  21. ^ Cohen, Roger (March 1, 2009). "Iran, the Jews and Germany". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  22. ^ "An Invitation for Roger Cohen". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 11, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  23. ^ "Clashing Over Iran and the Jews". The Huffington Post. Retrieved May 11, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ Cohen, Roger (June 14, 2009). "Iran's Day of Anguish". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  25. ^ Cohen, Roger (April 5, 2005). "Turkey Wants U.S. 'Balance'". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  26. ^ Cohen, Roger (March 8, 2009). "Middle East Reality Check". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  27. ^ Cohen, Roger (November 8, 2007). "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Musharraf". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 May 2009.
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