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A senior military analyst with the international watchdog Human Rights Watch has been suspended by the organisation following controversy surrounding his collection of Nazi wartime medals and memorabilia.
Marc Garlasco, a former intelligence officer for the Pentagon, has in recent days become the subject of pro-Israeli bloggers who have pointed out that he is an avid collector of Nazi second world war memorabilia. The bloggers have questioned whether this is an appropriate hobby for someone who has led Human Rights Watch's investigations into the two Israeli wars in Lebanon and Gaza.
The watchdog said it had suspended Garlasco from his research work on full pay pending an inquiry. The group stressed that this was not a disciplinary move, but its associate director, Carroll Bogert, told Associated Press that "we do know he collects German and American world war two memorabilia, but we have questions as to whether we've learned everything we need to know".
The suspension marks an abrupt change of...