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Line 48: On 6 June 1977, [[Noam Chomsky]] and [[Edward S. Herman]] published an article in ''[[The Nation]]'' that contrasted the views expressed in the books of [[John Barron (American journalist)|John Barron]] and Anthony Paul, [[François Ponchaud]], and [[Gareth Porter]] and George Hildebrand, as well as in articles and accounts by [[Fox Butterfield]], [[Carol Bragg]] (eyewitness testimony), Asian scholar [[George McTurnan Kahin|George Kahin]], [[J.J. Cazaux]], [[Sydney Schanberg]], Swedish journalist [[Olle Tolgraven]], and others. Their conclusion was:<ref name=":4" /><blockquote>We do not pretend to know where the truth lies amidst these sharply conflicting assessments; rather, we again want to emphasize some crucial points. What filters through to the American public is a seriously distorted version of the evidence available, emphasizing alleged Khmer Rouge atrocities and downplaying or ignoring the crucial U.S. role, direct and indirect, in the torment that Cambodia has suffered.<ref name=":4" /></blockquote>Chomsky and Herman had both faint praise and criticism for Ponchaud's book ''Cambodia: Year Zero'', writing on the one hand that it was "serious and worth reading, as distinct from much of the commentary it has elicited", and on the other that "the serious reader will find much to make him somewhat wary."<ref name=":4" /> They wrote that the refugee stories of Khmer Rouge atrocities "must be considered seriously", but should be treated with great "care and caution" because "refugees are frightened and defenseless, at the mercy of alien forces. They naturally tend to report what they believe their interlocuters wish to hear."<ref name=":4" /> In the article Chomsky and Herman described the book by Gareth Porter and George Hildebrand, as a "carefully documented study of the destructive American impact on Cambodia and the success of the Cambodian revolutionaries in overcoming it, giving a very favorable picture of their programs and policies, based on a wide range of sources". Chomsky also attacked testimonials from refugees regarding the massacres, calling into question the claims of hundreds of thousands killed. Chomsky does this on the basis of pointing to other first hand accounts that show killings more in the hundreds or thousands. He does not deny the existence of any executions outright. According to historian [[Peter Maguire (historian)|Peter Maguire]], for many years Chomsky served as a "hit man" against media outlets which criticized the Khmer Rouge regime.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Maguire |first=Peter |title=Facing Death in Cambodia |publisher=Columbia University Press |year=2005 |isbn=9780231509398 |pages=52–55}}</ref> === Later comments === | |||