“Daughton invited me to US Embassy to discuss security,” says Michael Mewshaw

The writer of Between Terror and Tourism: An Overland Journey Across North Africa said his book does not contain lies, in response to the claims of the US Embassy about the accuracy of his interview with Thomas Daughton, former Deputy Chief of Mission in Algiers.

• Michael Mewshaw told Echorouk Daughton invited him to the US Embassy to discuss security. The interview took place on May 14, 2008 and lasted between 5 pm and 6:30 pm.
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• “I asked Mr. Daughton if I could take notes and he said yes. I still have my notes of our interview and they contain the quotations which I attribute to Mr. Daughton in my book,” he said.
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• “At no point did Mr. Daughton say he was speaking off the record or that he should not be quoted by name,” he added.
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• Earlier on February 10, Daughton sent an e-mail to Mewshaw, telling him he would be delighted to meet with him while he was in Algiers. “I would like to be in a position to give you any up-to-date information we might have concerning the security situation here.”
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• Mewshaw replied to the former Deputy Chief of Mission on May 30 thanking him for taking the time to talk to him in Algiers.
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• “I very much enjoyed meeting you and having the chance to talk with you about your adventures. If your peregrinations ever take you this way again, please give me a call,” Daughton told Mewshaw in an e-mail sent on May 31.
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• Between Terror and Tourism: An Overland Journey Across North Africa was released on February 9. It contains a long interview with Thomas Daughton who gave a dark image about security situation in Algeria.
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• Previously, US embassy in Algeria told Echorouk Daughton denied all what was said in the book which contains many wrong quotations.
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• The US give big importance to their relations with Algeria and they work on enhance them in all the sectors. Because of that, anything suggesting something different does not reflect the value given by the US government to those important bilateral relations, it added.