"Goering would say there was no difference...he was desperately casting around for a justification"
Goering said the the only difference was a question of "degree". I don't think he looked for justification,he was just calling it as he saw it. Eichmann at his trial pointed out the Allies knew of the camps in Poland as of Sept. 1943 ( the flew a plan from a base in Italy and took pictures. The Allies were careful not to bomb rail lines leading to these places. They believed that it was better to have the resources of men and material tied up in the camps than going to the front lines.