America still conducts witchhunts after all these years.
You may or may not have been aware of the contrived controversy over the man selected to be the nation's National Intelligence Council head, Charles Freeman. Catch up here, here and here.
Freeman withdrew himself from consideration to the post yesterday after the well organized Israeli Lobby had conducted a successful firewood search to burn Freeman at the public smear stake.
This is of course no surprise. In the U.S. first amendment rights of free speech have been suspended for the sake of Israeli interests.
First, a couple comments from 2 U.S. senators who happen to be Jewish….
Chuckie Schumer (D-NY)
“Charles Freeman was the wrong guy for this position. His statements against Israel were way over the top and severely out of step with the administration. I repeatedly urged the White House to reject him, and I am glad they did the right thing.”
Joementum Lieberman (Asshole-CT)
"…. Freeman is "inclined to lean against Israel or too much in favor of China."
My own sense is that this controversy is not going to go away until you (Dennis Blair) or Ambassador Freeman find a way to resolve it," Lieberman said.
The two circumcised senators say that Charles Freeman is just "way over the top", and "inclined to lean against Israel". Here's a bit of Charles Freeman's "over the top" Israel bashing….
Tragically, despite all the advantages and opportunities Israel has had over the fifty-nine years of its existence, it has failed to achieve concord and reconciliation with anyone in its region, still less to gain their admiration or affection. Instead, with each decade, Israel's behavior has deviated farther from the humane ideals of its founders and the high ethical standards of the religion that most of its inhabitants profess. Israel and the Palestinians, in particular, are caught up in an endless cycle of reprisal and retaliation that guarantees the perpetuation of conflict in which levels of mutual atrocities continue to escalate. As a result, each generation of Israelis and Palestinians has accumulated new reasons to loathe the behavior of the other, and each generation of Arabs has detested Israel with more passion than its predecessor. This is not how peace is made. Here, too, a break with the past and a change in course are clearly in order. Link
Yep….that's some really "over the top", unbalanced stuff alright.
Steven Rosen, a former director of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC) due to stand trial this April for espionage for Israel, is the leader of the campaign against Freeman’s appointment. See here and here.
It's all about the NIE's (National Intelligence Estimates). Israeli interests don't want honest evaluations from American foreign policy experts about Iran, Syria, etc……..instead, they want to control the content of those NIE's to favor Israel's interests…..
As NIC director, Freeman would oversee the production of National Intelligence Estimates, the consensus judgment of all 16 intelligence agencies—essentially the official analysis of the U.S. government on global realities.
“It’s clear that Freeman isn’t going to be influenced by the lobby,” Jim Lobe, the Washington bureau chief of Inter Press Service, remarked to me. “They don’t like people like that, especially when they’re in charge of products like the NIE. So this is a very important test for them.” Link
A test that America failed and the Israeli Lobby passed.
Josh Marshall on what's acceptable and unacceptable debate topics in the Village…
The real rub, the basis of the whole controversy, however, is that [Freeman] has been far more critical of Israeli policy than is generally allowed within acceptable debate in Washington. . .
The whole effort strikes me as little more than a thuggish effort to keep the already too-constricted terms of debate over the Middle East and Israel/Palestine locked down and largely one-sided. . . . But the gist is that campaigns like this are ugly and should be resisted. Not just on general principles, but because the country needs more diversity of viewpoints on this issue right now.
Chris Nelson, of the Nelson Report, warns of the danger to the Obama administration if they give in to the Israeli Lobby and dismiss Charles Freeman (too late now)……
“If Obama surrenders to the critics and orders [Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair] to rescind the Freeman appointment to chair the NIC, it is difficult to see how he can properly exercise leverage, when needed, in his conduct of policy in the Middle East. That, literally, is how the experts see the stakes of the fight now under way.”
President Obama caved to the Israeli Lobby, choosing the interests of big mouthed Jewish screechers over the interests of the U.S.
Is Israel a strategic partner with the U.S….or….is the U.S. simply Israel's servant?
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Freeman was another intelligence pick who had no experience in intelligence, just like Panetta. Freeman is a career diplomat. What a foolish choice this was. I'm glad he's out.
"despite all the advantages and opportunities Israel has had over the fifty-nine years of its existence, it has failed to achieve concord and reconciliation with anyone in its region, still less to gain their admiration or affection. Instead, with each decade, Israel's behavior has deviated farther from the humane ideals of its founders and the high ethical standards of the religion that most of its inhabitants profess." – Freeman
If Freeman blames the Israelis for failing to achieve reconciliation in the region, he really IS an idiot.
Freeman also said the Chinese should have cracked down harder in Tiananmen Square.
Freeman also has ties to the Chinese and the Saudis.
Freeman also wanted national ID's after 9/11.
Freeman also blamed America and the Jews for 9/11.
Links. I need links.
Perhaps you could also explain how Israel's interests come before America's interests…..here in America. While the middle east is still seething from the neo-cons excellent adventures, why would it be in the interests of America to only hear and adapt to what Israel wants?
Rev,
There's no doubt that Freeman's views on the Israeli-Palestinian situation is what doomed his nomination. Although we were unable, and in some cases unwilling, to prevent the Holocaust, it's been 65 years. It's far past time to stop giving the Israelis a blank check to commit their own Holocaust.
I am puzzled as to why we continue to give the largest amount of aid, including our most technologically advanced weaponry, to a country which has committed acts of war against us, including spying on us and attacking one of our naval vessels, killing 34 sailors.
Freeman has it right.
Putting all the anti-semitism aside for a moment, doesn't Obama have to be considered the worst nominator ever, thus far?
I can't think of a president who's done worse right off the bat.
Rev, Here's a link for you. Please read Christopher Ketchum's article on Counterpunch.com
I read Counterpunch regularly. They don't veneer over anything there.
Here's one paragraph from frank's linked piece….
"When the FBI produces its annual report to Congress concerning "Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage," Israel and its intelligence services often feature prominently as a threat second only to China. In 2005 the FBI noted, for example, that Israel maintains "an active program to gather proprietary information within the United States." A key Israeli method, said the FBI report, is computer intrusion. In 1996, the Defense Intelligence Service, a branch of the Pentagon, issued a warning that "the collection of scientific intelligence in the United States [is] the third highest priority of Israeli Intelligence after information on its Arab neighbors and information on secret U.S. policies or decisions relating to Israel."
larry….no anti-Semitism here, unless asking questions or pointing out the patently obvious is now considered to be anti-Semitism.
And no….Obama is doing just fine. Best I've seen from ANY president in my lifetime. I don't agree with everything he's doing…..but he's quite the leader.
Rev,
What is it you want links to ?
You ask, "Perhaps you could also explain how Israel's interests come before America's interests…..here in America. While the middle east is still seething from the neo-cons excellent adventures, why would it be in the interests of America to only hear and adapt to what Israel wants?"
Your statement presupposes that America is somehow subservient to Israel. I don't believe that. Israel is an ally, and we support our allies more than we support non-allies, especially designated terrorist groups like Hamas, for instance.
I don't accept your premise. It sounds more like anti-semitism than anything else to me.
Here's one link that branches into several other links with information about Freeman.
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/05/another-crappy-obama-nomination/
Which do you use as a measuring stick for successful nominations, Reverend? Resignations, scandals or general incompetence?
Tragically, despite all the advantages and opportunities Israel has had over the fifty-nine years of its existence, it has failed to achieve concord and reconciliation with anyone in its region i really how bout till such time as that your neighbors are not trying to kill you and families and friends.
Its in all of the major Palestinian organizations, ALL – kill the Jews.
King….
Malkin, Morissey, the Washington Times and Frank Gaffney. Excuse my language…but Jesus…you aren't really serious about these fools, are you?
And Hershel…
How many Lebanese and Gaza civilians does Israel have to slaughter before you recognize Israel's culpability in the crisis?
Hmm, interesting. The Cons scream anti-semitism when we say Israel is wrong in their actions.
There's a word for that isn't there….
There's several. I appreciate the two word version….effed up.
It's the extremity here that is hysterical in nature. ANY criticism, and I mean even an implication of a criticism, now means you are an anti-Semite. It's the same hysteria, for instance, we experienced if any American dare criticize the Chimp's war of choice. The extremity was seen then in Bill Maher's firing, the Dixie Chicks blackballing, "watch what they say" threats, charges of being anti-American and pro-terrorist and on and on.
Extremists. And extremists, by definition, are dangerous.
Hey fellows if you hate Jews you hate Jews. Why not just admit it?
Any criticism of a Republican president's policies is being anti-American.
Any criticism of a Democratic president's policies is patriotism.
Any criticism of Israeli policies is being a "Jew hater."
Any criticism of Muslim nations' policies is not "Muslim hating."
Am I understanding you correctly, larry?
I believe your railing about Jews "slaughtering" Palestinians in response to the bombing of Israel and about Jews controlling the U.S. government seem pretty anti-semitic, Reverend. I don't know what these other issues have to do with it.
You'll feel better if you just admit you hate the Joohs. After all, those right-wing hardcore nutjob Christians like them so you've got every right.
Well, yes….when America's bestest ally kills over 1300 Gazans, half of whom were women and children, me choosing to use the word, "slaughtering", is simply evidence that I hate Israel. Sure, I see that.
And again, when a small contigent of Israeli Lobbyists blackball an appointee through a cordinated smear and fear campaign…because that same appointee dared to be objective in his evaluation of Israel….and I point those facts out, which no Jew in the Lobby denies….then, sure….I'm being anti-semitic.
Just like I said….an implication of criticism of Israel is, by definition, evidence of anti-semitism.
Israeli people don't see it that way. Just Americans. It's really quite extraordinary.
Jewish Americans make up 2.1% of the U.S. population, so no question, ALL Americans should agree with whatever the Lobby maps out for the rest of us.
I'm sure you like some Jews, just as the racist righties like Sowell.
It's just the sneaky ones who smell funny and control everything that bother you.
It goes without saying that you are mistaken here, larry.
Why include this…
"It's just the sneaky ones who smell funny and control everything that bother you."
….unless, perhaps, you have a problem with Jewish Americans?
See, I don't have any problem with Jewish Americans. I have a problem with American government's deferment to Israeli government policies.
How about you write your next blog post with phrases like 'who just happen to be black,' two "afroed senators" or "big mouthed black screechers."
Rev says, "Malkin, Morissey, the Washington Times and Frank Gaffney. Excuse my language…but Jesus…you aren't really serious about these fools, are you?"
Attacking the messenger while ignoring all the direct quotes of Freeman contained in those links that back up what I said exposes you, Rev, not me. You didn't even read the info contained in the links, did you ?
And c'mon, larry. Every moonbat knows it's the fault of the Jews that the Arabs are engaged in a neverending struggle to kill the Jews. Sometimes those lousy Jews even have the nerve to fight back, like after Hamas launches 10,000 rockets into Israel. The Jews should do the right thing and just lay down and die. It's Moonbat 101. But they aren't anti-semites. Heavens no. They just realize that Hitler was right.
You guys are like the neo-cons who betrayed the country. They could never, ever, ever admit error or mistake or misunderstanding or anything akin to those things. It would have been a sign of weakness.
To admit that Israel's policies may not be all that stellar vis-a-vis it's neighbors is to these same neo-cons a sign of weakness. Can't admit that Israel could possibly have something wrong.
There's no difference in the dynamic. It's Stalinesque or Soviet-like.
I must admit to larry that I shouldn't have called Lieberman and Schumer, "circumcised senators." That was wrong of me. Mentioning that they are both Jewish, however, is not wrong….it is factual.