I've been reading about the case of Chas Freeman, who has been nominated for National Intellgence Council Chief. Seems as if Mr. Freeman has been targeted by the Israeli Lobby for being, agasp, a person not falling in line with everything pro-Israel.
Mr. Freeman from a speech in 2007:
In a fall 2007 speech to the Pacific Council on International Policy Freeman said:
"In retrospect, Al Qaeda has played us with the finesse of a matador exhausting a great bull by guiding it into unproductive lunges at the void behind his cape. By invading Iraq, we transformed an intervention in Afghanistan most Muslims had supported into what looks to them like a wider war against Islam. We destroyed the Iraqi state and catalyzed anarchy, sectarian violence, terrorism, and civil war in that country. Meanwhile, we embraced Israel’s enemies as our own; they responded by equating Americans with Israelis as their enemies. We abandoned the role of Middle East peacemaker to back Israel’s efforts to pacify its captive and increasingly ghettoized Arab populations. We wring our hands while sitting on them as the Jewish state continues to seize ever more Arab land for its colonists."
I agree with Andrew Sullivan. If the man has FINANCIAL problems, fine. I don't have a qualm with him being jetted because of financial dealings. But, that doesn't seem to be what's happening here. He's being villified by the neo-cons, who shouldn't be able to say SHIT for what they've put this country through in the past 8 years, and the Israeli lobby. When is this country going to begin doing foreign policy for what's best for US, and not what's best for Israel? Hell no, I don't think they're one in the same. We give them, what, 3 billion dollars a year (conservative estimate- some put it as high as 5.5 billion), and we don't get to tell them what to use it for? Why isn't the foreign aid to Israel put in the same box as that 'aid' given to Africa?
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I'm surprised that you caught the story about Chas Freeman. (pleasantly surprised). When I heard about his nomination last week on NPR... and heard about his reputation I was a little surprised that Obama chose him.
I was hoping to do a post on Freeman....but I honestly forgot. So thanks...
I may try to find the NPR story.
Freeman is the closest thing to a Progressive that Obama has chosen so far to be on his Foreign Policy team...so I was pleased. Most of the others have been Neoconservatives, "Neo-Con Lite" or traditional Truman Doctrine Democrats (The Clinton-ites, The Kissinger students...the Brzezinski-ites, The Madeline Not-So-Brights, etc.)....with most tending to be far more hawkish than pro-peace. Although Freeman has served leaders in both Parties.... he seems more pragmatic and a little more sensible.
It will take more than Freeman to bring that Foreign Policy team into any sort of balance.
Just today Clinton was pushing the idea of NATO expansion...proclaiming future membership for Georgia and Ukraine (former USSR States)...when it makes absolutely no sense for these two Countries to be members...and when it makes no sense for NATO to expand in the first place.
Obama also seems to be ready to go forward with the disastrous idea of building a Strategic Anti-Missile System in Poland w/ a radar system in the Czech Republic.
They are also not using diplomacy effectively with Iran. Instead of trying to understand Iran.... Clinton is repeating Bush era nonsense.
I'm not surprised that folks are trying to derail him. AIPAC is very powerful.
Although I agree with everything else stated by Mr. Freeman, as per the paragraph highlighted in Rikryah’s inital post__I have to respectfully disagree with the first sentence:
"In retrospect, Al Qaeda has played us with the finesse of a matador exhausting a great bull by guiding it into unproductive lunges at the void behind his cape.”
IMO, Al Qaeda didn’t play the U.S. The U.S. played itself in every way imaginable and unimaginable_and the U.S. government hardly did it with “finesse”_smh.
Re: AIPAC
“Anger” doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel towards Israeli Zionists and their American neoCON (Zionist) kinfolk!
This country is on the brink of collapsing due in large part to a cabal of War-mongering, Corrupt, intellectually DIShonest, CRAZY-azz, GUTLESS “wonders”_aka_Zionist CHICKEN-hawks_who thought invading Iraq, FOR NO JUSTIIFIABLE REASON, was a "briliant" idea.
And for what? OIL and ISRAEL.
Those C-hawks over at AIPAC led the charge. They were allowed to run amok during Dubya’s 8 year reign of HORROR and despite ALL the sh*t they’ve caused everywhere, we’re still plagued with them_like an infestation of COCKROACHES that thrive in the dark but run from the light.
Re: Chas Freeman
I confess, I really haven’t paid much attention to this particular nomination until now.
And I agree with Sullivan. If the opposition has a legitimate concern about this guy’s “finances”(?)_then so be it. Have an honest airing of the matter and move on.
However, if opposition is purely political motivated by his outspoken pragmatic stand on Israel_his strong criticism of Israel in the past_then the opposition should can STICK IT.
Anyone_and I do mean ANYONE who has the “balls” to stand up to Israel and AIPAC is to be HIGHLY commended in my book.
Nevertheless, IF Freeman goes down in flames, I hope "Pres. O" will look for another pragmatic Realist to fill that position.
Re: Strategic Anti-Missile System in Poland w/ a radar system in the Czech Republic.
This topic is way outta my league. And from what I’ve read, I’m not really sure how I feel about it at this point(?) But Pres. Obama being the strategic thinker and pragmatist that he is_I’m thinking there’s More to this story than meets the eye.
Now_IF I understand this correctly(?)_the Obama administration is using the “threat” (if you will) of building the missile defense system as a kind of “bargaining chip” to urge Russia to stop helping Iran with nuke technology.
Well um_might that have been the strategy all along?...meaning even under Dubya?
I ran across a great question posed by “Some Stupid Tech” at another site:
“You have to wonder if on day one the CIA sat down with Obama and said "see here’s the deal with that missile defense shield, were really blackmailing the Russians, we never had any intension of building it in the first place, remember Star Wars?"
Hmmm? I need to do more research on this subject.
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