The Middle East Conflict Thread

The Israel lobby stirring things up again it seems...
Charles Freeman fails the loyalty test

Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair announced today that Ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the National Intelligence Council not proceed. Director Blair accepted Ambassador Freeman’s decision with regret.

In situations like this, it is often impossible to know whether the appointee really did voluntarily withdraw or whether he was forced out and is merely being allowed to say that he withdrew. To his credit, Adm. Blair was in the Senate this morning defending Freeman from the likes of Joe Lieberman, but everything that is publicly known about Freeman makes it seem unlikely that he would have voluntarily withdrawn due to the shrieking criticisms directed at him. If he were forced out -- and there's no basis for assuming he was until there's evidence for that -- then that reflects quite badly on the Obama administration's willingness to defy the Bill Kristols, Marty Peretzes, and National Reviews of the world when it comes to American policy towards the Middle East.

In the U.S., you can advocate torture, illegal spying, and completely optional though murderous wars and be appointed to the highest positions. But you can't, apparently, criticize Israeli actions too much or question whether America's blind support for Israel should be re-examined.

UPDATE: Prior to the announcement that the Freeman appointment was terminated, Max Blumenthal documented that the man leading the anti-Freeman assault was Steve Rosen, the long-time AIPAC official currently on trial for violations of the Espionage Act in connection with the transmission of classified U.S. information intended for Israel. Blumenthal also quotes foreign policy analyst Chris Nelson as follows:

Freeman is stuck in the latest instance of the deadly power game long played here on what level of support for controversial Israeli government policies is a "requirement" for US public office. 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...
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/03/10/freeman/
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Obamasiah is selling out to the juice. :eek:


So are Human Rights Watch

The Washington advocacy director of Human Rights Watch said, however, that Mr. Freeman's nomination sends the wrong message.

"A capacity to make moral distinctions may not be a prerequisite for being a good intelligence analyst," Tom Malinowski said. "But for such a high-profile appointment, it would still be wise for President Obama to weigh the message sent by choosing someone who has so consistently defended and worked for the clenched fists the president so eloquently challenged in his inaugural address."
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His views on the Tiananmen protests


Freeman’s stance on these issues may come as no surprise given that he was part of an institute that was funded by Saudi money and sat on the board of a Chinese state-owned oil company. If that were not enough, Freeman also made the following claim concerning the protests in Tienanmen Square back in 1989:

For myself, I side on this — if not on numerous other issues — with Gen. Douglas MacArthur. I do not believe it is acceptable for any country to allow the heart of its national capital to be occupied by dissidents intent on disrupting the normal functions of government, however appealing to foreigners their propaganda may be. Such folk, whether they represent a veterans’ “Bonus Army” or a “student uprising” on behalf of “the goddess of democracy” should expect to be displaced with despatch from the ground they occupy. I cannot conceive of any American government behaving with the ill-conceived restraint that the Zhao Ziyang administration did in China, allowing students to occupy zones that are the equivalent of the Washington National Mall and Times Square, combined. while shutting down much of the Chinese government’s normal operations. I thus share the hope of the majority in China that no Chinese government will repeat the mistakes of Zhao Ziyang’s dilatory tactics of appeasement in dealing with domestic protesters in China.
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His views on Mao

Mao Zedong had a force and energy which none but men of equally great spiritual conviction could withstand. His animal appetites, we now know, matched his intellectual vigor. He was an object of adulation to his subjects and of mingled admiration and dread to his subordinates and intimates. While Mao lived, the brilliance of his personality illuminated the farthest corners of his country and inspired many would-be revolutionaries and romantics beyond it.
Few indeed loved Chairman Mao's style of governance, but all but a few of those who despised it most loved the People's Republic he had founded more and hated him less than they feared him.
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http://reason.com/blog/show/132103.html

Yeah it must only be the juice. Not Obamasiah making another clanger
 
Aqua_lung said:
Read the article, Freeman has debunked the myth of receiving Saudi money etc. these things that you have posted are the smears mentioned.
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Oh no "smears" :rolleyes:. Where's the proof he in fact did not say that? So sad when the lefties sell out even the Tibetans to get at Israel :o
 
marine1 said:
They not the only ones who think they are right ;)
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well the only cool thing about it is, its getting harder for them to push their agenda unnoticed and the US is getting more and more tied up(besides their own issues hitting the fan and NKorea going for it).

Is it just me or is there more and more things hitting the fan all over the place? And the US is getting stretched while their own domestic issues flares.
 
krycor said:
Is it just me or is there more and more things hitting the fan all over the place? And the US is getting stretched while their own domestic issues flares.
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It's the end of the Roman Empire all over again...
 
Hamas attacked, Israel had to defend. What country is insane enough not to defend? Hamas hid behind civilians when Israel did defend. Israel pulled out and Hamas claimed victory.

Anybody else except me waiting for round 3838473 in this fight? :confused:
 
Don't try, singularity. You're posting at an obstinate bunch of people who love the West and hate the Middle East. I'll give you some liquid diamond if you point out some objectivity here.
 
Aeron said:
Don't try, singularity. You're posting at an obstinate bunch of people who love the West and hate the Middle East. I'll give you some liquid diamond if you point out some objectivity here.
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:rolleyes:

And the Middle East just love the West, don't they ?
 
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