Israel lobby vetoes US gov selection by GinoBiffaroni

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Israel lobby vetoes US gov selection

POSTED BY: GINOBIFFARONI
UPDATED: Saturday, March 14, 2009 06:46
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Thursday, March 12, 2009 12:15 PM

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/03/200931113340555177.
html

News Americas
Obama pick quits over Israel lobby

Freeman said the Israeli lobby blocks 'serious public discussion' on Middle East policy [GALLO/GETTY]

The candidate for a leading US intelligence post has withdrawn his nomination after accusing the country's Israel lobby of plumbing "the depths of dishonour and indecency" to assassinate his character.

Charles "Chas" Freeman, a former US ambassador who is now president of the Middle East Policy Council think-tank, had initially agreed to chair the US National Intelligence Council that produces assessments of security issues.

But on Tuesday he withdrew his nomination following what he called a "barrage of libellous distortions" of his record by the Israel lobby in the US.

"The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired," Freeman said.

"The tactics of the Israel lobby plumb the depths of dishonour and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the wilful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth.

"The aim of this lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favours."

Setback for Obama

Opponents were quick to point out that Freeman's withdrawal was merely the latest in a string of personnel setbacks for Barack Obama as the president struggles to staff his administration.

Pete Hoekstra, the leading Republican on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said this was "yet another breakdown in the Obama administration vetting process - one more in a long series of missteps".

Freeman, who in 2007 said "the brutal oppression of the Palestinians by Israeli occupation shows no sign of ending", was criticised by some in the US congress for remarks seen as critical of Israel.

Freeman quotes

2007 - "The brutal oppression of the Palestinians by Israeli occupation shows no sign of ending"

2007 - "Israel is even more despised and isolated than we are, and together with the Israelis we are rapidly multiplying the ranks of terrorists with regional and global reach."

But he countered in an email to supporters on Tuesday: "It is apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends."

Max Blumenthal, a blogger and journalist for the Daily Beast website who has been following Freeman's nomination process, told Al Jazeera that his withdrawal was "a catastrophic defeat for the Obama administration".

"What happened is the Israel lobby won," he said.

"What [Freeman] said that I think is most remarkable in his statement, is that apparently the Obama administration will not be able to dictate its own Mideast policy and he places the blame for this squarely on the Israel lobby."

Blumenthal said that the Israel lobby had "been furiously emailing sympathetic reporters, smearing him [Freeman] in public" and that "political decisions came into play with respect to [Freeman's] views on Israel and essentially his appointment was torpedoed".

This was the Israel lobby's "first all-out fusillade and they succeeded because they knew that Freeman would be dispensable to political elements in the White House that needed to court the Israel lobby, needed their money for senate races", he said.

Lets party like its 1939

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Thursday, March 12, 2009 7:42 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

Does this mean Freeman paid his taxes, so he's not allowed to be vetted as an obama nominee?

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Friday, March 13, 2009 5:55 AM

GINOBIFFARONI

I just wanted to raise the question of foreign influence on the political process in the US...

After all, if it was the Russian, or Cuban lobby trying to get someone axed I think the shock and outrage would be greater... why do people not care if the Israeli lobby has undue influence ?

Lets party like its 1939

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Friday, March 13, 2009 6:10 AM

WULFENSTAR

http://youtu.be/VUnGTXRxGHg

"I just wanted to raise the question of foreign influence on the political process in the US...

After all, if it was the Russian, or Cuban lobby trying to get someone axed I think the shock and outrage would be greater... why do people not care if the Israeli lobby has undue influence ? "

Becuase if you speak out against it, some douchebag will call you anti-semetic.

Becuase the Jews paid me not to raise a fuss?

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Friday, March 13, 2009 9:31 PM

FREMDFIRMA

You missed last months incident, Wulf.

Course, not like the press covered it, obviously.

Pelosi sent her pet AIPAC goons to cut a deal with Kucinich, he quits pushing impeachment, he gets a free-ride re-election.

He throws em out, they tell him to kiss his seat in DC goodbye - some folk plan to make it not go thier way cause these fuckers need a sharp lesson delivered as a reminder they ain't invincible.

I like Kooky, I do, but I generally cannot support him due to his lack of respect for the 2nd Amendment cause with me the Constitution is an all or nothing thing, see ?

However, against an AIPAC yes-man ?
Fuckin hell, he could be baazelbub hisself and I'd back him all the way at THAT point.

And then there was what they did to Maxine Waters for pitching them from HER office, but she had enough dirt on her already to make that just too damn easy.

Also, one of the things that set my ire at McCain right up front, and Hillary too...

When you are campaigning for the office of the president of the United States, and make your first big campaign stop in Tel Aviv...
People REMEMBER that shit.

And joe blow at the water cooler is gettin pretty pissed about the amount of influence these bastards have over here, especially since all WE ever seem to get out of the deal is spit on by the rapacious bastards.

I've been hearin some downright *cringeworthy* comments related to that as of late, and I know damn well I ain't the only one.

If you ever wondered why no one felt much sympathy for em in WWII, it's because they got a history of this kinda crap that goes back to the middle ages.

But you cannot blame an entire people for it, and sadly, that IS what is going to happen, there's just too much rage and too few voices of reason - not to mention the *behavior* of their most verbal and virulent defenders over here.

It's one of the few knowingly immoral decisions I've made - that not only will I make no effort to prevent such a thing if it comes to pass, I may actually aid it, despite knowing how wrong it is.

Cause frankly, I'm tired of their shit.

-Frem

It cannot be said enough, those who do not learn from history, are doomed to endlessly repeat it

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Saturday, March 14, 2009 6:46 AM

GINOBIFFARONI

hell. its been going on forever,

the latest episodes reminded me of Andrew Young...

the guy was Carters ambassador to the UN, Israel

engineered his firing / resignation simply

because he opposed Israel building NEW settlements

in the West Bank, and he wanted the PLO to be able

to directly participate in UN negotiations.

If this happened in 1979, perhaps the peace process

would be farther ahead. Instead Begin used it as

an excuse to walk away from the table setting

things back at least a decade.

You are right about not blaming the people Frem, I have read about the outrage of many folks over there, but their government on the other hand...

Lets party like its 1939

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