"Israel will find it difficult to attack Iran alone without a "green light" from America, even if it is only implied and if America ostensibly turns a blind eye. But once the moment of truth arrives,it is doubtful Obama would give the order to take down the Israeli planes heading to Iran – or for that matter to declare an end of aid to Israel or to sever relations. Obviously, the U.S. will want to remain somewhat distanced from any operation that is launched, so as not to be vulnerable to the anticipated Iranian response. But its strong commitment to Israeli security will not allow America to forcibly prevent a military operation designed to prevent a second Holocaust. That is the message Netanyahu will try to implant in the minds of the members of Congress." Ha'aretz
——————————————————————————————-
So that's it folks. The American Sovereignty that Rush, O'Reilly and Hannity go on about really does not exist. AIPAC (the non-lobby that some have thought the agent of the Jewish Agency and Israel in Washington) evidently has enough clout with Congress and Obama that Ha'aretz believes it is doubtful that the United States would honor its undertaking to defend Iraqi airspace. Ha'aretz is apparently also assured that nothing Israel chooses to do would cause America's grants of aid to Israel to come to an end or even a pause.
Well, why would the Israelis not think that? The Department of Justice has asked that espionage charges be dropped against two former AIPAC employees. AIPAC is now publicly and officially rejoicing in this outcome for its former employees. Bravo! Well done! Loyalty to former employees is admirable. A further confidence building development is the ease with which Representative Harman mastered the brouhaha over her intercepted conversation with a "suspected Israeli agent." The American Main Stream Media (MSM) could not have been more helpful in dealing with that momentary embarasment. And why not? How absurd that anyone could think that Israel spies on the United States government and that she would seek to influence a court case involving men accused of spying on her behalf. How absurd!
Bibi is undoubtedly looking forward to his trip to Washington. He will have a chance for a friendly talk with the president and with his many friends in Congress. pl
This makes me ill. Why do I wear a uniform to protect us from external threats when our piece of s**t justice department (led by the politicians) can’t defend the inside? I want to puke.
Isn’t it more a case of Obama giving the order to not shoot down Israeli planes that violate Iraqi airspace, since the order to do so is already standing? Seems to me Obama’s complicity would have to be a bit more pro-active than passive.
What does the SOFA say about this? Or the US agreement with the UN on protecting Iraq’s airspace?
Larry Franklin must belong to the wrong tribe. I would be interesting to hear his comments.
Colonel,
Don’t forget our ‘self-avowed Zionist’ VPrez Biden, who it seems will be a ‘headliner’ at the annual AIPAC Treason Conference.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0509/Biden_to_appear_at_AIPAC.html
No matter how many bottles of perfume that AIPAC washes themselves in, they still ‘stink’ of TREASON.
Ah, let’s see how long it takes someone to cry “holocaust”about your post. Get ready set your watches to Mr. Korn’s rapid response.
Just another sad, sordid week in the disappearing American republic. Treason has just become another word for Israeli business as usual in Washington.
Buzz Meeks
So what’s new?
Kutte
Colonel,
Another thing, those DOJ ‘prosecutors’ who chose to drop the charges against the AIPAC espionage weenies, I view those prosecutors as little more than ball-less bastards who have no business representing U.S. ‘justice’. IMO they have betrayed justice, the rule of law, and our nation.
Respectfully, it sounds to me like you are jumping to conclusions in seeing proof from an Op/Ed writer’s musings about what America would be “doubtful” to do.
All this says to me is that the militarist-right factions in Israel are just as cocky and overbearing as ever. In addition to the tentative language, a quick scan of Mr. Benn’s other articles would lead me to believe that he doesn’t have any particularly special insider status.
In what fantasy world, exactly, could the U.S. “remain somewhat distanced from any operation that is launched, so as not to be vulnerable to the anticipated Iranian response”?
Not a surprise, considering. Might as well go ahead with lithium in the water system. Way past the white flag.
Personally, I never separate what is happening economically in the United States from the United States’ support for Israel.
The thing about war is that it costs money. A nation continually at war (Israel, the United States) needs a lot of money.
And voilà! Larry Summers, Ben Bernanke, and Timothy Geithner, acting under the Leadership of President Obama, and through their agents on Wall Street, principally Goldman Sachs, have provided the illusion of all the money in the world to a restive populace, a restive populace that must not be allowed to examine the machinations of its leaders too closely.
So there you have it. We are left with the question, “How high will unemployment have to rise, before desperate housewives go to the barricades?”
Forgive an additional comment.
For an insight into the behavior of the stock market, I recommend:
Supplemental Liquidity Providers
“Another 1929” is being prevented by having the taxpayer answer the speculators’ margin calls. But, unfortunately, that will only put off the day of the crash.
“Washington — Michael Oren, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pick to represent Israel in Washington, is a highly regarded writer and an articulate and telegenic speaker. But his public viewpoints on a number of key issues clash sharply with those of the Obama administration, to which he soon may be credentialed.
That, Washington insiders say, may not actually interfere much with his main function as Israel’s ambassador to Washington: marshaling Jewish and broader American support for the policies Israel favors. For that job, Oren’s background seems, in many respects, tailor-made.”…
http://forward.com/articles/105263/
Once again please allow me to seek out from the experts in legal matters:
-Do We The American People have any legal recourse to keep the trial on track?
-Do We The American People have legal recourse to have AIPAC listed as an agent for a foreign government?
The uncovering of AIPAC suffocating destructive foreign influence on our country has already been well documented and analyzed in stidues like: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer and Harvard University Kennedy School of Government professor Stephen Walt.
It is time we focus on productive, efficient legal options to counter AIPAC. And of all the literature on the subject out there, i can’t find any professional intelligent suggestion!
Any idea?
I do not understand why so much tax-payer money goes to Israel. Especially in a time of financial crisis in this country. According to the U.S. census, there are only 6,155,000 Jews in the U.S. out of a total population of 282,125,000. Which works out to about 2.2% of the entire population.
On the other hand, there are 25,391,250 or 9% of Americans unemployed right now. Wouldn’t that foreign aid be better spent here at home?
I suppose that these affairs are discussed among military men and that eventually a reaction will develop.
It’s worse than that.
Larry Franklin stole US secrets and betrayed his nation in return for two AIPAC employees, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, promising to go around his bosses at the Iran Desk at the Pentagon and get the White House to give Franklin a job on the National Security Council. Lobbyists can dictate to the White House who to hire?
Think about that: it would have happened if the FBI hadn’t caught them passing secrets on Iran.
In addition, Steve Rosen crowed in late February 2009 that he buried Ambassador Chas Freeman’s nomination. He led the charge against Chas Freeman’s appointment to the National Intelligence Council when 17 former ambassadors wrote a letter praising his nomination. An indicted defendant representing a foreign country in an espionage case trumps 17 of our ambassadors?
Larry Franklin gets the 12-year jail sentence. Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman go free. And free, in the interim, to destroy the appointment of a 30-year civil servant with an impeccable record.
Rosen destroyed Freeman because he wasn’t Israel-centric enough.
Along comes the Harman case, and she’s caught inadvertently prevailing upon a “suspected Israeli double agent” to get her the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee in contradiction to the rules of Congress.
My question for my government: Since when do agents of a foreign government dictate to my President and my Congress? But more importantly, why?
Listen to Philip Weiss discuss this with Scott Horton:
http://dissentradio.com/radio/09_04_30_weiss.mp3
“Dear Col. Lang,
I was unable to post this, but wanted to offer a few points in response to your excellent post.
Let’s hope that Bibi is miscounting “his many friends in Congress.” Recent polls indicate support for Likud in the American Jewish community is very thin and growing thinner.
Also, M.J. Rosenberg at Israel Policy Forum has written this week of significant, growing resentment in Congress against AIPAC’s chutzpah.
He also cited a story in Yedioth Achronoth a few weeks back reporting Obama had informed Netanyahu he would be out of town and unable to meet with him during the AIPAC conference in early May, forcing Bibi to cancel and reschedule for later in the month.
Is Harman completely off the hook? Dropping the case against the AIPAC spies actually raises even more questions about her involvement. Perhaps this matter has been left open to further piss on Netanyahu’s parade.
No question the article in Haaretz is scary as hell. But Haaretz has also reported the Israelis have already felt the wrath of Sec. Clinton behind closed doors, and there are signs that the full wrath is about to come down on Bibi’s head, perhaps more publicly now, after his public snubbing of Obama on April 22nd on the subject of Iran. He may wish he’d stayed home. See Roger Cohen’s NYT op ed of April 26.
We’ll have to wait and see, of course. I’m betting – hoping – Netanyahu has seriously miscounted the cards. I hope I’m not just whistling in the dark.
Best wishes,”
Anon
COL,
And when the Iranian missiles rain into the American bases in Bahrain, Qatar and Iraq (not to mention Dimona), who will stand up to the furies and oppose the “righteous” call for a U.S. war with Iran?
My guess is that it will not be Congress. Nor the MSM. Will it be the military itself? Highly doubtful for the military is just a tool – one made for fighting and when not fighting other states, preparing to fight them.
Will it be the President himself? Time will tell. But when his COS is an (former?) IDF-reservist, my guess is that there is big money riding that he would not stop such a war.
Sad, but true. And perhaps the final blow that others (China, Russia) are anticipating (although probably not eager to see occur).
Yes, the dual nationals and Israeli-firsters have much to be proud about.
SP
Okay let’s get a grip on some facts. First, there has always been some fundamental incapacity of DOJ on National Security issues. Why or wherefore not sure, but I was personally witness to them. Personally believe it stems from several things. First the AG is NOT repeat NOT a statutory member of the National Security Council and many NSC taskings and reviews have NO legal review. In fact perhaps the torture memos came out of DOJ trying to show that it was one of the boys in National Security arena. I have personally witnessed DOJ struggling with DOD and the Intel community and their “issues.” FISA and the Classified Information Procedures Act both 1978 were intended to allow DOJ to prosecute at least some “spies.” Congress also is just not expert on either Intel or National Security. Perhaps both of these defective “oversight” communities, both DOJ and Congress, stem from the pervasive and defective personnel security, document security and classification system. Really I thought Clinton might take on the National Security State and wondering now if OBAMA will seek some reforms. As to the AIPAC case I was hoping against hope for it going to completion just because I thought so much might be learned about AIPAC. Not to be now. But what is to be learned? Nothing unless AG HOLDER and the best brains he can muster send immediate and thoughtful curative legislation to Congress and Congress holds hearings and designs legislation to fill some huge gaps. The Espionage Act of 1918 reflects a non-existence world and is highly defective and I argue the inexperience of DOJ made for a defective indictment and charges in the first place in the AIPAC case. The current system of “leaking” conducted by all in Washington really makes no sense for a number of reasons but at bottom it goes to the defects in the world of “Secrecy” identified by former Senator Monyihan in his book by that name. We did learn some interesting things from the AIPAC case, but it may be eye of the beholder.
AS to interception of Israeli warplanes on any fruitless and wasteful and stupid mission attacking “underground” facilities in Iran by US forces in Iraq, the dirty little secret of the Iraqi deployment is that there is almost no air defense capability with US forces in Iraq. As always stand to be corrected by those with better info!
A real question is what assistance other Arab states might give to the “Persians” before or during or after the “Attack”?
from Haaretz:
“Lieberman: US will accept any Israeli policy decision”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1080097.html
“The Obama Administration will put forth new peace initiatives only if Israel wants it to, said Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in his first comprehensive interview on foreign policy since taking office.
“Believe me, America accepts all our decisions,” Lieberman told the Russian daily Moskovskiy Komosolets.
Lieberman granted his first major interview to Alexander Rosensaft, the Israel correspondent of one of the oldest Russian dailies, not to an Israeli newspaper. The role of Israel is to “bring the U.S. and Russia closer,” he declared.”
Of course, Lieberman is a scandalmonger so you have to divide whatever he says by four. But referring to the US as his bitch is not going to make Netanyahu’s visit any easier on him.
“The Lobby Wants War
With Iran
by Justin Raimondo, May 01, 2009
The Israel lobby has been running into a few problems lately, but it’s nothing they don’t think they can handle: a charge of treason, a strong suspicion of obstructing justice, and a gathering storm of criticism from a few dissident intellectuals and policy types. Nothing to get too exercised about. Having felled Charles “Chas” Freeman, smitten Gen. Zinni, and sidelined those in the Obama administration who question the nature and utility of America’s “special relationship” with Israel, the Lobby’s flagship organization, the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is primed to hold their national conference in Washington next week, with Jane “This Conversation Doesn’t Exist” Harman slated to address the gathering.”
The rest of the article is here:
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/04/30/the-lobby-wants-war/
In the last paragraph, Raimondo is saying that it will take war with Iran before the American public gets totally fed up with AIPAC, I wish I could share his “optimism”.
We’ve had too many “enough is enough” moments yet our Congress does nothing but aid and abet the Lobby.
The Israeli concen is real. Just the thought that a neighbor, a detested one, will/has an Atomic Bomb can create nightmares to all. Even we in the 50’s had children cowering under their desks and neighbors digging furiosly and pouring cement so their families could have some sense of false comfort. Yes, a real concern.
But as a world we have all learned that mutal assured destruction works as a deterrant and the Iranians are not all crazy.
So what value does Israel’s leaders see in stirring up the honets nest they are with these statements of “If you do not stop them then we will”. Come on, who do they think they are kidding. An aerial assult on Iran’s nuclear facilities has a 1 in 10 chance of working. This is the same country whose military did not do well in their recent skirmish of few years past.
My suggestion for them is to stop beating their chests and start some rapprochement. It is said to work.
As to the AIPAC problem just impagine if the British were doing this we would have their heads. Same goes for Israel.
William R Cumming, a couple of years ago the talk was of a shield comprised of Arab states, Israel & the US against the emerging “Shia Crescent”. Mubarak’s Egypt is bought, a passive aggressive participant in the siege of Gaza, complicit with and bound by treaty to Israel notwithstanding the tunnels. Syria wants in whatever its machinations in Lebanon. Gulf Arabs, are they not meaningless militarily?
I find it inconceivable to imagine Egypt, Syria and Jordan attacking Israel for attacking Iran. Political reactions are of little account to an Israel long accustomed to practicing creeping colonialism under the aegis of indignant victimhood when mere chutzpah fails.
A strike on Iran is bonkers, aside from the make-em-think’-you’re-nuts-keep-all-pots-boiling school. Hans Blix just noted that the likeliest result would be a nuclear armed Iran. I haven’t the foggiest on what Iraqi overflight would provoke, but I don’t think they’d be shot down. Maybe a couple on the way back. Whatever, surely to god this has been hashed out and the Israeli’s explicitly told one way or another what to expect. If that hasn’t been exhaustively addressed, well, SNAFU musr be SOP. Maybe the last gang green-lighted it, who knows. I find it inconceivable that Israeli planes would launch without SOME notice/co-ordination – even if only of indignant denial.
What assistance Lebanese Hezbullah could and would give, given their position, protagonists and sponsor could stand some trenchant inquiry. Its not like they could invade Israel to any great effect. But its where I foresee some of the most probability of direct military reaction. With no real knowledge, my impression is that they are not currently a mobile aggressive force, or in control of heavy units of the Lebanese Armed forces.
A question to the General Assembly of Israel haters
and anti-Semites : Have you ever heard anything
about the Saudi-Lobby in America ? No ? That’s the
reason you are obsessed with AIPAC. Rosen and
Weissman were just innocent victims of a stupid
CIA operation. But how about the dozens of Saudis
and Bin Laden relatives, leaving the US just a
couple of hours after the 9/11 attack with the
blessing of the government ? At least some of you
should know better than whine about the close
relationship between the US and Israel and the
American aid for Israel. It isn’t a one-way
relationship and the US are profiting from it since
the days of the Cold War and until today.
Gentlemen : If you have lots of time to waste,
try to write something about Darfur, Islamistic
terror and stop your hate campaign against Jews
and Israel. I don’t know if anybody in Israel, in
AIPAC , in Congress or anywhere else reads your
quite silly conspiracy theories, but isn’t it just a
timewaster for you ? I hope
Colonel, that you have the guts to publish at least one opposing posting.
At first I thought, what if local rogue US commanders took to making pot shots at overflying Israeli aircraft, but then, like Mr. Cumming, I realized the prospect of anti-air devices in the Iraqi theatre were slight.
But then I thought, it wouldn’t make any difference anyway. If the Israelis want a war that badly, they will factor in possible US anti-aircraft capabilities & take steps to suppress them. Remind me again how many Israeli pilots are dual nationals? Or am I confusing that with the USS Liberty of long ago?
All of which means the Iranians would be correct in seeing any attack as a joint Israeli-US affair & reacting accordingly. The Israelis are rabid dogs. They have to attack someone or they go nuts. So long as there’s a cartridge left in the revolver.
So Bibi comes to Washington. Bibi & Obama are all smiles, at least in public. And Obama’s smile is all the approval Bibi needs for his war. If our new president is as smart as he claims, he would do well to return the snub, in the most public manner possible.
Norman
I look forward to your comments. You are a perfect foil. pl
DoM
I realy do not think that Israel has any equipment effective agains US systems.
Dual nationals? Pilots in the IDF Air Force? In the Liberty attack? I doubt it. pl
Norman
You are right. It is difficult and fearsome to contemplate the many pro-Israeli comments that I receive but yours is so special that you get to be posted instead of all the others.
BTW. That means “by the way” in English. You would be more effective if you learned enough about the US and its government to know tyhe difference betwee the CIA and the FBI and their functions. The “sting” that bagged Franklin and the other two formerly accused spies was run by the FBI which is part of the Department of Justice. Among their functions is counter-intelligence at the national level. You know, like Shin Bet.
Anyway, some better area knowledge on the US would make you a better “hasbara” writer.
I can’t decide if you are an Israeli teenager or an 80 year old British pensioner. You are at least plausible enough for that confusion. pl
Colonel,
It appears Mr. Cone has not a clue as to the Saudis. The Saudis are ‘respectful’ unlike Mr. Cone and his ‘crew’. IMO, Mr. Cone could take a lesson from the Arab world, at least he would learn what it is to be ‘human’ instead of the hatefulness that his crew exhibits towards everyone around them.
The Saudis have not hurt our U.S. national security and endangered those I love, the Israelis have!!!
The Ha’aretz article was very interesting, to summarize, if Iran goes nuclear Iran therefore will control most of the world’s oil supply and Syria becomes a satellite. Of course this was a gem: …”“A country’s leaders are obligated by commitments they make in public, which often compel them to keep their promises.” Bibi seems to be following the example of that prior American President “We don’t torture” Bush who abrogated the anti-ballistic missile treaty, amongst other ‘commitments’.
So, after Israel has attacked Iran “Israel will be required to embark on a diplomatic process with the Palestinians, and perhaps with the Syrians, too.” Guess Annapolis and all its preceding agreements were not ‘diplomatic’ processes.
I hope everyone in America enjoyed $4 gas last summer, once Bibbi has his war you can bet we’ll have plenty of gas at $4 plus. And you thought the economy was bad now.
Abrogast, you are a couple of presidential administrations late. The theory of infinite capital is a neo-con gem of the Chicago school of economics. Cut taxes, govt. revenues go up; except when they don’t. Then just keep spending money so Grover Norquist can ‘drown government in a bathtub” (of debt)… of course the ‘free market’ will set everything straight. (btw I followed the second post’s link, I can’t speak for Tyler’s economic background, but he’s got a great profile photo on blogger).
WRC, I would not know about US air defenses in Iraq, but since we have complete air supremacy it would be un-needed other than for localized support or just this kind of proposed over flight.
Anon “They are thinking on a different scale than rest of us, on a different scale altogether.” This applies to the Chinese also, and they are a far greater strategic threat to the US that Iran or Israel.“
I’m no military or foreign policy strategist, but it seems to me that the aggressive posture of ‘Bibi’ and his ‘friends’ and other ‘dupes’ here in the US and elsewhere is simply to continue the Neocon/Jacobin agenda for perpetual war and chaos in the region until such time as the core elements of the power structure there magically changes completely and the US controls all the energy reserves and Israel has no Arab or Persian enemies left. In the end I don’t think the motivation is much more complicated than that.
Of course the invasion of Iraq is the perfect example of how fantasies such as the one Bibi & Co are hawking inevitably create even more of a mess, but reality-based thinking is almost always non-existent at the extremes of the ideological spectrum.
Israel’s actions with respect to Iran confirm that Iraq was a proxy war for Israel all along. The confirmation that our Congress has been captured will be if they pass those new onerous sanctions on Iran that AIPAC and Harman and her crew are pushing. As one who has only recently come to this realization, I am beyond furious. The rest of the public can’t be far behind.
William R. Cumming, I second Charles I’s assessment that Arab states will likely stand by and watch. I’ve watched the ratcheting up of anti-Iranian rhetoric the past few months in the Egyptian state-controlled press. The constant references to the rise of Iranian influence and fears of Shiite proselytization in Egyptian and other Arab countries suggests that the old bloc of conservative, nominally pro-American Arab states will not left a finger, if not actively cooperate in containing fallout from an attack. There would be much verbal condemnation of Israeli aggression, which is typical, but no concrete measures of any sort. Even Syria, I think, has learned well the lesson of 1982. Hezbollah and other non-state actors are another issue though.
It might seem a small, simple step, but AIPAC lobbyists should be required to register as agents of a foreign power.
There needs to be active review and enforcement of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act. It seems to me that a major supplier of arms to Israel we do have responsibility to the international community, particularly in light of Israel’s recent bellicose threats (not to mention the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead).
Nothing is going to change overnight. But it is time now – past time, really – to begin to take whatever steps can be taken.
How many Americans in Iraq would find themselves in imminent danger once it was known Israel flew over Iraqi airspace to bomb Iran?
Utter madness that American lives are treated so disdainfully by ignorant, arrogant idiots.
J is obviously a man or he wouldn’t think so highly of the Saudi’s. I may not like our financial support of Israelor their involvement in our affairs but I sure as hell do no support anything about Saudi Arabia. Unless you are a muslim male, and a rich one at that, life is not so great. I would rather be a muslim woman in Israel than one is Saudi Arabia.
For info on AIPAC methods i highly recommend,
They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel’s Lobby by Paul Findley (Author)
Nancy K,
It appears that you have never interacted with the Arabs, which is too bad. The Arabs, and Saudis in particular are honorable in that they will fight a circle saw on your behalf if you’re their friend, and on the flip side they’ll tell you to your face while looking you squarely in your eyes if you’re on their shit list. The Saudis unlike the Israeli government do not ‘backstab’. With the Saudis and most Arabs, you know where you stand with them. And there are no better hosts on this planet than Saudis in particular and Arabs in general. They take to heart what a ‘guest’ is and how to treat one.
The Saudis have not hurt my U.S.’s security, whereas the Israeli government has. It was not the Saudis that killed over 3,000 on 911, it was a handful of Jihadis. It was the Israel government and their IDF who murdered U.S. military crewmen on an unarmed U.S. military vessel named the USS Liberty. It was the Israeli government and their Mossad that intentionally withheld life-saving Intel regarding the Beirut Barracks Bombing that cost U.S. military lives.
It is Israel that has compromised U.S. national security on more than one occasion, the Saudis have not. As far as I am concerned, the State of Israel doesn’t deserve our U.S. friendship in any way shape or form. By their actions the Saudis have shown they are our friends, the Israelis have proven by their actions (espionage, murders, etc.)that they are our enemy.
Mr. Cone
Yes, there is a Saudi lobby in the U.S. Their staff are in compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act in contrast to AIPAC. Correct me if I’m wrong. The Saudi lobby does not try to defeat Congressmen if they criticize Saudi Arabia or Islam. The Saudi lobby does not try to get university professors fired if they criticize Saudi Arabia or Islam. The Saudi lobby does not try to get presidents to walk back ambassadorial appointments to other countries in the region if the nominee should criticize Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has respected U.S. laws, including the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, and has not used U.S.-made weapons to conduct military aggression on its neighbors. Saudia Arabia has not used U.S. made weapons to bomb densely-populated civilian zones or to carry out “targeted assassinations,” both in neighboring countries and in areas it is occupying in violation of international law. Saudia Arabia has not attacked U.N schools full of children with white phosphorus munitions. In short, Saudi Arabia – for all its internal flaws – has respected both U.S. and international law, while Israel has flouted both since Eisenhower was president. The Arab Peace Proposal currently being place on the table by President Obama was originally, seven years ago, known as the Saudi Peace Proposal. King Abdullah not only put the proposal forward but negotiated with the entire Arab world to back it up, a proposal for peace and normal relations between the Arab States and Israel.
I think what concerns many of us here, is that Israel is a long-time ally which seems to be acting like a rogue nation, out of control and, in fact, exercising control over not only U.S. foreign policy but internal affairs as well as public discourse in the United States, i.e., the tail is wagging the dog.
I feel I should add one more point to J’s excellent response to Nancy K. Question for her:- You say that you’d rather be a Muslim woman in Israel than a Muslim woman in Saudi Arabia. But I note you’re careful to not specify if you’d rather be a Muslim woman in the occupied territories. If you are so interested in the causes of women in specific, I suggest you take a look at how Israelis treat Palestinian women.
Colonel,
Just look at some of the attendees of the AIPAC conference, the ‘Who’s Who’ of Israel’s influence peddling in D.C.: former CIA DCI James Woolsey; Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) executive director Robert Satloff; and former Coalition Provisional Authority press spokesman Dan Senor of the Council on Foreign Relations. Don’t forget Representative Jane Harman (D-CA), Harman is but one of AIPAC’s many water toters in our U.S. Congress. The presence of Israel’s top government, military, diplomatic, and intelligence leadership at the AIPAC policy conference, shows beyond all doubt that AIPAC is running afoul of FARA.
Good posting at Brad Blog by Sibel Edmonds. Here is a quote:
“Despite a certain degree of exposure, cases such as Harman’s and Hastert’s, involving corruption of public officials, seem to meet the same dead-end. Criminal conduct, by powerful foreign entities, against our national interest, is given a pass, as was recently proven by the abandonment of the AIPAC spy case. The absence of real investigative journalism and the pattern of blackout by our mainstream media seem now to have been almost universally accepted as a fact of life.”
http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7117
Thanks Charles. Helpful comment. I wonder what “Secret agreements or protocols” the US has with any of the middle-eastern states and Israel? Could all this be a replay of how the assassination of the ArchDuke in Serbia started the ball rolling in WWI?