"CQ magazine reported that Rep. Jane Harmon was wiretapped discussing a quid pro quo arrangement in which she would lobby in favor of two Israeli spies in return for Speaker Palosi's support of her getting the House Intelligence Committee chair. She also came out and squashed the NY Times repoprt about the NSA illegal wiretapping program prior to the 2004 election hurting her party's chances of winning the presidency. Rachel Maddow reports on this intriguing real-life political spy thriller."
"Jeff Stein, Spy Talk columnist for Congressional Quarterly, discusses his breaking news story about the alleged NSA wiretap recording of Rep. Jane Harmon agreeing to intervene on behalf of two AIPAC employees accused of espionage in exchange for help getting appointed chair of the House Intelligence Committee and why then-Attorney General Gonzales intervened to close the case before it could really begin."
"Charles 'Chas' Freeman was selected last month by the administration of Barak Obama, the US president, for one of the country's top intelligence jobs, chairman of the National Intelligence Council.
Within hours, pro-Israel advocates launched a major offensive to make sure Freeman's appointment did not stand.
Advocates say Freeman was a natural choice: He was a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who has also served as an assistant secretary of defence and a senior US diplomat in China."
"Al Jazeera's Riz Khan talks to Charles 'Chas' Freeman, former the US ambassador to Saudi Arabia who withdrew his nomination for a senior US intelligence post after what he says was pressure by the US pro-Israel lobby. Freeman discusses the role of the lobby, his hopes for the Middle East peace process and why he went public on his decision to step aside from the post."
"The decision to ban George Galloway from Canada seems odd, but now it emerges that the Jewish Defence League (JDL) pressured the Canadian Government to so the action takes on sinister connotations for Canada, why? Because the Jewish Defence League are according to the FBI a Terrorist Group. In its report, Terrorism 2000/2001, the FBI referred to the JDL as a 'violent extremist Jewish organization'. This 'violent extremist Jewish organization' now it seems has power and influence over the Canadian Government."
"Demonstrators protest the AIPAC donor arrivals at the fund raiser dinner held at the Hilton Universal March 8.09. The scene mocks the Israeli checkpoints that are all too common for the Palestinian..."
"Intel Pick Withdraws Nomination, Blasts Israel Lobby
The Obama administrations pick to become the nations top intelligence analyst has withdrawn his nomination after an intense lobbying campaign by backers of Israeli government policies. Former US Ambassador Charles Chas Freeman had come under Republican-led opposition over his comments criticizing Israels occupation of Palestinian land. Freeman has years of diplomatic experience, including stints as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and assistant secretary of defense. Some Democrats joined in on the opposition to Freemans appointment."
Related News: Freeman's Statement Source: LobeLog.com
"If you haven’t seen it already, here is Chas Freeman’s statement on the withdrawal of his appointment as chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC):
To all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement during the controversy of the past two weeks, you have my gratitude and respect.
You will by now have seen the statement by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have withdrawn my previous acceptance of his invitation to chair the National Intelligence Council.
I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record would not cease upon my entry into office. The effort to smear me and to destroy my credibility would instead continue. I do not believe the National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign country. I agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political campaign.
As those who know me are well aware, I have greatly enjoyed life since retiring from government. Nothing was further from my mind than a return to public service. When Admiral Blair asked me to chair the NIC I responded that I understood he was “asking me to give my freedom of speech, my leisure, the greater part of my income, subject myself to the mental colonoscopy of a polygraph, and resume a daily commute to a job with long working hours and a daily ration of political abuse.” I added that I wondered “whether there wasn’t some sort of downside to this offer.” I was mindful that no one is indispensable; I am not an exception. It took weeks of reflection for me to conclude that, given the unprecedentedly challenging circumstances in which our country now finds itself abroad and at home, I had no choice but accept the call to return to public service. I thereupon resigned from all positions that I had held and all activities in which I was engaged. I now look forward to returning to private life, freed of all previous obligations.
I am not so immodest as to believe that this controversy was about me rather than issues of public policy. These issues had little to do with the NIC and were not at the heart of what I hoped to contribute to the quality of analysis available to President Obama and his administration. Still, I am saddened by what the controversy and the manner in which the public vitriol of those who devoted themselves to sustaining it have revealed about the state of our civil society. 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.
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, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful 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 favors.
There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel. I believe that the inability of the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East; it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United States.
The outrageous agitation that followed the leak of my pending appointment will be seen by many to raise serious questions about whether the Obama administration will be able to make its own decisions about the Middle East and related issues. I regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a foreign government.
In the court of public opinion, unlike a court of law, one is guilty until proven innocent. The speeches from which quotations have been lifted from their context are available for anyone interested in the truth to read. The injustice of the accusations made against me has been obvious to those with open minds. Those who have sought to impugn my character are uninterested in any rebuttal that I or anyone else might make.
Still, for the record: I have never sought to be paid or accepted payment from any foreign government, including Saudi Arabia or China, for any service, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of a foreign government, its interests, or its policies. I have never lobbied any branch of our government for any cause, foreign or domestic. I am my own man, no one else’s, and with my return to private life, I will once again – to my pleasure – serve no master other than myself. I will continue to speak out as I choose on issues of concern to me and other Americans.
I retain my respect and confidence in President Obama and DNI Blair. Our country now faces terrible challenges abroad as well as at home. Like all patriotic Americans, I continue to pray that our president can successfully lead us in surmounting them."
"In this episode of Empire, Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, and his guests zero in on the special relationship between the US and Israel. They explore who benefits from the special relationship and whether the status quo will prevail."
"Dr. Mearsheimer, co-author of the New York Times best-seller: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy - came to Toronto in November 2008 to give a talk sponsored by the Near East Cultural and Educational Foundation of Canada (http://www.necef.org/)."
1. Dr. Mearsheimer: What is the Israel Lobby?
2. How the Israel Lobby pushes for an aggressive foreign policy towards Iran (Part 1)
3. How the Israel Lobby pushes for an aggressive foreign policy towards Iran (Part 2)
4. How Israeli settlements and U.S. inaction fuel violence
5. How the Israel Lobby's policies are obstacles to a peaceful resolution
6. Conclusion: Signs of hope and the changing discourse on the Israel Lobby
2:04:03 - Dec 16, 2007 Berkeley Teach-In Against America's Wars - www.btiaw.org/
"Berkeley Teach-In Against America's Wars Presents: Professors John Mearsheimer, from the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, from Harvard University, on their controversial and groundbreaking book, The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy. Discussion moderated by UC Hastings Law Professor George Bisharat and Professor Saba Mahmood of Anthropology at UC Berkeley. Location: Booth Auditorium at UC Berkeley Date: October 25th, 2007 See www.btiaw.org for more info.«"
Professors Steven Walt and John Mearsheimer discuss their paper on the influence of the Israel Lobby on American foreign policy. John Mearsheimer is the Wendell Harrison Professor of Political Science at Chicago, and the author of The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. Stephen Walt is the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. His most recent book is Taming American Power: The Global Response to US Primacy
Paul Findley served on Capitol Hill for 22 years. During this time, he had many encounters with Israel's lobby, which exhibited considerable control over Congressional decisions with respect to Israel and the Mid-East. He speaks of treachery and treason among the highest seats of the land, and how many Congressmen put Israel's interests ahead that of America's
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