Comments on: Why did the Harman case break now?

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

It broke because somebody vindictive illegally chose to leak to the press evidence involved in an active prosecution, thereby risking entire valid cases of illegality in the process of prosecution.

By: Sand

Sand — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

I think that is a stretch. I agree the prosecution might have some problems bringing in the HARMAN's wiretap into the ROSEN/WEISSMAN trial. However, who is say that these wiretaps were part of another/separate investigation into Israeli influence in governmental affairs?

By: BluePearl

BluePearl — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

why is it coming out now? here is a sequence of events to ponder.

a while back there was a published article on haaretz saying that obama was gonna put pressure on the dems to push for the two state solution in order to circumvent netanyahu's trying to pull string through the lobby and thus through congress.

last week rahm emanuel said israel would have to withdraw from jerusalem and the west bank in order to get US cooperation on the iranian nuke threat.

this week there is the harman story.

this is playing hardball by the administration with the obstructionists, be they republican or democrat, to obama's mid-east vision. there is a new sheriff in town.

isn't it strange that this kind of high-level leak is coming out and there is no outcry from the administration about national security being compromised, blah, blah, blah?

this is a warning to those enthralled with the likud line that the administration has got your number. better watch it. who knows what will come out next.

By: morris

morris — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

The Neocons (israeli firsters) own everything, including the criminal sides. The only way through is to realize we are all humans.
But the clever elite keep society in mayhem, constantly undermining trust and perpetuating corruption and deviance.
It is going to end up with a draconian sharia law as the only way through. No amount of reason is going to appeal to the rifraf.
And the mystery of why the story broke now, by which power base disclosed it is still unknown, but perhaps this scandal and Chas Freeman are inevitable and we will see more and more scandals like these with increasing frequency. Due to the innate maladjustment of perpetuating untenable myths - like (As Gilad Atzmon said) racial continuum in the Jews.
Until in the end, a Jew will be clobbered for denying Jewishness or for stating it.

By: Duscany

Duscany — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Witty, if I read you correctly, your are pissed that the Harman revelations may have compromised some big "valid" prosecution of Israeli espionage? Who are you kidding?

By: Colin Murray

Colin Murray — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

The lawyers who believe in that case are surely upset about this and have managed to leak one of the big truffles of their investigation to the press so as to goose the public outrage over the central issue at stake: corruption of policymaking due to the Israel interest.

Whoever is responsible, America owes them a debt of gratitude for their heroism. Keep the pot boiling! America needs you!

By: Chris Berel

Chris Berel — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

When the facts kick your ass, the next thing to do is try to get public outrage on your side. That has been the palestinian tactic for years.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

The possible dropping of the charges has nothing to do with "the lobby" and everything to do with the problematic nature of the case itself. It was made more problematic when an Article III Judge, free from any political pressure, made various rulings which 1) set a very, very high legal standard for conviction and 2) allowed the defense to put on certain types of evidence that the government would rather not allow.

There is only one side playing dirty here, and its Phil's side. People who harbor such pathological hatred toward Israel that they are willing to leak secrets in order to pressure prosecutors who are supposed to follow the law, rather than politics, and who decide to smear a member of Congress while they are at it.

If the Israel lobby has a lot of power, it wont be shown in this episode. If the lobby was so powerful, then why did the U.S. bring its prosecutorial might down against them in the first place, particularly since this is a rarely invoked law and, to be generous, a highly creative interpretation of it?

At the very least, Phil tacitly admits that he's part of a group that is willing to pervert the judicial system for political gains. Shame on you!

By: Richard Witty

Richard Witty — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

The illegal leak was likely made by someone within justice or defense that was pissed off at AIPAC and sought to slap them down.

You might like their motivation, but the action was likely illegal and likely malevolently motivated.

Its modern Swift Boating.

By: Conscientious Objector

Conscientious Objector — Mon, 29 Nov 1999 23:00:00 +0000

Witty, sometimes you are intellectually honest. I hope you are not defending Rosen and Weissman, even if they passed U.S. secrets to Israel agents. Are you??