All we asked for was an open debate. Is it happening? The Nixon Center in Washington has announced a -- emphasis mine--
panel discussion of "Israel: Strategic Asset or Liability?" from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20. Amb. Chas Freeman, Jr., Chairman of Projects International, and Dr. Robert Satloff, Executive Director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will present their perspectives of Israel's value to the United States as an ally and, conversely, the costs of close American identification with Israel. Gen. Charles G. Boyd (USAF, Ret.), The Nixon Center's new Starr Distinguished National Security Fellow, will moderate.
Remember that Freeman was railroaded from the Obama administration. Now he gets the microphone. And a military guy at his elbow. What a moment. Tomorrow I'm going to post diary entries from the first DefSec, James V. Forrestal, from 1947, 48, the year before he died. He's getting his wish: an open challenge to the lobby.
Who would have imagined this in 2005?
Well, this won’t be reported in the American MSM, and The Forward will write a nice article about an anti semitic man being destroyed in a debate by a god’s chosen one.
and isn’t moderator Boyd that Christo-fascist nutjob?
No holds barred Chas! Speak truth to power and make some waves.
oops, that was Gen. Boykin not Boyd
I just hope this doesn’t turn into a trial by public opinion of Chas Freeman, culminating in a coup de grâce wherein he is discredited by his accusers and his reputation is tarnished forever. Nothing spells “problem solved” for AIPAC, like a token debate in which Freeman ends up being proverbially escorted outside the city walls, banished for eternity. I’m skeptical. Can you blame me?
i am sure aipac is looking for a public hanging… i too am skeptical..
meanwhile greenwald is firing on all cylinders… would be interesting to have him in on an open debate as he seems very familiar with the terrain..
i think chas can hold his own although the position of moderator can make a significant difference. i’m not skeptical so much as thrilled.
There’s been the intercession since 2005 of Glenn Greenwald. Hope someone alerts him of this discussion.
Remember that Freeman was railroaded from the Obama administration.
for anyone fuzzy on the details i rec phil’s excellent article Freeman’s Fight
Mr. Freeman was a ferocious critic of the war on terror. His opinion about what started it: “We have paid heavily and often in treasure in the past for our unflinching support and unstinting subsidies of Israel’s approach to managing its relations with the Arabs,” he said in 2006. “Five years ago we began to pay with the blood of our citizens here at home.”
Charles Freeman was “railroaded” because he couldn’t control his tongue. His only options for expression were offensive or compliant.
There are other options.
War, what is it good for? (War is either offensive or compliant)
If an ambassodor expresses contempt for a commander in chief, is that an example of loyalty or disloyalty?
“couldn’t control his tongue”
Yeah, it would be a real shame if someone would speak their mind in Washington. All that I can say is that it’s a political system and you should be able debate issues like Israeli support in a democratic system. Freeman has Issues with Israel period, as do many others who understand the hypocrisy our support.
If only all of Washington followed the Condi Rice model, the lobby could have it so easy.
Senility is setting in, eh, Dick?
Hopefully you don’t have Mondoweiss.net bookmarked so that when the last synapse goes kaput, you won’t find your way back here posting nothing but utter and pure b.s.
“Charles Freeman was “railroaded” because he couldn’t control his tongue. His only options for expression were offensive or compliant.”
Funny how being offensive doesn’t harm Zionists when they make derogatory remarka about Muslisms.
Again,
I guess you didn’t read my comment. I criticized his limited pallette of contempt OR compliance.
There are other options.
No Witty,
No one reads your comments ankles, especially when you resort to your absurd and ridiculous metaphors, because it’s a dead giveaway your trying really hard to say what you think without giving yourself as a hypocritical, fascist, racist biggot.
Witty,
You are foolish.
“Charles Freeman was “railroaded” because he couldn’t control his tongue. ”
More like the Israel Lobby couldn’t control his tongue.
I want to attend this. Will they live stream this debate.
I lobby goes after Charles Freeman
Look at how the WaPo spun the attacks on Freeman
link to washingtonpost.com
The Lobby Falters
John Mearsheimer
link to lrb.co.uk
The Israeli Lobby Knocks Down Charles Freeman
link to bravenewfilms.org
Charles Freeman fails the loyalty test
link to salon.com
“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.
Blumethal also suggested that right-wing Israel fanatics in the U.S. are particularly interested in controlling how intelligence is analyzed due to their anger over the NIE’s 2007 conclusion that Iran had ceased its pursuit of nuclear weapons.
“It’s clear that Freeman isn’t going to be influenced by the lobby,” Jim Lobe, the Washington bureau chief of Inter Press Service, remarked to me. “They don’t like people like that, especially when they’re in charge of products like the NIE. So this is a very important test for them.”
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To think that an American citizen and Aipac official spying for Israel and up for espionage charges was one of the people to lead the trashing of Charles Freeman and Rosen not only got off for handing classified intelligence off to Israeli officials. But while the trial was pending he trashed Freeman.
Why is it that we do Russian spy swaps for people who did not access any U.S. classified intelligence and allow Israeli spies to get off?
“Why is it that we do Russian spy swaps for people who did not access any U.S. classified intelligence and allow Israeli spies to get off?”
Yeah, i wondered “what spy scandal?” as the most serious charge any of those bozos was hit with was acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign country.
Oh? You mean like any number of Israel Lobbyist types every single day for how many decades running?
Compare that to the seriousness of the charges, sadly dropped last year, against AIPACers Rosen and Weissman.
I’m still wondering how no Israel Lobby type hasn’t gotten around to suggesting/asking/importuning/demanding that good old JJ Pollard be freed as a part of the spy swap.
Wait, wait, i take that back – i don’t want to give those boys any ideas.
Neocons, Likud Conquer DC, Again
link to consortiumnews.com
Gary Leupp: Petraeus, Palin, Boot and the Power of Israel
link to counterpunch.org
Obama Yields to Bibi, Plus Me vs. Petraeus
link to huffingtonpost.com
link to tinyurl.com
Additional via link to