Exiting, Chas Freeman Attacks 'Israel Lobby'

Seems to me the political discourse in the USA is warped or "modified" by the inability so many Americans have to discuss the Israel Lobby and the way US foreign policy is controlled or to some extent directed by pro-Israel interests. To those of us who live outside the USA, it's evident the issue is ignored and/or covered up. It also seems many Jews and/or their friends use the "anti-semitic" tar brush quite liberally to smear and silence those who would dare discuss the Israel Lobby and how much its actions have hurt the USA.

I have met and spoken to Chas Freeman on a number of occasions. He is a free thinking, free talking person who has very strong views. However, what separates Chas from a lot of other political blowhards is that he is willing to consider alternate perspectives before coming to any decision. Let me also say that, as a Jewish man, I have spoken to Chas about the supposedly anti-Israel policies which Jake Tapper references and agree with his take 99% of the time. Remember, Chas was the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the first gulf war, and it was mostly his experience and negotiating skills that enabled the US to liberate Kuwait as quickly as we did. It is for this experience and these skills that Chas Freeman was nominated for this position. It's not like he's running for president - he's merely providing well researched information with which Obama can make an informed decision. Don't you all want the most knowledgeable man in the Middle East and China contributing to Obama's decisions? Morons. Anyone who would call Chas Freeman anti-semitic has never met the man or heard him speak of his ideas for peace in the middle east. Whatever we've done and/or are doing isn't working, give this well qualified man a chance to make a difference.

if a friend (usa) cannot chalenge its friend (israel) over their evil and godless actions, then they are not worthy of the name of friend.

What's with all the comments about Israel?

I wouldn't want this guy to work in the white house for his sympathies with the Chinese massacre at Tienmen square.

Chas Freedman is obviously kind of a nut.

"...It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so."

You are permitted to say so. You just said what you thought and no one is arresting you.

It's somewhat ironic that a story about someone criticizing the power of the pro-Israel lobby to dominate the message has an editorial tone that attacks the critic in the 'news' story.

Jake Tapper attempts to discredit the speaker he covers in a 'news' story with a thinly veiled implication that the speaker is some kind of nut - but ironically, helping to prove the speaker right by doing so.

Glenn Greenwald noted how exceptional it is that in the *US* presidential election, both nominees went to great lenghts to express their love of Israel and their determination to serve Israle's interests, and how remarkable it is for one nation's leader to offer that level of 'loyalty' to another nations as his platform - but how we don't even notice it anymore.

I also notice the predictable equating in commentary here of any criticism of Israel's policies or excessive sway over US leaders, as being anti-Semitic, such as the same as 'Storm Front'.

It's not enough to have a high opinion of most Jewish people and to wish well to Israel - you're still 'Storm Front' at that point if, for example, yo ucondemn the illegal settlement efforts.

Well said, Jake.

I am surprised by the depth of the anti-Jewish venom posted here. Has Storm Front expanded so much?

The odd part about the Freeman fiasco is that his main qualification for the job was his pro-Saudi and anti-Israel bias. Obama withdrew him because he didn't want the heat. Note that Obama never expressed any surprise or regret at "discovering" Freeman's prior anti-Israel and subsequent anti-semitic comments.
Actually the comments here on the WSJ.com pretty much reflect the Obamites quite frank espousal of the pro-Saudi position on the the Mideast, even though those ideas are openly antithetical to American interests.
Which side are the Obamites on? Isn't it obvious, to quote Bill Clinton on another subject. We got the President, warts and all, we wanted.

Freemen is a nut case.

His statements were about as aluminum foil hat theory as one could get and this clown ranks with all the leftards who pushed the 9/11 conspiracies as well as BIG OIL, global warming, elvis, etc.

In my opinion the Saudi lobby is already too powerful - 267 Billion barrels of oil is quite enough power for one country.
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Antagonize SA and it will demand to be paid for those 276 billion barrels of oil in Euro's. Just imagine what that would mean for the US, having to go out on the money market and having to buy trillions in Euro's to pay the Saudis.

Israel lobby is extremely powerful! i don't understand why are we supporting israel ! its our only problem over in the mideast! people over there have build so much hate against us because of the injustice and biased we are doing! i do not blame them! it feels good to see some of our politicians actually addressing the matter. The israeli lobby is so powerful ithat freeman will get thrown out of his position.

"The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency..."

Quite an accusation, coming from a guy who parlayed a job representing the US in Saudi Arabia into a lucrative career advancing Saudi interests here. Guess he'd know a thing or two about the "depths of dishonor..."

Michael clearly doesn't know what kind of person Chas Freeman is.

Everybody who knows Freeman knows that he is his own man. Let me quote some people who DO know Freeman personally.
David J. Rothkopf of Foreign Policy wrote: "Part of the reason he is so controversial is that he has zero fear of speaking what he perceives to be truth to power...His intellectual honesty and his appreciation for what is necessary in a functioning policy process is such that he will not stack the deck for any one position."

M.J. Rosenberg, Director of Policy Analysis for the Israel Policy Forum pointed out that the Israeli government currently is on good terms with Saudi Arabia and criticized the *indicted* Steve J. Rosen for questioning Freeman's loyalty when Rosen currently is on trial for espionage in forwarding classified information to Israel.
He also pointed out that those who criticized his views on China had no "interest in Freeman's views on China until Steve Rosen (and some of his colleagues) decided to stir up the opposition to Freeman because of his alleged lack of fidelity to the occupation."

This has got NOTHING to do with China: He sits on the board of the China National Offshore Oil Corporation that meets only yearly, Freeman was not involved in issues like the company's dealing with Iran.
The claim that his Think tank is partly paid for by Saudi Arabia is even more preposterous as a smear, especially coming from zionists, rightwingers, and neocons: SA is an ALLY of Israel AND the US. Just search for the pictures of Bush holding hands with Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, repeatedly.

Zionists, Rightwingers, and Neocons were afraid of his insights and understanding of the issues. That is what has derailed his position, not some position on a board or some Saudi Arabian money flowing into a think tank.
The people who were staging this despicable attack are being funded a thousand times more by rightwing Zionist and neocon hawks.

ABC is very nearly as much of an anathema to real journalism as is FOX.

Why is everyone focusing on the Israel issue? Isn't enough that the guy shills for Chinese government owned Petroleum companies that are causing so much misery, violence and destabilization in countries like Nigeria and Sudan (Darfour)? In effect he is acting as an agent of the Chinese government. Do we really want this guy in charge of deciding what intelligence info gets passed along to the President?

And this is before we get into the issue that he is a paid agent also of the Saudi Government.

He can take whatever job he wants, just so long as he isn't in a position to influence decisions in the government about his former clients (conflict of interest) as a civil servant.

One other point - the concern about Freeman and the Middle East is not that he is not pro-Israel enough, but rather that he's far too pro-Saudi. In my opinion the Saudi lobby is already too powerful - 267 Billion barrels of oil is quite enough power for one country. We don't need to let one of their paid agents put his hand on the White House's intelligence information chokepoint as well.

If the Israel Lobby was so powerful, and behind the campaign to remove Freeman from the NIC, then why could they not get Samantha Powers removed from her position in the White House? Her position required Congressional Confirmation

Posted by: Smoke_and_Mirrors

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And another lie. Samantha's position did NOT require Congressional Confirmation

Quit lying

The term Anti-Semite gets thrown around a lot. Sometimes rightly, and a lot of times not so.
Posted by: Smoke_and_Mirrors

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You are the one who is throwing that label around constantly.

Hypocrite

Believe it or not: most of the angryness in the arab world against the US comes from the fact that no matter of what Israel does the US is behind them and supporting them. If the US had a more balanced position towards the problems of the Palestinians and the way they live many arabs (and other people around the world) would have a more positive look towards america. i mean how can US claim they defend freedom and then support all the actions Israel does on the occupied territories?

If the Israel Lobby was so powerful, and behind the campaign to remove Freeman from the NIC, then why could they not get Samantha Powers removed from her position in the White House? Her position required Congressional Confirmation, and remember that she was the person who advocated for the US Military to invade Israel and force a settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. She is equally if not more of a threat to Israel than Freeman was, but there was no "Israel Lobby" campaign to have her removed.

Anti-Semites will always find a way to blame Israel for everything that happens to them. If an Anti-Semite buys lottery tickets every day, but never wins, they blame it on the Jews and Israel Lobby.

After his comments above, I am extremely happy that he will have no influence over the next government. Honestly, his statements about China and the Tienanmen Square incident is more disturbing than anything I have seen quoted to him about Israel.

All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God! It is well that this debate is coming up. Mr. Obama should know that he cannot run a change government if only those who are favoured by the established interests are those who get confirmed.The state of Israel should begin to see the damage those who lobby for it are doing to its cause. The Palestianians know that there are people in the USA who understand their plight. No one country has ever been powerful for all periods of history! Israel is the powerful party, but with a lot of support from the USA. Both should know that the tide shall turn one day. It may not be in our life time, but it shall surely come. Whatever the Arab countries may say or do, the state of Israel has come to stay. This is the other line of thinking that Mr. Freeman represents and wants to bring into the job. It is a big loss.