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Default Obama vs the Middle East - 13th March 2009

People from around the world have been praising Obama's "change" policies, specifically when it came to the Middle East. Obama promised to talk to Iran, the Taliban, Russia, etc. which was seen as a positive sign.

But is it all just talk? I just came across this article, where the author accuses Obama and the US administration to be not even slightly changing its policies when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the US will still remain as much pro-Israeli as before!

We saw it coming with the nomination of Rahm Emmanuel and Hillary Clinton at key posts within the administration. Now, Charles Freeman has had to withdraw from heading the National Intelligence Council, because of pressures from AIPAC!

Rupert Cornwell, The IndependentCharles Freeman, a veteran diplomat hugely experienced in Middle Eastern affairs, had been chosen to head the National Intelligence Council, the body that delivers to the White House influential and highly sensitive reports synthesising the views of the country's 16 intelligence agencies.

But, on Wednesday, he withdrew his name from consideration, declaring he had fallen victim to what he called the "Israel lobby". Its campaign, he charged, had "plumbed the depths of dishonour and indecency," including "wilful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth".


Here's the article:

The Independent'Israel lobby' blamed as Obama's choice for intelligence chief quits

Veteran diplomat attacks wilful distortions that 'plumb the depths of dishonour'

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington


Friday, 13 March 2009

Fears over the Jewish lobby's excess influence on US foreign policy flared anew yesterday after a former diplomat and strong critic of Israel backed out of a key national intelligence post, saying his appointment by President Barack Obama had been torpedoed by a campaign of lies against him.

Charles Freeman, a veteran diplomat hugely experienced in Middle Eastern affairs, had been chosen to head the National Intelligence Council, the body that delivers to the White House influential and highly sensitive reports synthesising the views of the country's 16 intelligence agencies.

But, on Wednesday, he withdrew his name from consideration, declaring he had fallen victim to what he called the "Israel lobby". Its campaign, he charged, had "plumbed the depths of dishonour and indecency," including "wilful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth".

The lobbying against his appointment included a phone call from Charles Schumer, a Democratic Senator, to Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff, reminding him that Mr Freeman had shown "an irrational hatred of Israel" in past comments. Mr Emanuel is a strong defender of Israel's interests.

The loss of Mr Freeman, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia under the first president Bush, suggests that Mr Obama's ability to make significant changes in US policy in the Middle East will be severely limited by domestic political reality. As such, it raises the question of how far Mr Obama will be able – or willing – to stand up to Benjamin Netanyahu, the hardline Likud party leader who is all but certain to become Israel's next prime minister. Their relationship will be crucial for the important decisions looming over the Palestinian conflict and Iran's suspected nuclear weapons programme.

Yesterday, supporters of Israel, even as they quietly revelled in Mr Freeman's departure, claimed the most important objections to him were his links to Saudi Arabia and some past expressions of support for repressive policies by China's leadership. His true sin, however, was to have spoken out against Israeli policies with a forthrightness almost never heard in Washington. Indeed, one top pro-Israeli activist recently described his views on the Middle East as "what you would expect in the Saudi foreign ministry".

A trenchant critic of the harsh Israeli responses to attacks from Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, Mr Freeman has long maintained that the Jewish state's policies were self-defeating. Yesterday, he repeated that charge in an interview with The New York Times, saying Israel was "driving itself towards a cliff". It was "irresponsible to not question Israeli policy and to decide what is best for the American people," he said.

Those words exactly reflect the thesis of the 2007 book The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy that generated huge controversy by asserting that American policy was slavishly aligned to Israel thanks to the efforts of the Jewish state's supporters, to the detriment of underlying US interests.

For Stephen Walt, one of the book's authors, the Freeman row has proved the point. As he put it yesterday: "For all of you out there who may have questioned whether there was a powerful "Israel lobby," or who admitted that it existed but didn't think it had much influence, or who thought that the real problem was some supposedly all-powerful "Saudi lobby," – think again."

The victory of Mr Obama, who as a child lived in a Muslim country, raised hopes that he would see the Middle East through radically different eyes. But the new administration's deeds have been cautious. The Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has hewed to a conventional line, while Dennis Ross, her special adviser for Iran and Gulf issues, is seen as sympathetic to Israel.

Congress unfailingly supports Israel. Pat Buchanan, a right-wing commentator and erstwhile presidential candidate, once described Capitol Hill as "Israeli-occupied territory".
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Default 13th March 2009

I seriously dont think Obama will change anything regards the middle East. When he gave his first speach in public, he didnt stop repeating that their number one enemy is Iran and blablabla. From there, you should have understood that he is just another puppet to what they call '' the Jewish Lobby'' they should call it ''the zionists looby'' since Jewdaism is a religion but zionism is the american CIA and FBI world.
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Default 16th March 2009

If you read Obama's Foreign Policy Agenda you will notice not much is changed...only that they seek to pursue a tough, direct diplomacy without preconditions with all nations...hm what this can mean??

Seemingly they endorse negotiations and diplomatic solution, they pledged to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan yet in the same document few lines under they talk about sending more troops to Afghanistan...

Concerning Israel their policy has not changed and they stress it very clearly. Not a single reference to holding Israel accountable and cutting back on aid if it does not abide by international law...on the contrary they plan to increase military and economic aid to Israel and they stress that Israel will be always the strongest US ally in the region and priority of US foreign policy focus...

They even mention the July 2006 Lebanon war as a good example of Israel's right to defend itself, they are kind of proud of how Obama also vetoed as a senate member to pressure Israel for cease fire.

Altogether this FP agenda is very disappointing, this is not the change what he was talking about..


ps: there are some unofficial back channel talks going on between the US administration and groups like Hamas or HA...lets see if anything positive comes out from them
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Default 16th March 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Salome View Post
If you read Obama's Foreign Policy Agenda you will notice not much is changed...only that they seek to pursue a tough, direct diplomacy without preconditions with all nations...hm what this can mean??

Seemingly they endorse negotioations and diplomatic solution, they pledged to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan yet in the same document few lines under they talk about sending more troops to Afghanistan...

Concerning Israel their policy has not changed and they stress it very clearly. Not a single reference to holding Israel accountable and cutting back on aid if it does not abide by international law...on the contrary they plan to increase military and economic aid to Israel and they stress that Israel will be always the strongest US ally in the region and priority of US foreign policy focus...

They even mention the July 2006 Lebanon war as a good example of Israel's right to defend itself, they are kind of proud of how Obama also vetoed as a senate member to pressure Israel for cease fire.

Altogether this FP agenda is very disappointing, this is not the change what he was talking about..
I don't think that it is a wrong strategy. I used to think like you...

However, while we must admit that Bush did a grave mistake by invading Iraq in the first place, we must recognize that leaving both countries and washing their hands of the problems that exist there now, and leaving the people of both countries to their fate, is equally a mistake, one that would reflect an American egoism!

The US created the mess in both countries, but deciding to leave it without there being a solution to the crises in the first place, is a game they are playing, which leaves from the premise of saying "Iraqis are in a civil war because of themselves, we don't want to get in the middle of that war", while they actually started it!

I think what was needed after Bush, is a different approach, not a different policy! We don't need the US to leave the Middle East to its own fate after it created all the problems, but we need it there to be as an equal cooperative partner, not as an authoritarian homicidal occupier!

Creating a time-table for retreat is a first step. I agree with Obama's approach for Iraq: progressive retreat, long-term security cooperation with troops assistance!
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Default 17th March 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by dodzi View Post
I don't think that it is a wrong strategy. I used to think like you...

However, while we must admit that Bush did a grave mistake by invading Iraq in the first place, we must recognize that leaving both countries and washing their hands of the problems that exist there now, and leaving the people of both countries to their fate, is equally a mistake, one that would reflect an American egoism!

The US created the mess in both countries, but deciding to leave it without there being a solution to the crises in the first place, is a game they are playing, which leaves from the premise of saying "Iraqis are in a civil war because of themselves, we don't want to get in the middle of that war", while they actually started it!

I think what was needed after Bush, is a different approach, not a different policy! We don't need the US to leave the Middle East to its own fate after it created all the problems, but we need it there to be as an equal cooperative partner, not as an authoritarian homicidal occupier!

Creating a time-table for retreat is a first step. I agree with Obama's approach for Iraq: progressive retreat, long-term security cooperation with troops assistance!
Well I also didnt mean immediate withdrawal of troops, but a gradual approach, by delegating ever more responsibility to a hopefully competent Iraqi and Afghan government.

If they think seriously the restoring of US image worldwide, they will have no chance but to negotiate with the enemy. Especially with Hamas and Hezbollah.

Now that UK is opening official ties with the political wing of HA lets see if USA will follow this precedence.

About Hamas, it's not so clear if the HA precedence can work here. They are still listed as terrorist organization and so far no sign why wouldnt they, as actually till 2006 they were heavily engaged in suicide bombings...

but still they are and will be part of the PA government and seemingly there is a strong tendency toward negotiating with a joint PA leadership...

Well lets see what Nethanau is up to..
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Default 18th March 2009

Composition of Obama's Middle East team:
An Assessment of the Obama Mideast Team - Middle East Forum

Just read that the special envoy Mitchell is of Lebanese origin, see: George J. Mitchell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Default 22nd March 2009

Obama vs Middle-east well it seems to me that Obama lost and middle-east won.
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Default 22nd March 2009

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Originally Posted by TripolySunni View Post
Obama vs Middle-east well it seems to me that Obama lost and middle-east won.
Who is that Middle East? If you mean Israel, then you are right.
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Default Un-staying the course - 22nd March 2009

Un-staying the course

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Default 22nd March 2009

Quote:
Originally Posted by Salome View Post
Who is that Middle East? If you mean Israel, then you are right.
Syria, Iran, Hezbollah, HAMAS... And Ofcourse Israel tries not to lose and be screwed as much as America and the entire west is now...Let them Pump another hundred Billion Trillion Dollars to refresh/Revive thier economy (which seems to be futile)... I just really hope someone would bomb Saudi Arabia's oil fields at the moment Then they would really be finished since it's our money which is saving them (**** if it weren't for Israel, many would have dared to do that).
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