Obama Mideast Watch: Hillary & Co.

Scott:

It's interesting to watch you post about these advisors.

Since this seems to be an obsession of yours, I'll repost the exchange between you and and Lisa Goldman, another journalist who lives in Tel-Aviv, about Rahm Emmanuel.

On Rahm Emmanuel, you said...

“I would respectfully ask you to review the material described in the post in the context I presented—this was a look at how the Arab world viewed Emanuel's appointment to the top staff position in the White House.”

After saying:

“Arab disappointment aside,”

Then you said:

“there's enough in Emanuel's background to raise a fair question of whether the key appointment of such a demonstratively pro-Israel figure is going to help or hurt the prospects for Obama's avowed plans to play an effective role in brokering Middle East peace.”

[So, really, you're speaking for YOURSELF - not Arabs - and basically saying, this pro-Israeli Jew talking in “boilerplate” language about Israel defending itself from Hezbollah is not good for the peace process].

You also said:

“If Obama had appointed Rashid Khalidi as White House chief of staff, or indeed to almost any other position, I do imagine that many people would be discussing his PLO affiliation quite a lot.”

After saying,

“Khalidi served as an advisor to the P.L.O.-vetted Palestinian delegation…If you suggest there's something sinister about that, well, you may as well say that all Palestinians are bad guys, whether they're bombers or peace negotiators.”

[Translation: Yes, his PLO affiliations would be brought up if he were in Rham's position. But I've covered that already, and you're racist if you dare mention them and imply there's something wrong with them.]

Then, on this post, you said:

“I agree with Scowcroft and Brzezinski, that "the opportunity for success has never been greater," and, as they warn, "the costs of failure [have never been] more severe."

[Translation: Brzezinski is a known Israel hater and Iran apologist, like me. Whatever he says, is good with me.]

And I'm not surpised you like Jones.

Even the left-wing Ha'aretz characterized his report as unfairly harsh.

In the meantime, there hasn't been a single post from you or Tim, about the massacre in India and the outpouring of despair from Israeli Jews.

"outpouring of despair from Israeli Jews."

If you call the grief of Israelis for the death of 2 Israelis as "outpouring of despair", then I wonder what would you call the grief of all the arabs, muslims and world opinion for the missery of the Palestinian people who are living in occupation for more than 60 years now? Well, some people call it living in occupation and some others call it living in cages. I am not talking just about Gaza here. I am also talking about the apartheid wall, and the Israeli check points that can be found almost everywhere in the West Bank that has chocked out any feeling of liberty or dignity left for the Palestinian people. So, what do you call that? I am curious to know...

"[H]e sought a vigorous debate among his advisors rather than a team of yes-men or conventional-wisdom preachers. George Bush also appointed strong personalities, but key officials like Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld proved poles apart in vision and approach."
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Huh? What better condition for vigorous debate than foreign policy advisors who are poles apart? Your outsized disdain for Bush is on the record, but how can you praise Obama for his assemblage of advisors while at the same time criticizing Bush for doing the same thing? The answer is you don't like Bush's politics, but you claim it's the virtue of pragmatism inherent in the Obama team. Right. That pragmatism coupled with vigorous debate will obviously yield a coherent, viable foreign policy. Perhaps. Or it could end up like Bush's dysfunctional foreign policy team, with Powell ultimately being forced out by Cheney-Rumsfeld (who obviously had undue influence on an foreign-policy-lite president, like Obama) and Rice being hamstrung by the defeat of her predecessor.
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It's way too early to be encouraged/discouraged by Obama's team. Suffice it to say he has one.

So far Obama selection of his cabinet is far different from promises he made during primary, never the less I'm willing to cut him a slack for few first months of his term in office to see if he's in charge or just another bubble boy which leave wolfs to shepherd the sheep's in Middle-East, There're more than enough pro Israel advocates in US different branches of government let along in TV and paper media considering population percentage of Israelis American and their one sided support for Israel regardless of other states well being in that region or for US well being for that matter, come on, where else in the world a foreign state actors can intimidate elected officials and not to be considered as treason!

So far Obama selection of his cabinet is far different from promises he made during primary, never the less I'm willing to cut him a slack for few first months of his term in office to see if he's in charge or just another bubble boy which leave wolfs to shepherd the sheep's in Middle-East, There're more than enough pro Israel advocates in US different branches of government let along in TV and paper media considering population percentage of Israelis American and their one sided support for Israel regardless of other states well being in that region or for US well being for that matter!

I think at this juncture it is very hard to foresee whether or not Hillary Clinton would attempt to depart from the modus operandi of her husband's administration as to the Middle East. We do have significant clues, however, that she will be a blind, staunch supporter of Israel and this may very well be a bad thing for America, and yes, Israel.
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It is certain that the policies of the past 30 years, much less the last eight, have not effectively rendered Iran a powerless nation in the region, even though every attempt has been made to do so. For instance, many saw Albright's apology to Iran, made on behalf of the US for the CIA-led coup of Iran's nascent democracy in 1953, as a step in the right direction for restoring ties between Iran and America. However, at the same time, under an operation code named Merlin, the United States setup a defected Russian nuclear scientist to sell sabotaged plans to Iran. This two-sidedness did not go unnoticed and Iranian officials consistently remark that America exhibits two polar opposite behaviors when it comes to reapproachment with Iran. On a side note, the "sabotaged" nuclear plans were actually correct much to the CIA's great dismay, and we can credit the Clinton administration for foolishly effecting the order that gave Iran a working blueprint for a nuclear warhead. Meanwhile, in setting up possible stepping stones to an Iranian invasion, as envisioned by Neo-Conservatives and encouraged by Zionists, the United States carelessly eliminated opponents of Iran (Al-Qaeda in Aghanistan and Saddam in Iraq) while neglecting to fill the influence and power vacuum Iran did so readily and effectively.
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So, more of the same policies of the last three decades will inevitably continue on a path that will ensure a stronger Iran and a weakened United States and Israel in the Middle East.
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The real danger lies in Hillary's and other administration members' ties to AIPAC, the Israeli lobby. This lobby has done everything to facilitate bellicose behavior by the US government both domestically and abroad. First, AIPAC endorsed and even co-wrote both wiretap acts that successfully passed through the House and the Senate. One act even passing the scrutiny of a supposedly "Democratic" majority-minded legislative body. Wiretapping is not done by the US government solely. Most of the labor is outsourced to third party Israeli companies. Second, AIPAC has made every step to ensure that Iran is villainized in the media, in congressional records, and that America engages in bellicose tactics with Iran (such as endorsing and co-writing the act that was tantamount to an act of war with Iran, a naval blockade).
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Now the actual danger: not war, but sabrerattling at a country that has been saying "bring it" for over a year before the entire world and not being able to do a simple thing about it. In the same way that the IDF releases press announcements that it will strike Iran well in advance (even foolishly resorting to leaking to Israeli press recently that they are planning options of striking without the US), AIPAC forces America's hand into the fool's folly. AIPAC has all but ensured that "all options remain on the table" and that our politicians attend their annual conventions and make bellicose statements against Iran. Unfortunately, the world has taken note that America is unable to do much more than it has already done (Georgia, anyone?). The country of freedom and leadership has turned into nothing more than an armchair general.
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So, will Obama's administration reverse these views and the course of America in the future? Who knows. What is certain is that as we start to extinguish ties to Middle Eastern economical interests (ME oil), the need to have Israel as an ally will also diminish. It is important, however, to note that Israel is aware of this and AIPAC activists as well. They are doing everything to ensure that Israel remains America's number one ally.
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Iran is in a better position to fill that spot. Despite the misinterpreted "Death to America" chants (they are more about American interference in Iran's politics than actual deathwishes for the American people or America's cultural values), the Iranian regime has extended several olive branches to the United States that were ignored by the Bush administration in both 2004 and 2006. Iran even helped the US target Al-Qaeda during the invasion of Afghanistan, only to be labeled as a member of the Axis of Evil in the following year's State of the Union. Indeed, the regime knows its vitality is ensured by a normalization of relations with America. This is their ultimate objective. But, they are cautious, as this path has shown to be one that may allow America to continue its policies of meddling with Iran's politics vis a vis the US embassy, labeled the den of spies thanks to the 1953 CIA-coup aforementioned.
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Iran sits at the nexus of the Middle East, Asia, and Russia. It is a country the size of the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany combined. It hosts 70 million diverse people, including the second biggest population of Jews in the Middle East, with a history that traces back to ancient times. The country is very well-educated and has great potential. It has oil reserves as well as control of the world's choke point, the Strait of Hormuz. Israel should be worried. But this game of playing chicken little and rattling the cages so that it does not fall out of favor are all to its long-term detriment.
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Let's hope America detaches from their path.

Dear Scott,

I hope you are right about Hillary and I am wrong.

On November 15, 2005, Senator Hillary Clinton stood on the Jerusalem side of The Wall and was quoted in Ha'aretz, expressing support for The Wall because it "is against terrorists" and "not against the Palestinian people."

After I read Senator Clinton's inaccurate and insensitive remarks in Ha'aretz, I immediately contacted her through her website. My email bounced back to me, for I am no longer a New York constituent.

This really got my Irish up, for I was born in The Village and came of age in Levittown, Long Island, and this makes me much more New York than Hillary will ever be.

I snail mailed Hillary a respectful letter informing her that even a little one such as me, knew all about the many gaps and lack of 'security' along The Wall that every taxi driver and ANY would be 'terrorist' also knew about in order to travel from the West Bank to Jerusalem without stopping for SECURITY.

I also reminded her that we are in the midst of the UN Decade of Creating a Culture of NONVIOLENCE for all the children of the world.

The only response I received from Senator Clinton was to be put on the DNC's mailing list soliciting funds.

During my March 2006, interview with Mordechai Vanunu, he sent this message and invitation to Hillary Regarding The Wall

http://www.wearewideawake.org/video2/vanunu.htm (Requires Windows Media)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgofYd9dh9A

Clinton has repeatedly said, "I've been a strong supporter of Israel's right to build a security barrier to keep terrorists out. I have spoken out against the International Court of Justice for questioning Israel's right to build that fence of security."

International Law states occupation is to be temporary and that the occupiers are not to transfer their population into occupied territory. A

nd what RIGHT has anyone to put a fence up on somebody else's property?

When The Wall is super-imposed on a map of Palestinian aquifers, it clearly illuminates that The Wall is all about grabbing land and resources from the indigenous peoples of the land.

"Financed with U.S. aid at a cost of $1.5 million per mile, the Israeli wall prevents residents from receiving health care and emergency medical services. In other areas, the barrier separates farmers from their olive groves which have been their families' sole livelihood for generations." [Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Page 43, Jan/Feb. 2007]

On page one of Jeff Halper's, Obstacles to Peace, A Re-Framing of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, he wrote, “Missing from Israel's security framing is the very fact of occupation, which Israel both denies exists…and that “security” requires Israel control over the entire country…rendering impossible a just peace based on human rights, international law, reconciliation.”

During one of my interviews with Jeff, he made me laugh out loud when he told me this joke-and jokes are only funny when they are also true-

Do you know why Israel does not want to become America's 51st state?

Because then they would only have two senators!"

But what really gets and keeps my Irish up is that Hillary went to Gilo, but NOT Beit Jala:

Hillary said: "I went to see the fence with my own eyes. During a trip to Gilo, a Jerusalem neighborhood, I was greeted by Col. Danny Tirza, who was overseeing the construction of the security fence."

Clinton's Orwellian spun 'neighborhoods' are all ILLEGAL colonies for everyone exist on legally owned Palestinian land; NOT one of the settlements has been built on Israeli owned land!

I have seen "the fence" too and reality is that it divides Palestinians from Palestinians with 25 to 30 foot high concrete slabs with razor wire, trenches, sniper towers, electric fences, military roads, electronic surveillance, remote controlled infantry and buffer zones stretch over 100 miles wide and deny Palestinians access to their land, families, jobs, and resources.

Clinton's Jewish only colony of Gilo is less than a mile away from the ancient indigenous Christian village of Beit Jala, a five minute car ride from downtown Bethlehem.

The Wall has eviscerated the sister cities of Bethlehem and Jerusalem and will soon completely separate Bethlehem from her sister villages of Beit Sahour and Beit Jala. Bethlehem's significance to and historic ties with Palestinian East Jerusalem and its economic demise caused by The Wall could be the beginning of the end of any viable Two-State solution.

If The Wall is completed in this area, 4000 dunums of the areas most fertile land will be isolated in order to accommodate for the expansion and the building of the ILLEGAL colonies/settlements of Gilo and Har Gilo.

This growing ghettoization of Bethlehem is not only destroying ancient communities, it violates International Law, The Road Map, and basic human rights.

The Wall and all of Israel's settlement colonies are illegal under International Law.

The Wall is an APARTHEID Wall for it divides, separates, humiliates, dominates, controls and denies inalienable human rights to the indigenous people of the so called Holy Land, which it rapes and destroys.

Clinton also said, "Col. Tirza's explanation in his graphic depiction of what was part of the daily life of people living in that one neighborhood, gave me an even greater appreciation for the imperative of the fence and the need to do everything possible to protect Israel against these continuing attacks."

The truth is that in 2000, before the construction of The Wall began, there were less 'attacks' than in 2008!

Clinton is conveniently clueless that in Beit Jala, in the year 2000, a few hopeless militants who had given up on the 'peace makers' of the West to demand Israel adhere to International Law, UN Resolutions and the UN Declaration of Human Rights-instead, infiltrated the Christian village to shoot into the illegal colony of Gilo.

The Israeli Defense Force immediately retaliated and down descended hell fire upon the innocent ones caught in the crossfire of violence.

One such little one was George Nazzal of Beit Jala-his photo from 2000 adorns the banner of my website.

The shrapnel that blew apart the wall of George's bedroom read "Made in USA" and was delivered via American made Apache helicopters that buzzed over his innocent head.

If George had been in his bed, he would be dead.

I saw George the other day while in the little town of Bethlehem: Occupied Territory, and he endures as well as any other child can, who must suffer under military occupation.

I do agree with one thing Senator Clinton has said, "It is not enough for us to say the right things; we've got to be smart and tough enough to do the right things that will protect American and Israeli interests now and forever."

Tough and smart comprehends that the only way to security for Israelis is justice for Palestinians.

Tough and smart would demand an end to the occupation and ensure that all people do indeed have equal human rights.

No enduring peace, no security, and no reconciliation is even possible without the foundation of justice; which equates to equal human rights and international law.

Eileen Fleming, Author, Founder WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu"

Today would be as good as any other day to post a new story while our esteem friends taking a year off for Sabbath to rest their ass for a change

It is doubtless to say,
mistakes were made,
resulting ,have been watching bloodshed,
in some parts of the world,
now the world coming into the new process,
so hope , will resolve all the issues,
attributed to previous bush ploicies,

Obama team,
consisting on good experts,
have a specific mind about Iran, Iraq and Afghanitan,
so can be hoped peace has become a good fortune ,
for this region.

Hmm, no new posts in a week. Let's get a discussion started. Anyone agree or disagree that:

Israel sucks
U.S. sucks
Iran sucks
Palestinians suck

For sure their governments sucks, I'm still hoping for a day when the whole Middle-East becomes powerful union much like EU with single currency and policies with vast amount of hydrocarbon to back it up before other out of regions states sucks it all dry, truly a prosperous superpower where mankind learned to be civilized!

Please allow me to present another perspective on this issue.
It occurs to me that the "great wall of Israel" is in fact isolating Israel from its neighbors (and indeed countries all over the world) both literally and figuratively. Despite the remarks made by soon-to-be Secretary of State Clinton, for obvious reasons people all over the world are very -shall we say- 'unhappy' about this controversial construction undertaking.
It therefore seems obvious that this wall is doing Israel much more harm than good.
I personally conclude then; that if the State of Israel wants to build a wall to isolate itself from the world it is Israel's prerogative.
If Israeli leaders believe that they can sacrifice whatever dignity and/or popularity they has left in order to obtain security they will discover that they will lose both their security and everything they have sacrificed in order to obtain it.

Old horses shouldn't be in race,
if will have, or by some quarters insisting to keep in run
there are chances to defeat.
team is good but made some mistakes,
in its constitution.

Obama and Hillary stand up for "OH" or the Battle Ground State of Ohio. Ohio and Ohioans do like to be stood up. So don't elect Obama and Hillary during the next election

By Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.

Obama and Hillary stand up for "OH" or the Battle Ground State of Ohio. Ohio and Ohioans do like to be stood up. So don't elect Obama and Hillary during the next election

Our Obligatory Objections Over Obama's Obvious Obscene Obsessions. PART 1. By: Jordan C. Fan, Prophet Of Environment.
Since Barack Obama is the bigggest villian of all time. It is cetainly our obligation to expose his criminal acts:
(1) Black Got To Be Rich Illegally - Blagojevich and Obama Corruption Scandal. Even before Obama start office, his corruptions have begun. Just wait until Obama step into his office, he will rob all the White people of all they have. Blagojerich or "Blac got to be rich" illegally or criminally should well be Obama's campaign slogan.
(2) Obama has conspired with his supportors especially Black to cause the crash of the housing and stock market bring the Great Depression II just to get elected.
(3) Obama is worse than Hitler, he is planning a holcaust for the White and Asian race.
Obama must be impeached and eliminated for politic at all cost.
More Obama criminal expose will come on my next reply. Or you can add to the crimine committed by Obama.

Zionism 104, plant misinformation and try to eliminate any attempt on building friendly relation between any groups which might bring peace to any place, war is their tool for survival, last previous post is one example or cordial talks between US and Iran or Arabs and Persians or Shias and Sunnis or etc...
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak the Clown claims Iran will explode a nuke in US, is he retarded? don't he know nuke material can be traced like fingerprint back to her source or what's a advantage for Iran to commit such act or is he really think everyone else are fools. Zionists don't have a conscious and not only they steal from us but from themselves too, Madoff $50 billion scam, what a crooks and people like them are all over Wall Street as a CEO's and you wonder why Israel gets a free money and we're bankrupt!

After watching Blood Diamond last night, it became apparent to me that fighting against an organized movement with officials in the upper echelons of the government in unorganized fashion is an exercise in futility. So, Joe, we can be bitter about Zionists all we want. But when we act as individuals to speak out against them, it has little effect.
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You fight fire with fire. AIPAC failed in passing naval blockade legislation due in large part to Trita Parsi's efforts with the NIAC. When the processes of the information and policy war are equal, it is thus proved that the anti-Zionist side has a far better/righteous underlying platform.
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The first step is to take back the media. This may be happening in and of itself due to dwindling subscriptions to print publications, but it can certainly use a push in the right direction. The internet will survive the economic outfall, and this is the medium where the anti-Zionist side already reigns supreme. Already, Zionists are influencing what is published to evermore popular sites like the Huffington Post. That should be the front line for the I&P war.
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The next step is to initiate policy transformation movements via legislative button men, just as the Zionists have done for several decades now.
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Who's with me?

I agree with you Nick, with millions of ordinary people and world wide web no one can hide under shadows anymore and can be dragged in to light and truth for everyone to observe their intentions, unfortunately with current fossils who are in charge and mostly internet illiterate, they still rely on TV's and Newspapers for news and public feedbacks which are being filtered.
NIAC is doing a fine job considering she is new around a block but observing Parsi's comments during past several years leave me with desire for someone else with more eloquent and unwavering point of views, personally I like previous Iranian UN representative style, I think his name was Dr. Zarif.
Huffington Post used to be good site few years back but since then their Persian Gulf section format has changed and their articles are far few and far apart and their search engine won't allow you to sort them by date, I think they changed the format after a Zionist made movie of 300 and subsequent tensions between Persian and Greek community with Huffington being ethnic Greek, but anyway, I'm with you and anyone else who want to bring peace and friendship between Iranians and Americans or any other parties in a world, more power to you!

Correction, I just discover a Iranian page in Huffington Post, maybe meet you there, this site is drying up before her time, who is in charge of Time.com, not a Zionist ey ya ya

Persionadovcate Said:

"After watching Blood Diamond last night, it became apparent to me that fighting against an organized movement with officials in the upper echelons of the government in unorganized fashion is an exercise in futility."

Blood Diamond was written and directed by Edward Zwick, a proud Jew and staunch supporter of Israel who has been showing his newest film, Defiance, at Jewish organizations in New York City.

You're hopeless.

NYCDavid,

I fail to see your point. But I do see your meaningless insult. Typical.