[risk]

FYI, I haven't read it, but Andrew and Leslie Cockburn's book Dangerous Liasons is probably not very friendly to the U.S./Israel relationship. I think what primes the Left (European and American) to be disposed to anti-zionism is its inability to recognize the Cold War commonality between Israeli and Anglo cultures. That commonality continues today with the war on terror. But since the Left refused to get behind the Cold War, the machinations of the Anglosphere and Israel against its common enemies could appear to be inhumane. With a backdrop of 100 million dead in communist-affected lands, this is unforgivable.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to forgive countries involved with the non-alligned movement, and especially ones that drifted toward Soviet influlence for the pure convenience of it. That goes for Egypt, Syria, Iran, Lybia, and a host of countries in Africa and South America. Anti-zionists were basically pro-Soviet, and now they are pro-Islamist.

I'm not sure Andrew and Leslie Cockburn are a reliable source on this matter. In any case, Cater's lack of resolve is legendary. Any dithering on his part with regard to Israel could simply be ascribed to his weak commitment to fighting communism. I fear it's worse than that, but the Cockburns appear to be so far to the left on the CIA and Israel that I can't trust them.

[SJackson]

The quotes been out there for awhile, never, to my knowledge denied, and it fits with the statement to Ed Koch, different words, identical sentiment. I’m not sure that Cockburn’s membership in the far left, anti Israel movement is a reason to doubt it. Fortunately he didn’t get another term, or we’d all have been f-----, not just the Jews.