Posted on 02/21/2009 8:02:35 PM PST by Tigen
A flurry of reports over the weekend said that the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, considered a sharp critic of Israel, is to be named to a top intelligence post in the administration of President Barack Obama. Chas W. Freeman Jr., who was U.S. ambassador to Riyadh from 1989-1992, is set to be named chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which has a strong influence on the content of the intelligence briefings presented to the President (and puts together the National Intelligence Estimate, or NIE, which in 2007 dissuaded the Bush regime from attacking Iran). The Council chairman is also often called on to give direct briefings to the President.
Typical of Freeman's viewpoints is a statement he made in a speech before the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs in 2007, in which he more or less blames international terrorist acts on Israel. "American identification with Israeli policy has also become total. Those in the region and beyond it who detest Israeli behavior, which is to say almost everyone, now naturally extend their loathing to Americans. This has had the effect of universalizing anti-Americanism, legitimizing radical Islamism, and gaining Iran a foothold among Sunni as well as Shiite Arabs. For its part, Israel no longer even pretends to seek peace with the Palestinians; it strives instead to pacify them. Palestinian retaliation against this policy is as likely to be directed against Israels American backers as against Israel itself. Under the circumstances, such retaliation whatever form it takes will have the support or at least the sympathy of most people in the region and many outside it. This makes the long-term escalation of terrorism against the United States a certainty, not a matter of conjecture."
Freeman also is a strong advocate of talking to Hamas, which he calls "is the only democratically elected government in the Arab world." In his speech, Freeman said that "Hamas is showing that if we offer it nothing but unreasoning hostility and condemnation, it will only stiffen its position and seek allies among our enemies. In both cases, we forfeit our influence for no gain." Israel must be pressured to accept the American point of view, which does not coincide with Israel's. "We must talk with all parties, whatever we think of them or their means of struggle. Refusal to reason with those whose actions threaten injury to oneself, one's friends, and one's interests is foolish, feckless, and self-defeating. That is why we it is past time for an active and honest discussion with both Israel and the government Palestinians have elected, which in an irony that escapes few abroad is the only democratically elected government in the Arab world."
In another speech Freeman said:
"We destroyed the Iraqi state and catalyzed anarchy, sectarian violence, terrorism, and civil war in that country.
"Meanwhile, we embraced Israels enemies as our own; they responded by equating Americans with Israelis as their enemies. We abandoned the role of Middle East peacemaker to back Israels efforts to pacify its captive and increasingly ghettoized Arab populations. We wring our hands while sitting on them as the Jewish state continues to seize ever more Arab land for its colonists. This has convinced most Palestinians that Israel cannot be appeased and is persuading increasing numbers of them that a two-state solution is infeasible. It threatens Israelis with an unwelcome choice between a democratic society and a Jewish identity for their state. Now the United States has brought the Palestinian experience of humiliation, dislocation, and death to millions more in Afghanistan and Iraq. Israel and the United States each have our reasons for what we are doing, but no amount of public diplomacy can persuade the victims of our policies that their suffering is justified, or spin away their anger, or assuage their desire for reprisal and revenge.
So, we can see that Democratic elections aren't for everyone, and don't always result in favorable outcomes. What would come of "democracy" in a land that is 50.000% KKK members, and 50.0000% Black Pathers? Depending on which side gets a new young adult into voting age, things could get really ugly for the other side. So it goes in the Arab world too, apparently. For thousands of years to boot.
> Freeman also is a strong advocate of talking to Hamas, which he calls “is the only democratically elected government in the Arab world.”
Freeman must have been on the toilet during the Iraqi democratic elections ay.
A ping of definite interest.
You could almost substitute “the National Socialist Government of Germany” for “Hamas”, “the Goverments of Great Britain and France” for the “United States” and “Neville Chamberlain” for “Chas W. Freeman Jr”, et voilà, it’s 1938 all over again.
Yes, we believe too much in democracy; as if as long as a bare majority of people sometime, somewhere want something it must be the right course of action. I’m not certain what politician or party who ever lost an election ever once believed that to be the case, yet we have the insane compulsion to act as if we do so believe.
It just keeps gettting clearer and clearer doesn’t it?
I wonder why Obama picked this guy? Probably because all the old Nazis are dead or senile.
> I wonder why Obama picked this guy? Probably because all the old Nazis are dead or senile.
(Big Grin!!) Keep in mind that Obama’s idea of “democratically elected government” includes concepts such as ACORN election fraud, corrupt election financing, appointing tax-cheats to key offices, consulting with terrorists and racists, and unqualified candidates running for office under false color of right...
No doubt Freeman’s ideas precisely coincide with Obama’s, which entirely explains Freeman’s support for Hamas.
Speechless. In the 22 years before the appearance of the Americans in Afghanistan in 2001, the country had been in almost continual war/military occupation/Taliban dictatorship. Since 2002, FIVE MILLION Afghan refugees have returned home--in spite of "humiliation, dislocation, and death."
This guy shouldn't be a dogcatcher, let alone a top government official.
Don't forget we saved the Saudi's collective arses from the Iraqi hoards when Kuwait was engulfed, gassed Kurds, Uday, Qusay...Here, here to the new Hussein *vomit*
Barack Hussein rewards all the liberal Jewish libtards who supported and voted The One into power.
Idiots.
This is disgraceful. But with a president whose first televised address was on Arabic TV to apologize for liberating the Iraqis and praise the Saudis for their “courage,” why is anybody surprised?
When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic. Benjamin Franklin. My new tagline!
And we are just beginning to see the results of this.
If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
----------------------------
I'd rather the new intel chief was Gordon Freeman. I'm already pretty sure that the Arabs are controlled by facecrabs.
Has Freeman stopped getting Saudi money, or is it just going into his Swiss Bank Account?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.