Trial to Offer Look at World of Information Trading

[flashl]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — From its headquarters near the Capitol, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or Aipac, has for decades played an important though informal role in the formation of the United States government’s Middle East policy.

As part of Aipac’s mission to lobby the government on behalf of Israel, its officials assiduously maintain contact with senior policymakers, lawmakers, diplomats and journalists. Those conversations are typical of the unseen world of information trading in Washington, where people customarily and insistently ask each other, “So, what are you hearing?”

...

Two former senior analysts for Aipac, Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, are charged with violating the World War I-era Espionage Act when they told colleagues, journalists and Israeli Embassy officials information about Iran and Iraq they had learned from talking to high-level United States policymakers.

Unless the government suddenly backs down, the courtroom will become the stage for an extraordinary parade of top officials being forced to testify about some of the unseen ways American foreign policy is made.

NY Times

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/03/washington/03aipac.html

[Hydra]

1. Assuming this doesn't get swept under the rug

This is going to be a GREAT trainwreck to watch.

:popcorn:

[fascisthunter]

2. We All are Watching...

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

3. Finally.....

this is good news.

:beer: :popcorn:

[fascisthunter]

7. indeed

:beer:

[SquireJons]

4. Seems to me...

That this is a shot across the AIPAC's bow. Being no fan of Israel's, I'd kind of prefer we give them the ol' "Liberty Treatment." That would be the same kind of shots across the bow that they gave the USS Liberty, when 78 Americans died. But I'll take what I can get.

Though I can't help but wonder what's going on? Israel and the neocons are so in bed together that they could apply for common law marriage, except that the Israeli religious courts would annul it because the neocons aren't sufficiently Jewish enough (sorry, wolfie). The U.S. and Israel trade intelligence all the time, and they use AIPAC for these back door channels, so why the beef now? Could it be that Israel didn't do something that Cheney really wants? Did they refuse to arraign for the assassination of visiting Democrats? Somethings not right in Tel Aviv-ville.

[groovedaddy]

5. How quickly will they cry: "national security - state secrets - leave it alone?" n.t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I think it is about time we SEE how foreign policy is made n/t

[martymar64]

8. Good

when they are convicted, they can share a cell with that traitor Jonathan Pollard.