http://www.juancole.com/2009/03/chas-freeman-forced-by-israel-lobies-to.html
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Chas Freeman forced by Israel Lobies to withdraw from NIC
Chairmanship
Below is a note former MEPC president, Chas Freeman, sent to
friends and supporters.
Begin Text:
To all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement
during the controversy of the past two weeks, you have my
gratitude and respect.
You will by now have seen the statement by Director of
National Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have
withdrawn my previous acceptance of his invitation to chair
the National Intelligence Council.
I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of
my record would not cease upon my entry into office. The
effort to smear me and to destroy my credibility would instead
continue. I do not believe the National Intelligence Council
could function effectively while its chair was under constant
attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to
the views of a political faction in a foreign country. I
agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it
against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a
special interest group to assert control over it through a
protracted political campaign.
As those who know me are well aware, I have greatly enjoyed
life since retiring from government. Nothing was further from
my mind than a return to public service. When Admiral Blair
asked me to chair the NIC I responded that I understood he was
“asking me to give my freedom of speech, my leisure, the
greater part of my income, subject myself to the mental
colonoscopy of a polygraph, and resume a daily commute to a
job with long working hours and a daily ration of political
abuse.” I added that I wondered “whether there wasn’t some
sort of downside to this offer.” I was mindful that no one is
indispensable; I am not an exception. It took weeks of
reflection for me to conclude that, given the unprecedentedly
challenging circumstances in which our country now finds
itself abroad and at home, I had no choice but accept the call
to return to public service. I thereupon resigned from all
positions that I had held and all activities in which I was
engaged. I now look forward to returning to private life,
freed of all previous obligations.
I am not so immodest as to believe that this controversy was
about me rather than issues of public policy. These issues had
little to do with the NIC and were not at the heart of what I
hoped to contribute to the quality of analysis available to
President Obama and his administration. Still, I am saddened
by what the controversy and the manner in which the public
vitriol of those who devoted themselves to sustaining it have
revealed about the state of our civil society. It is apparent
that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public
discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of
great importance to our country as well as to our allies and
friends.
The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show
conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to
prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still
less to factor in American understanding of trends and events
in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the
depths of dishonor and indecency and include character
assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion
of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter
disregard for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of
the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the
appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the
substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the
exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and
our government other than those that it favors.
There is a special irony in having been accused of improper
regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies
by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the
policies of a foreign government – in this case, the
government of Israel. I believe that the inability of the
American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any
option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the
ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to
adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the
existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for
anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a
tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East;
it is doing widening damage to the national security of the
United States.
The outrageous agitation that followed the leak of my pending
appointment will be seen by many to raise serious questions
about whether the Obama administration will be able to make
its own decisions about the Middle East and related issues. I
regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has
ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone
decide what policies might best serve the interests of the
United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing
the will and interests of a foreign government.
In the court of public opinion, unlike a court of law, one is
guilty until proven innocent. The speeches from which
quotations have been lifted from their context are available
for anyone interested in the truth to read. The injustice of
the accusations made against me has been obvious to those with
open minds. Those who have sought to impugn my character are
uninterested in any rebuttal that I or anyone else might make.
Still, for the record: I have never sought to be paid or
accepted payment from any foreign government, including Saudi
Arabia or China, for any service, nor have I ever spoken on
behalf of a foreign government, its interests, or its
policies. I have never lobbied any branch of our government
for any cause, foreign or domestic. I am my own man, no one
else’s, and with my return to private life, I will once again
– to my pleasure – serve no master other than myself. I will
continue to speak out as I choose on issues of concern to me
and other Americans.
I retain my respect and confidence in President Obama and DNI
Blair. Our country now faces terrible challenges abroad as
well as at home. Like all patriotic Americans, I continue to
pray that our president can successfully lead us in
surmounting them.
Middle East Policy Council
1730 M Street, NW
Suite 512
Washington, DC 20036
End/ (Not Continued)
posted by Juan Cole @ 3/10/2009 07:51:00 PM
2 Comments:
At 8:52 PM, philadelphia collins said...
Freeman chaired the MEPC, whose journal I would recommend to
all readers of Juan's blog. Truly, this man is a brilliant
thinker, and his withdrawal is a great loss to the country.
Both as Jew and as American, I am incredibly disappointed
though not at all surprised with AIPAC's efforts to tarnish
him.
At 9:04 PM, Ginger2008 said...
Had he hung in there and been confirmed, the smears would have
subsided. I'm really disappointed in him for caving.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
