Is Admiral Blair next?

That's a fair question.

The vicious clique that deprived us all of the chance to have Charles Freeman as chairman of the NIC had as its principal goal the ability to control the content of US national intelligence estimates of concern to Israel.  The analytic paper in which these servants of a foreign power have the greatest interest is that concerning Iran. 

Israeli general staff intelligence believes that the Iranians possess an immediate ability to assemble at least one nuclear weapon and are close to achieving an industrial ability to manufacture such weapons and their matched delivery systems.

Admiral (Ret.) Dennis Blair has testified before Congress that US intelligence (using the same data) does not agree.  The National Intelligence Council (NIC) of the United States believes that the Iranians could not have enough weapons grade fissile material to make ONE atomic weapon until 2010. (Some members of the NIC would say 2015)  Admiral Blair has also testified that the NIC does not believe that the Iranians have yet made a decision to manufacture nuclear weapons.  So far they have not produced uranium concentrated enough to use in fission weapons.

Israel has always had a very limited ability to collect hidden information in Iran.  More than that I do not wish to say.  What they know of things like the Iranian nuclear and missile programs are largely the result of others' efforts.  The reason why the Israeli and US estimates reach such different conclusions is the persistent and "traditional" habit of IDF intelligence of"worst casing" every single shred of supposed information and then compiling those shreds into a pastiche satisfactory to their collective fear.  This is reminiscent of the analytic technique of the neocons in the campaign to sell the Iraq War to the American people.

The "Israel First" crowd want a US national estimate that will justify and virtually require a US attack on Iran.  There will be a strong effort made to appoint a chairman for the NIC who will preside over the creation of such an estimate.

Dennis Blair has defied the Lobby, the neocons and IDF intelligence.  

Watch your back, admiral.  Watch your back.  pl

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/11/AR2009031104308.html?hpid=topnews

http://www.harpers.org/archive/2009/03/hbc-90004545

Comments

[zanzibar]

Where is Obama in all of this?

Clearly if NIEs are prepared with political agendas that impinge on US national interests the person most impacted is the President since his decision making would naturally be bereft of the "truth" that our intel community could provide.

Is Obama his own person or is he just another weather vane? I want to give him the benefit of doubt as Chas Freeman has done on the issues of foreign policy (but I can't do the same on economic policy). I am impressed with how he handled Iraq where he did exercise leadership. But we have seen some of the levers that the Israel firsters have pulled and their political strength. Do we get to the point where the Israel first crowd over reach and there will be a backlash when it becomes apparent to most that there are many in our political leadership who are acting against our national interests and are in effect "agents" of a foreign power?

If the economic environment deteriorates further and the average working American loses confidence in our current political leadership - then do we see demagogues appear who may want to find scapegoats?

[Jose]

Col., I suggested in an earlier post that Adm. Blair should resign in protest.

There are only three options before him:

1. Spike intelligence reports to the needs of the special interests

2. Be the next scandal

3. Resign in protest and force the issue to be discussed.

Was this issue even discussed last on any of the News Networks?

[J]

Colonel,

Concur.

[Milton Arbogast]

Rahm Emanuel, who supported the invasion of Iraq, runs the White House. Is he a dual-national?

I think at this time it is fair to ask, "What is going on with Obama?"

Stem cell research? C'mon. Okay, it's a good idea and deserves support. But (probably nuclear) bombing of Iran is a much, much bigger issue.

Was Obama elected under false pretenses?

If the American public gets the idea that Obama is a spineless opportunist, look out. Yes, that is my opinion. But the anger under the surface is palpable.

For example, take unemployment. Unemployment is supposed to be a "lagging indicator". Hence the ability of the stock market to laugh it off. I'll tell you what it isn't a lagging indicator of. It isn't a lagging indicator of desperation and violence.

Would McCain have done a better job? We'll never know. I doubt it. What a world.

[AP]

I have a dumb question: Why do the Israelis persist in this vein when all information about Iranian nuclear capability says otherwise?

(Ari Fleischer: "The more uranium you have, the fewer centrifuges you need to produce a nuclear weapon." Whitehouse.gov archives, Abuja, Nigeria Press gaggle 2003....remember this when you hear hyperventilated cries about the number of Iranian centrifuges growing.)

Why does Israel want the US involved in this, apart from giving it money and weapons? Does Israel want to cause the destruction of the USA? Is that why it's doing this: beating the drum for nuclear war because it extracted a promise from the US that we would back up anything it does militarily?

I can't come to any other conclusion: Israel wants to destroy the USA, militarily, economically, strategically.

History shows that Iran has not attacked another country for 300 years. It defends itself, but it has not engaged in preemptive war of any sort.

None of these claims or assertions on the part of the pro-Israel faction pushing a war with Iran makes any sense.

[Cato the Censor]

"This is reminiscent of the analytic technique of the neocons in the campaign to sell the Iraq War to the American people."

We know how well that turned out too.

[Minnesotachuck]

How depressing! Will AIPAC evnetually overreach? Will they demand one sacrificial lamb too many even for our meek excuse for a Congress?

[Cloned Poster]

1. I wish to make the following point!

Why were Democrat representatives allowed to slander and make up stories about Freeman?

For the all the Obama apologists that come here and post (scarce here), there is something called the "whip" in UK politics.

That's a provocative post Col Lang.

Watch your back.

[Clifford Kiracofe]

1. The Freeman case was intended by the Zionist Lobby and its foreign- based superiors (in Israel, London, and elsewhere) to send a message: a message to those in the US government and a message internationally.

2. Judging from key indicative votes over the past two decades, the Zionist Lobby can usually muster about 400 votes in the House of Representatives and say 90 or so in the Senate.

[Redhand]

This is reminiscent of the analytic technique of the neocons in the campaign to sell the Iraq War to the American people.

The "Israel First" crowd want a US national estimate that will justify and virtually require a US attack on Iran. There will be a strong effort made to appoint a chairman for the NIC who will preside over the creation of such an estimate.

I do not seek analytical excellence in my comment, just a forum to express my deep fatigue with the whole American-Israel relationship.

I'm fed up with Israel, and politicians like Chuck Schumer who support it no matter what. I'm tired of idiotic and downright malevolent neocons like Bill Kristol, Charles Krauthamer and Paul Wolfowitz, whose ethnic identification with the State of Israel has truly blinded them to independent American interests, or (apparently) even the idea that such interests exist.

We've already wasted trillions of dollars and tens-of-thousands of American lives in Iraq, largely at the behest of a neocon cabal that still seems to believe "What's good for Israel is good for America."

I'm just tired of it. And I think I can say it without being anti-Semitic (which I'm not).

I can't imagine an anti-nuke, preemptive strike against Iran undertaken with US blessing. Isn't the best deterrent to Iran's use of a nuke against Israel (if and when they ever get one despite our diplomatic efforts to prevent it) a clearly communicated message to Iran that if that happens, the US will consider it an attack on the USA itself. Seems to me that strategy worked pretty well against the USSR in the Cold War.

Then again, what do I know? I'm not a foreign policy genius like Paul Wolfowitz.

[Andy]

I am not too concerned about Adm. Blair, but I think it's pretty clear that the opposition to Freeman is rooted in the 2007 NIE which emasculated political support for any attack against Iran's program. The Isreali's and their supporters understand that the NIE will probably be updated soon and want to do what they can to bring about a conclusion that would provide some support for action.

The wording in Adm. Blair's testimony this past Tuesday is telling (emphasis mine):

We judge in fall 2003 Tehran halted its nuclear weapons design and weaponization activities and that the halt lasted at least several years. We assess Tehran had not restarted these activities as of at least mid-2007.

The DNI repeated this almost verbatim when questioned by Senator Levin.

Mid-2007 was almost two years ago. I've looked, and there are is no information or leaked analysis to indicate either a continuation of Iran's suspension of weaponization efforts or its resumption. This tells me that another NIE on Iran's program may be in the works already and could explain the blatant effort employed to kill this nomination.

[Andy]

Tom Rick's agrees with you:

I do wonder if this whole incident was a kind of warning shot across the bow of retired Admiral Dennis Blair, the new director of national intelligence. The U.S. military long has been less enamored of Israel than has the U.S. Congress. Navy intelligence types in particular have been wary of Israel since the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967, which left 34 sailors dead.

[Got A Watch]

I'm sure no one here is surprised.

Obama does not have to do anything, just standby to receive orders from his masters in Tel Aviv.

Business as usual. Change you can believe in.

[William R. Cumming]

There is some indication that the TEAM of RIVALS concept apparently adopted by OBAMA might not work for him the way it worked for Lincoln. The power to select and appoint and vest with power, sometimes shared under the Constitution with the Senate, is the real Presedential power manifest. Just out of curiousity, how does OBAMA find, name, and select appointees or is he relying on White House Personnel Office to feed him what he needs? Beleive me when I state firmly that if the latter he won't get what is needed for him or the country!

[Gene]

In response to AP's "None of these claims or assertions on the part of the pro-Israel faction pushing a war with Iran makes any sense."

Israel's antagonism with Iran makes sense in the context of its will to colonize its neighbours' land and implement the plan for "Greater Israel". What lie in its path are Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Occupied Territories, both of which receive if not material, certainly ideological and moral support from Iran.

I think there's also the point that good relations between Iran and the US would mean a less important strategic role for Israel and therefore diminishing leverage on US policies, and consequently - and I believe that is important - less leverage on its so-called 'moderate' Arab neighbours.

[doug]

That the Chas flail has been about potential Iran NIEs was briefly alluded to in "Contentions" but has largely escaped notice from both sides. Thanks for noticing.

[William deB. Mills]

By providing a warning, your blog does us all a real service. Now the question is, what will Obama do?

It is really very important for Americans to rise above the propaganda of the rightwing, militant Israeli ruling elite and consider that Israel is a whole country with a wide range of viewpoints. Those who are surprised need only take a look at the outspoken Israeli press, where freedom of speech is taken much more seriously than in the U.S. media. What is my point? Protecting Israelis in no way equals swallowing the expansionist line of the elite factio n that has captured control of Israeli politics. Obama should appoint an advisory board on relations with Israel, to give him political protection, and include as many first-rate Israeli thinkers (not political hacks) as possible. Two obvious candidates at the top of the list would be Uri Avnery and Ilan Pappe. Then, he should put U.S.-Israeli official ties on hold pending a review by that board of how best to protect the people of Israel...from all the threats that challenge them, explicitly including the threat of Israel forsaking democracy and transforming itself into a garrison state.

[harper]

There is only one appropriate reply from the U.S. intelligence community to this frontal attack on their integrity and independence: crack down, hard, on all of the Israeli spy networks that have been allowed to operate with impunity. Let a thousand Steve Rosens bloom, and let the penalty be so overwhelming for this intrusion into the U.S. intelligence community, that it will never happen again. Think about it. A radical, to be blunt, Jabotinsky fascist element within Israel decided that they had the authority, through their apparatus of spies (Rosen) and dupes in America, including in the Halls of Congress, to veto a decision that was made at the top of the OFFICIAL U.S. intelligence community. No chest thumping allowed. Only a penalty of such severity that it will sting for a century is going to have any impact. The Pollard case was a devastating shock to Israel and their allies and assets in America. 25 years later, they think they can push us around again. Not a good idea to let this stand. Those of you familiar with the duties of the DNI and the head of the NIC know that this is one of the most important intelligence functions of the U.S. government--providing the President of the United States with strategic estimates AND the daily intelligence briefing. Do we have veto power over who is named head of the Mossad or IDF intelligence? This is no small matter, if allowed to stand and go unanswered.

[Mad Dogs]

The "Israel First" crowd and their less-than-subtle tactics with regard to Chas Freeman may have done themselves more harm than good.

Yes, they "won" this battle, but have they "lost" the war?

Going just by the reactions of Intel professionals like Colonel Lang and Larry Johnson, can we imagine what the reaction is among the folks who populate State's INR, DoD's DIA, the CIA, and most certainly in Admiral Dennis Blair's ODNI itself?

I'm betting these Intel folks have long memories and that they are not liable to forget this attempt to railroad US Intel and Foreign policy.

At the least, I'm betting that unlike the Neocons in the Bush/Cheney Administration maintaining an open and revolving door policy for the Israel First crowd, these civil servants will find ways to turn a deaf ear to their braying hysteria.

So to the Israel First crowd, make the most of Chas Freeman's bloody scalp because it may be the last trophy you'll be able to worship.

[Mark Logan]

It may already be underway.

I "googled" the Admiral, and the Wiki link decided
to highlight the stuff about Timor, and it's from the middle of the Wiki page. Does this indicate recent editing? Has anyone
checked out his Wiki page before and can tell if anything was recently changed?

[Clifford Kiracofe]

Harper, All,

I suggested on another thread a method of hammering the ZLobby by increased counterintelligence pressure, legal action in AIPAC spy case, a new NIE on Israel with counterintelligence issues included and etc.

It has been interesting to see the Zionist Washington Post editorialize in recent days: 1) against Chas Freeman, and 2) for dropping the Justice Department AIPAC Spy Case.

The Washington Post was purchased back in 1932 by Eugene Meyer, a Wall Street financier type whose family was linked with the "cosmopolitan" Lazard banking interests. In the 1920s, 30s and 40s, the French Lazard bank supported Fascism as did the British branch. Katherine Graham was Meyer's daughter.

Evidently, the Zionist Lobby is terrified about the possibility of the institutional machinery (intelligence community, law enforcement community, etc.) of the US government being used to defend our Republic from international Zionist penetration, manipulation, and subversion.

Of course, defending our Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic is precisely the oath some of us in Federal service have taken. Personally, I don't see myself released from that oath until death (or maybe later).

Knowing the possibility for an increased institutional reponse to international Zionism's subversion of our foreign policy and defense policy process, the Lobby has moved sharply to forestall this by its campaign against Ambassador Freeman.

Because the Zionist Lobby is so entrenched in the US, the ONLY method for an authentically patriotic President who seeks some independence from it for national security sake is to hammer it through Federal counterintelligence and law enforcement operations.

As I have often said at SST, Ike was the last president to challenge the Zionist Lobby. Truman, and Ike's successors, fell into line. We shall see about the current President and I wish him well. He should have held on to Amb. Freeman, however.

The Freeman case is useful, however, pedagogically as now the world has yet another quintessential example before it of the reign of international Zionism and its agents and assets in the US.

[Jesse]

I just wanted to state my support of William deB. Mills point. Although I hear varying reports on the opinion of the Israel public, I am certain a broader discussion could only improve the current state of affairs, and it would be difficult for any "Israel first" lobby to justifiably suppress.

[fanto]

Jose,
the main news media mentioned Freeman briefly, yesterday on NPR (3 or so minutes on "all things considered"), today on CNN with Wolf Blitzer, again brief mention, with showing Joe Lieberman talking about Freeman's China link... Otherwise, only silence.
But the blogs - even DailyKos has a huge discussion in one of their 'side branches'

[fasteddiez]

Harper and Mad Dogs:

The FBI's CI folks are the ones responsible to make "a thousand Cohens and retired Katsas" bloom. It is their mission, if they chose to accept it.

What is painstakingly problematic, though, is the fact that they follow the orders of the Attorney General, who takes his orders from Mr. Emmanuel, who takes his orders from........; oh, never mind.

[Homer]

PL: "The vicious clique that deprived us all of the chance to have Charles Freeman as chairman of the NIC had as its principal goal the ability to control the content of US national intelligence estimates of concern to Israel."

Fully d'accord PL.

Perhaps we may agree that the mantra of the Israel First Crowd is `Onward Christian Soldiers!!'

Hope those Christians in the Red States, i.e. those who are unknowing victims of low information, will soon realize they are nothing more than canon fodder for Israel First Crowd.

Enough is enough.