Michael Oren was US born and educated in the "best" American schools that raw talent could reach and money could buy. He emigrated to Israel where he bacame a career IDF intelligence officer specializing in analysis of the United States. He is an apologist for the repeated and unproked Iraeli air force and navy attacks on the USS Liberty, a naval vessel engaged in collecting Egyptian military signals off the Sinai coast during the 1967 war. He served as Israeli ambassador to the United States. I was told by a senior CNN figure that Oren gave up his US citizenship before taking up his post as ambassador. That means that he had been a dual national while serving as an IDF intelligence officer.
Yesterday CNN announced Oren on the air by describing him as "CNN's Middle East Analyst."
Does CNN have a balancing Middle East Analyst or is Oren, an obvious Israeli agent, the whole story?
Can CNN still be considered an Americn news source? pl
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Oren
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octavia_Nasr
Colonel
Oren is not a US citizen anymore. He had to renounce his US citizenship when he represented Israel as its Ambassador in DC ( same thing for the current Israeli Ambassador to the US). So we have an Israeli as the propagandist of Bibi at CNN. The octopus is spreading its ...
Posted by: The beaver | 01 July 2014 at 08:42 AM
Of course CNN and most of the MSM obviously have no particular loyalty to the quaint idea of "the United States of America" as a stand alone nation state.
The management and talking heads in MSM see themselves as the very enlightened progressive citizens of the world, leading all of us ignorant Americans away from the silly destructive love of our country. In this regard Oren fits in beautifully,he abandoned his US citizenship.
However,the reality is, these people are just the "useful prole fools" of whoever now really owns and controls the majority of the MSM.
There is no way for us to discern,where the true ownership and editorial control of MSM now resides. I can tell you in my opinion, whoever controls MSM doesn't particularly want the news organizations for profit.
Posted by: Highlander | 01 July 2014 at 09:51 AM
Reminds me of a European friend of mine who is against Islam - quite clearly - but considered himself a "Citizen of the World" and an Enlightened anti-religious person.
5 weeks ago...
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 01 July 2014 at 10:13 AM
Highlander,
I propose that it is all about the money first, last and in between. The nation is a useful marketing device to that end with good brand identification and a lot of faithful followers. Rupert Murdoch, anyone?
Any other impulses derive from deeper levels of narcissism.
I think that the contempt the nomenklatura has for the populace is more akin to the contempt a grifter has for the mark. They don't give a crap about the Enlightment and Progressive values. Hell, they don't know enough history for that. But they do understand a good grift and grabbing the main chance in the moment, damned the consequences.
Look up the nine defining characteristics of a sociopath.
You will see that they fit many of our political, media and business leaders. Neocon politicos and neoliberal economists at the head of the class.
Posted by: John | 01 July 2014 at 10:55 AM
When Oren (nee Micheal Bornstein) was serving as Israeli ambassador the U.S. I heard him give a presentation on the attack on the LIBERTY. To call him an apologist for the unprovoked and repeated attacks on that ship is an understatement. A real piece of work.
Posted by: oofda | 01 July 2014 at 10:59 AM
Well, if you listen to some people on certain TV channels (and also many members of Congress) it sounds like we are the client state and Israel the patron. And it's been that for many years now.
Posted by: shege | 01 July 2014 at 12:08 PM
John,
I agree,95% of the time it is always about the money.
But in this instance,we are talking about the biggest of big money games, and that kind of money is not in ownership of the MSM. MSM only now serves as a means to an end.
The oligarchs run wild.
Posted by: Highlander | 01 July 2014 at 12:15 PM
Years ago Oren was on G. Gordon Libby's radio show promoting his book on the Six Day War. He was a shameless liar about the USS Liberty. Liddy was even worse. He quickly agreed with Oren that it was all a misunderstanding and a canard to say the Israelis deliberately attacked the ship.
The only reasons to listen to this professional liar is to study his technique and to see what sort of party line the Israelis are pushing.
Posted by: Ryan | 01 July 2014 at 12:41 PM
Isn't that the damn truth?
This is the first time in history that a great power has been dominated by a minor power.
Posted by: Ryan | 01 July 2014 at 12:42 PM
Ryan,
If true, why exactly do you think this is possible?
Posted by: Highlander | 01 July 2014 at 01:01 PM
When Muslim students at UCI in socal. protested Orens presentation on the campus they were arrested and charged with disrupting his speech.
Posted by: Gordo | 01 July 2014 at 01:04 PM
I always enjoy when Charlie Rose has just Israelis, Oren, or other jewish American reporters at a round-table talking about anything to do with ME affairs.
I'd bet you'd get more diversity of opinion at a cafe in Borough Park.
Posted by: openminded | 01 July 2014 at 02:06 PM
And when you start unraveling the yarn who does it turn out run the media?
Posted by: Tyler | 01 July 2014 at 03:13 PM
Ryan
We just have to get the list of all the Congress people who make their annual pilgrimage to Israel every summer (oops Cantor is gone and I wonder who is in cahrge for his party now), all expenses paid. I believe that the Israelis must have some nice pics that can be used later on.
Posted by: The beaver | 01 July 2014 at 03:16 PM
"That means that he had been a dual national while serving as an IDF intelligence officer."
Colonel,
This is the reason that, as an ordinary non-US citizen, I am surprised that we have these kind of people so close to the administration, either working at the WH or Foggy Bottom or across the Potomac.
Posted by: The beaver | 01 July 2014 at 03:19 PM
Folks relax, nobody watches CNN anymore...lol
Posted by: Jose | 01 July 2014 at 03:23 PM
Because America is dominated by a Judeo-Plutocratic elite. Here's two examples for you, Highlander. Sheldon Adelson and Newt Gingrich. You can see a combination of political power and finance.
They are aided by a large number of brain dead dispensationalists.
Everyone else is either indifferent of ignorant of the facts.
Posted by: Ryan | 01 July 2014 at 04:35 PM
Beaver,
I have posted lists of these congresscritters who go to Israel on other bulletin boards. This usually caused a number of people to get upset.
What I really like are these groups of "christian"Zionists who go to Israel with people like Mike Huckabee and Michael Medved. When they come back all they can do is ooh and ahh over Israel. I believe when they first arrive the first order of business is to get all of them a lobotomy.
Posted by: Ryan | 01 July 2014 at 04:38 PM
The same people who say this is a "canard", as that slob Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith likes to put it. BTW, "canard" is his favorite word, I believe.
Of course to say this or worse, write it makes one an "antisemite", the truth be damned.
Posted by: Ryan | 01 July 2014 at 04:43 PM
The best narrative money could buy. This man does not do unorthodoxy. He always delivers a clean clear message.
I'm proud to be an American at least i know i'm free.
Posted by: samuelburke | 01 July 2014 at 04:52 PM
Jose: CNN may be the worst, but the BBC is trying catch up. The Beeb had a report last night that 5 Palestinians had died during "rioting" in the West Bank. The IDF invaded and the BBC called it "rioting." If only the Palestinians could rebrand themselves as Ukrainians, then they could throw Molotov cocktails and the BBC would call that "peaceful protests."
Posted by: Matthew | 01 July 2014 at 06:15 PM
With Israel's narrative under challenge, expect a lot more attempts at "re-education" of ordinary Americans. The tone of the hasbara is becoming more aggressive and desperate.
Posted by: Matthew | 01 July 2014 at 06:26 PM
Beaver
I heard that the situation in the US Congress is so that some people there feel the need to explain they are "a United States Senator, not an Israeli Senator."
http://youtu.be/02E7JWqAFhw
I'ld suggest you do a list of those Congress people who don't do the bidding of the Israeli lobby. That'ld probably save you a lot of work.
Posted by: Bandolero | 01 July 2014 at 07:49 PM
Highlander, John - It is 5% about money and 95% about control of discourse, control of 'hearts and minds' - about the control of the whole society, to the benefit of the controllers (here is ultimately also financial benefit in play, but on much much bigger scale). That it is important for all revolts to get control of radio towers, and newspaper offices.
Posted by: fanto | 01 July 2014 at 07:50 PM
While I'm not a big fan of whatever nonsense was being spouted, I am a big fan of free speech. The students had every right to protest, but not disrupt.
Posted by: shege | 01 July 2014 at 08:05 PM