Posted on 08/29/2006 5:21:46 PM PDT by Sabramerican
US scholars: Israel planned Lebanon war in advance
The two US scholars, who stirred controversy several months ago after claiming that US foreign policy is skewed in favor of Israel due to the work of the pro-Israeli lobby, are now accusing the lobby of leading the administration, Congress and public opinion to support Israel's actions in Lebanon against America's best interests.
Profs. Stephan Walt and John Mearsheimer also claim that Israel had planned the war in Lebanon in advanced and used the kidnapping of its soldiers as a pretext to launch the operation.
At an event here sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Mearsheimer, of the University of Chicago, said the "Bush administration policy in Lebanon was not in the best interest of the US" and that Israel did not benefit either from the "green light" it got from the US to continue the operation.
He further claimed that by backing Israel, the US has weakened its position in dealing with other regional challenges - terror, Iraq and Iran.
The original paper, published in the London Review of Books in March, opened a debate in the US over the role the pro-Israeli activists play in shaping the US foreign policy. The two scholars claimed that by putting pressure on lawmakers and by the work of pro-Israel individuals in the administration, academia and the media, the Israeli lobby managed to shift US foreign policy toward supporting Israel unconditionally in a way that contradicts American interests.
Walt and Mearsheimer were attacked by Jewish and non-Jewish activists, some blaming them of being anti-Zionist and even anti-Semitic and others arguing the paper was sloppy and full of factual errors.
In their public appearance in Washington Monday, a rare event in itself, the two found a supportive crowd and were even awarded by one of the activists with a pin carrying the slogan: "Fighting the Israel lobby."
Walt, of the Kennedy School at Harvard University, stressed that he is not blaming all Jews in high positions in the US of being "some kind of secret cabal" and said he does not claim the activities of Jewish Americans in favor of Israel are disloyal or inappropriate.
Yet when talking about the people who influenced the administration to launch the Iraq war, the two scholars mentioned Paul Wolfowitz, Doug Feith, Elliott Abrams and David Wurmser, all Jewish officials in the administration. Later they added John Bolton, who is not Jewish, to the list.
Mearsheimer claimed Israel had planned the Lebanon war in advance and that it used the Hizbullah attack as a pretext to launch its war plan. He went on to say that Israel informed the US of its plans months before the war broke out.
"It now seems clear that Israel has been planning to strike at Hizbullah for months before the July 12 kidnappings and that key Israelis had briefed the administration about their intentions," Mearsheimer said, "The available evidence indicates that the Bush administration enthusiastically endorsed Israel's plans for war in Lebanon."
David Siegel, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy, called Mearsheimer's claim an "outrageous argument," adding that "the only reason for the Lebanon war was the Hizbullah's attack on Israel."
The two scholars also contended that the Israeli lobby is responsible for muting any kind of criticism on Israel's actions during the war.
Mearsheimer said President George W. Bush stopped calling on Israel to refrain from undermining the Lebanese government following pressure from the pro-Israel lobby. He also ridiculed the actions of the Israel lobby in the case of Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who called for an immediate cease-fire and then retracted his criticism against Israel after coming under pressure of Jewish groups.
CAIR and anti Semite conspiracy loons- perfect together.
Too bad the politicians didn't listen to the generals.
Of course they planned it in advance. Just like we have plans to attack China, NoKo, and Iran. All competent militaries have pre-planned against thier enemies, especially ones right across the border.
Profs. Stephan Walt and John Mearsheimer also claim that Israel had planned the war in Lebanon in advanced and used the kidnapping of its soldiers as a pretext to launch the operation
Yes. And?
Isn't that what military planners do? Or do they stand around playing pocket pool until the balloon goes up? Something like that.
Academics still think you can plan a war in detail then wait for an excuse to launch it, they haven't
gotten around to reading Boyd yet, the Israelis have.
I hope that our intelligence folks are inside the CAIR organization. These are some radical Mooselimbs who some regard as a charitable organization. They funnel more cash to the Hezzies than we can count. They want to rule this nation. ANY means to prevent this must be utilized.
Yes, that is correct.
Here you go:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,203166,00.html
Scholars? I thought you had to talk out of your mouth, not out your a$$hole, to be called that.
Thanks
"Walt and Mearsheimer were attacked by Jewish and non-Jewish activists, some blaming them of being anti-Zionist and even anti-Semitic and others arguing the paper was sloppy and full of factual errors. "
Ahh... Democrats/
Did England have a war plan for Germany before Hitler invaded Poland? Yes. Did the U.S. have a war plan for Japan before Pearl Harbor? Yes. Are these two professors idiots? Yes.
There's just not enough worthwhile liberal causes for them to work on. These overschooled, undereducated, overpaid "scholars" are a joke.
You know where CAIR can go.
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