They're coming out of the woodwork: Russert, Buchanan and Moran

Jewish World Review ^ | March 13, 2003 | Tony Blankley

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

[wideawake]

I don't think Russert's question was out of bounds - Israel is an important player in this drama and it is as important to be informed about Israel's role as it is to be about, say, Turkey's.

Moran was deliberately playing to conspiracy theorists while Russert was speaking from the vantage of cynical Realpolitik.

Rather than searching for anti-Semitism under every rock, people should focus on clearly anti-Semitic incidents like Moran's little Nuremberg speech and the "Divest From Israel" campaign on campus.

[Peach]

It seems many have forgotten the debt owed to Jewish society by nearly permitting their near extinction. Many Europeans have also forgotten we have over 200,000 dead buried in their countries, all while trying to save them from a menace that was sweeping the world. Memories are short, it seems, even within one's lifetime.

[clockwork]

the debt owed to Jewish society by nearly permitting their near extinction

My father and a number of uncles spent four years of their lives during WW II fighting the Germans and Japanese. One lost his life. My family's "debt" is paid in full. And my family didn't own slaves so we won't be paying any reparations to blacks either.

[Brian Allen]

A big, "Amen Corner," bump.

[And/or: "go pat go," far -- and soon!]

[MEG33]

Hear hear!

[FRgal4u]

gee, are the Neo-Cons a bit too defensive here...I always question the role of Israel behind the scenes...people have to right to ask what drives the idealogies of Perle, Wolfowitz and a bunch of neocons..there is nothing wrong for Russart to grill Perle why he thinks the Oslo accord sucks...I want Americans fight for american issues, not for some hidden interests for some grps in a land far away...afterall, Israel is asking for a 10-15 billion dollar aid pkg - isn't that a bit too much to ask? As long as the Sharonites wont settle a peace plan with the Palestinains, there will be no peace in that region, and I fear America blood will shed for this nonsense there...period.

[Catspaw]

It's most trendy, most fashionable, among the intelligentsia to have faint whiffs of anti-semitism perfuming the air.

[Brian Allen]

<< It seems many have forgotten the debt owed to Jewish society by nearly permitting their near extinction. >>

That is rubbish.

There is no American debt on that score.

Scores of millions of Americans and Australians and New Zealanders and Tanganikans, British, Canadians, Kenyans, South Africans, Indians, Malayans, Papua New Guineans, Rhodesians and other of Our Allies perished and/or otherwise suffered in defeating Hitler's death-and-destruction worshipping, islamofascist-like-false-fuerher-following Germans -- and their axis henchmen -- including several members of my family and I would venture of thousands of other FR-members' families!

[7thson]

If the U.N has come to the end of its utility, so be it. But there must be another iteration of the grand old dream.

How about the Federation of Planets? 8-)

[robertpaulsen]

75% of the Tutsi were killed by the Hutu in the late 90's. Does America owe a debt to the Tutsi for "nearly permitting their near extinction"?

Where does it stop?

[SJackson]

The full excerpt. Perle clearly was more upset with the accusation that the war was for oil.

==================================================

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe the president of the United States would risk the lives of American men and women for oil?

REP. KUCINICH: I think that to answer that question would be to put a focus on a person, and I think the policy is what we have to talk about, that this policy to go against Iraq was promulgated even before 9/11, and the day after 9/11, the secretary of Defense in a meeting of the National Security Council said we could use this moment to go after Iraq, even though there was no connection. I think that when a president commits the young men and women of this country to battle, that it should only be when there is an imminent threat to this country, and that—I believe most sincerely that one of the motivating factors involved in this effort to strike against Iraq is the desire on the part of some to be able to control the oil interests in Iraq. I believe that.

MR. RUSSERT: Mr. Perle, there’s been discussion about the role of Israel and the formulation of American foreign policy regarding Iraq. Let me show you an article from The Washington Times, written by Arnold DeBorograf: “The strategic objective is the antithesis of Middle Eastern stability. The destabilization of ‘despotic regimes’ comes next. In the Arab bowling alley, one ball aimed at Saddam is designed to achieve a 10-strike that would discombobulate authoritarian and/or despotic regimes in Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Emirates and sheikhdoms. The ultimate phase would see Israel surrounded by democratic regimes that would provide 5 million Israelis—soon to be surrounded by 300 million Arabs—with peace and security for at least a generation. ...The roots of the overall strategy can be traced to a paper published in 1996 by the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies, an Israeli think tank. the document was titled ‘A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Security the Realm.’ ...Israel, according to the 1996 paper, would ‘shape its strategic environment,’ beginning with the removal of Saddam Hussein... ...Prominent American opinion-makers who are now senior members of the Bush administration participated in the discussions and the drafting that led to this 1996 blueprint.”

Can you assure American viewers across our country that we’re in this situation against Saddam Hussein and his removal for American security interests? And what would be the link in terms of Israel?

MR. PERLE: Well, first of all, the answer is absolutely yes. Those of us who believe that we should take this action if Saddam doesn’t disarm—and I doubt that he’s going to—believe it’s in the best interests of the United States. I don’t see what would be wrong with surrounding Israel with democracies; indeed, if the whole world were democratic, we’d live in a much safer international security system because democracies do not wage aggressive wars.

But please allow me to say: I find the accusation that this administration has embarked upon this policy for oil to be an outrageous, scurrilous charge for which, when you asked for the evidence, you will note there was none. There was simply the suggestion that, because there is oil in the ground and some administration officials have had connections with the oil industry in the past, therefore, it is the policy of the United States to take control of Iraqi oil. It is a lie, Congressman. It is an out and out lie. And I’m sorry to see you give credence to it.

[Peach]

You misunderstand my remarks - "many owe a debt" did not say many Americans! I mentioned how many Americans died on European soil to settle a matter that wasn't handled in a timely manner by Europeans who indeed waited until it was nearly too late.

[Peach]

You have misunderstood my remarks. I don't say any Americans owed a debt and obvously did not read where I stated that hundreds of thousands of our soldiers are buried in Europe by handling a problem the Europeans couldn't handle themselves. Please go back and re-read what I posted and if it wasn't clear, it should be now.

[MEG33]

I do support Israel. We do not go to war because of Israel.

[thoughtomator]

The role of Israel is to be the plug that keeps the genie of Arab radicalism in the Middle East bottle.

[Peach]

Nowhere does it say in my remarks that Americans owe a debt. Sheesh - I've never had a post so misunderstood; perhaps I shouldn't post a word before that second cup of tea. I was trying to imply that Europeans owe a debt - to us, to their Jewish citizenry - for not handling a matter that could have and should have been handled in the 30's. The Neville Chamberlains of their time permitted the near extinction of the entire Jewish population in Europe and we (Americans) saved both Europe and the Jewish people from extinction. The debt owed is to US.

[Catspaw]

Interesting that you'd use the same canard as the ultra lefties like Jim Moran.

[KC_for_Freedom]

There is no American debt on that score.

The only debt, if there is one is for those who knew what was going on and delayed freeing those camps. I don't believe America was delaying for any reason other than logistical. This business of blaming someone for the rise of Islam is the real concern. Islam is on the rise because it does from time to time. They hate us because we stand for something different than them. They are not tollerant, period. It has nothing to do with them hating Israel, which they do, because Israel is only drawing their fire because it is closer. We are next. Stop questioning the loyalty of our friends, watch the UN vote to see who our friends are, and get on with it. It will be a different world, but fanatical Islam will quiet down once they are crushed.