Obama's intelligence pick linked to Saudi Arabia

[Terri]

Washington Times

The Obama administration on Thursday named as chairman of the National Intelligence Council a veteran former diplomat who heads a think tank that has received major financing from Saudi Arabia.

The appointment of Chas W. Freeman Jr. - who served as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War and has major expertise regarding China - brought praise from some quarters but criticism from elements of the pro-Israel community and from congressional Republicans.

Since 1997, Mr. Freeman has been president of the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC), a Washington think tank. In 2007, he accepted a $1 million donation from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud that, according to a press release at the time, was meant for "future projects" for the council.

More (http://www.washingtontimes. com/news/2009/feb/27/obamas-intelligence-pick-linked-to-saudi-arabia/)

[Terri]

Had They Known

Jennifer Rubin
Contentions

Had the public (and specifically Jewish voters, who voted overwhelmingly for Barack Obama) known that Obama would appoint the Saudi-funded, Israel-bashing, analytically-disabled Chas Freeman to a key national security position, I wonder if he would have cleared the bar of acceptability for commander-in-chief. But the appointment has indeed occurred. (And would human rights activists have thought twice about electing a president who picked some who declared that the Chinese’s biggest mistake with regard to the Tienanmen Square massacre was “the failure to intervene on a timely basis to nip the demonstrations in the bud”?)

And as for those friends of Israel on the left who looked Obama in the eye and got a sense of his soul, do they join in on Marty Pertez’s mea culpa? Well, it does appear that Obama appointed someone ”who is quintessentially an insult to the patriotism of some [sic] many of his supporters.” Moreover, we have placed someone in a key national security role whose analysis was purchased by the House of Saud and whose contribution to Middle East discourse includes such gems as: “For its part, Israel no longer even pretends to seek peace with the Palestinians; it strives instead to pacify them. Palestinian retaliation against this policy is as likely to be directed against Israel’s American backers as against Israel itself.” (Remarks to the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, May 24, 2007)

More (http://www.commentarymagazi ne.com/blogs/index.php/rubin/56621)

We have too many voters who are unable to weigh 2+2 and get 4.

[beckyal]

Why not? Obama will not admit has much funding he received from foreign governments. America is up for the picking by any and everyone. clintons' have received funding from whom. Appointees don't pay taxes until named. On and on

[utexas]

$1 million donation from Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud that, according to a press release at the time, was meant for "future projects" for the council.
Sounds like a down payment to me.

Of course this pick, too, just continues Obama’s perfecta in picking exactly the wrong man for the job, as well as the most tainted with controversial baggage. At least it is controversial to conservatives if not the Left and the media.

It has baffled me for years why Jews continue to unfailingly vote Democratic when Democrats are the best friends the Arabs, Muslims, and Palestinians have in the US, and Republicans are the ones who strongly and consistently defend and stand up for Israel.