Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee discusses the Obama administration’s failures in dealing with the Christmas Day bomber.
Sen. Collins expresses her incredulity that the bomber was interrogated for only 50 minutes before getting his Miranda rights.
Sen. Collins says, “The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the War on Terrorism. . . . Theres no other way to explain the irresponsible, indeed dangerous, decision on Abdulmutallab’s interrogation. There’s no other way to explain the inconceivable treatment of him as if he were a common criminal. This charade must stop. Foreign terrorists are enemy combatants and they must be treated as such. The safety of the American people depends on it.”
Duration : 0:5:14
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While the U.S. military has long relied on private contractors, the outsourcing of key national security functions has increased dramatically in recent years. From intelligence gathering and logistical support to personal security services, training, and operational support tasks, the efforts of contractors are now integral to the success of America’s security and stabilization missions around the world. Since the beginning of the Iraq War, one dollar out of every five has been spent on private contractors and by most estimates, there are more private contractors in Iraq than uniformed military.
Yet, this increased dependence has not been matched by a commensurate effort in the Pentagon or Congress to regulate this growing virtual army of contractors. Indeed, there has been a virtual abdication of responsibilities when it comes to the management and oversight of military contracting. With a new Administration preparing to take the reins of power there is a unique opportunity to put in place a new strategy for determining the role these private actors will play in helping fight Americas wars.
The Privatization of Foreign Policy Initiative in New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program has produced a report, “Changing the Culture of Pentagon Contracting” that offers policymakers in Congress, the Executive branch and uniformed military concrete recommendations for dealing with the growing challenge of integrating contractors more effectively into U.S. national security operations. Join us on November 14th for the release of this report and a discussion about the role and responsibilities of private military contractors going forward.
Duration : 1:56:6
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Anthony Zinni is a decorated Vietnam War veteran and a four-star retired Marine general. In retirement, he has become one of the most vocal critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq war policies. [6/2007] [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 12822]
Duration : 0:58:5
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Connecting Israeli Zionist influence on America’s Foreign Policy the BBC investigative journalism show Panorama aired The War Party on May 18th, 2003 right after the start of the Iraq War.
Key members of the Bush administration and the powerful American Enterprise Institute were part of a Israeli think tank called The Institute for Advanced Strategic & Political Studies (IASPS):
http://www.israeleconomy.org/index.php
In a report done in 1996, before the formation of PNAC, which was called “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm” they listed Israeli goals and concerns:
REMOVING SADDAM HUSSIEN:
“Israel can shape its strategic environment, in cooperation with Turkey and Jordan, by weakening, containing, and even rolling back Syria. This effort can focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq — an important Israeli strategic objective in its own right”
MIDDLE EAST STABILITY:
“Iraq’s future could affect the strategic balance in the Middle East profoundly, it would be understandable that Israel has an interest in supporting the Hashemites in their efforts to redefine Iraq,”
CONTROL IRAQ, HELP ISRAEL:
“Were the Hashemites to control Iraq, they could use their influence over Najf to help Israel wean the south Lebanese Shia away from Hizballah, Iran, and Syria.”
MANAGE AND CONSTRAIN US REACTION:
“To anticipate U.S. reactions and plan ways to manage and constrain those reactions, Prime Minister Netanyahu can formulate the policies and stress themes he favors in language familiar to the Americans by tapping into themes of American administrations during the Cold War which apply well to Israel.”
Link to the full report:
http://www.iasps.org/strat1.htm
People interviewed or mentioned in this video that hold both USA and Israel citizenship and are Zionists:
Richard Perle
One of Bush’s foreign policy advisors, he is the chairman of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board. Perle was expelled from Senator Henry Jackson’s office in the 1970’s after the National Security Agency (NSA) caught him passing Highly-Classified (National Security) documents to the Israeli Embassy. He later worked for the Israeli weapons firm, Soltam. Perle came from one the above mentioned pro-Israel think tanks, the AEI. Perle is one of the leading pro-Israeli fanatics leading this Iraq war mongering within the administration and now in the media.
Paul Wolfowitz
Former Deputy Defense Secretary, and member of Perle’s Defense Policy Board, in the Pentagon. Wolfowitz is a close associate of Perle, and reportedly has close ties to the Israeli military. His sister lives in Israel. Wolfowitz came from the above mentioned Jewish think tank, JINSA. Wolfowitz was the number two leader within the administration behind this Iraq war mongering. He later was appointed head of the World Bank but resigned under pressure from World Bank members over a scandal involving his misuse of power.
David Frum
White House speechwriter behind the “Axis of Evil” label. He lumped together all the lies and accusations against Iraq for Bush to justify the war.
John Bolton
Former UN Representative and Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Bolton is also a Senior Advisor to President Bush. Prior to this position, Bolton was Senior Vice President of the above mentioned pro-Israel think tank, AEI. In October 2002 he accused Syria of having a nuclear program, so that they can attack Syria after Iraq.
Meyrav and David Wurmser
Special Assistant to John Bolton, the under-secretary for arms control and international security. Wurmser also worked at the AEI with Perle and Bolton. Along with Colonel Yigal Carmon, formerly of Israeli military intelligence, co-founded the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri),a Washington-based Israeli outfit which distributes articles translated from Arabic newspapers portraying Arabs in a bad light.
Eliot Cohen
Member of the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor. He wrote an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal openly admitting his hatred of Islam claiming that Islam should be the enemy, not terrorism.
Prominent American’s in the Bush administration not mentioned in the broadcast but who also hold both USA and Israeli citizenship and are Zionists:
Michael Mukasey
Michael Chertoff
Lawrence (Larry) Franklin
Douglas Feith
Henry Kissinger
I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby
Elliott Abrams
Richard Haass
Robert Zoellick
Ari Fleischer
BBC review of the book “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy” from 2007:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7104030.stm
Transcript of the BBC broadcast:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/programmes/panorama/transcripts/thewarparty.txt
Fight the good fight,
Erik aka erkd1
For the best up to date news go to:
http://dandelionsalad.wordpress.com
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog
Duration : 0:9:23
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Naive foreign policy is a very dangerous thing. Learn the lessons of history. Don’t just jump on a bandwagon. Know the facts first.
Duration : 0:0:31
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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=1967
Author and political scientist John J. Mearsheimer argues that neoconservative and pro-Israel lobby groups were both greatly influential to the U.S. decision to go to war in Iraq.
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John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt discuss “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.”
What is at the heart of the special relationship between the United States and the state of Israel? Does Israel truly represent a strategic U.S. asset in the Middle East? Are the two nations really partners in the same “War on Terror”, with the same threats up against them, and the same interests at stake?
Professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt had become well-known authorities in our understanding of contemporary international relations theory, security, and policy long before their collaboration on The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. Atlantic Monthly approached the pair in the fall of 2002 to research the depth of influence of the pro-Israel lobby on U.S. policy. By the time they returned with the results of their research, the magazine’s editor had decided not to go ahead with the piece, and was not even interested in a revision. At the prompting of an American academic peer, they decided to submit the article to the London Review of Books where it was finally published in March of 2006.
Mearsheimer and Walt argue that if there ever truly were significant strategic (i.e. balance of power considerations during the Cold War) and/or moral (i.e. common Judeo-Christian and democratic values) grounds to justify the unique level of American support afforded the Jewish state, they have long been exhausted. Has this unwavering support made Israel a liability in U.S. foreign policy? And, does this special relationship threaten, rather than enhance, American security in the Middle East, in the world, and at home? – World Affairs Council of Oregon
John J. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and the co-director of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1982.
Duration : 0:6:24
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The Churchillian qualities of our former Vice President were much in evidence last Wednesday night when he received the Center for Security Policys Keeper of the Flame award. Despite his characteristic soft-spoken delivery, Mr. Cheney rendered a withering indictment of the Obama administrations security policies. http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/p18213.xml
Duration : 0:7:59
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Last Friday, Iranian military forces seized 15 British sailors and marines in the Persian Gulf. Some believe this is an act of aggression by Iran and should be met with a commensurate military response.
I do not.
I believe it shows that the Bush Administration’s current policy with Iran is not working. For sake of stability in the Middle East, it’s time for direct diplomacy with Iran — now more than ever.
Today, we’re launching our third video blog for StopIranWar.com. I’m joined by Iraq war veteran Jon Soltz of VoteVets.org and Clark Community blogger Reg to discuss how President Bush’s get tough policy with Iran is undermining the security of our most reliable ally in the region, Israel.
Watch today’s video blog to understand why George Bush’s policy of confronting Iran hurts the Israelis, our strongest allies in this volatile region.
Duration : 0:4:32
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Andrew J. Bacevich is a West Point graduate, Vietnam veteran and professor of International Relations and History at Boston University. A self described “Catholic conservative” his recent writings have been critical of the Bush administrations foreign policy, particularly the Iraq War. Series: Humanitas [9/2008] [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 14212]
Duration : 1:28:1
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