Commentary: While most of the U.S. celebrated the release of the remaining two U.S. hikers imprisoned in Iran after they illegally entered the country, American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin was perturbed. After quoting a book by Matthew [...]]]>
Commentary: While most of the U.S. celebrated the release of the remaining two U.S. hikers imprisoned in Iran after they illegally entered the country, American Enterprise Institute scholar Michael Rubin was perturbed. After quoting a book by Matthew Levitt about Hamas in 2006, Rubin suggests the 1 million that secured Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal’s freedom will be used to fund terrorism. While offering no evidence about how the Iranian judiciary will make use of the bail money, Rubin claims the hikers’ release will lead to the death of innocents:
Rubin also suggests it’s unlikely that the hikers entered Iran accidentally as they claimed they did.
Pajama’s Media: The Foundation for Defense of Democracies Michael Ledeen vehemently criticizes the Obama administration for refusing to address “reality” as he sees it.
Ledeen calls Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan a “totally unsuitable partner” after quoting Barry Rubin’s gross mischaracterization of the Israeli attack against the Turkish Gaza-bound aid flotilla which resulted in the death of 9 passengers (1 of whom was a U.S. citizen) and Erdogan’s attempts to build diplomatic channels with regional Mideast players. He criticizes Obama’s refusal to force the Syrian president from power and uses NATO’s intervention in Libya as justification for something that he has been arguing for years: U.S. covert or open support for Iranian groups which want regime change. (As a side note, Ledeen and some other neoconservatives have argued against supporting the Mujahideen-e-khalq (MEK) which speaks volumes about the nature of that organization and those who support it.)
Despite U.S. refusal to speak directly to the Islamic Republic and rounds of sanctions which have strangled its economy, Ledeen claims the U.S. treats its most “dangerous enemies” (i.e. Iran) as “potential allies who have temporarily gone astray.” Ledeen continues to lament the fact that the U.S. has not called for “regime change” in Iran.
True to his neoconservative ideology which favors military force over diplomacy with enemies, Ledeen claims the U.S. shouldn’t resist war with Iran because it’s “already under way, and it’s no accident.” He argues against the proposed direct line to Iran to prevent accidental military conflict because it “offers them a golden opportunity to deceive us.”
Considering Ledeen’s constant alarmist claims about the Iranian government, nothing seems to scare him more than direct communication between the U.S. and Iran. That’s why it’s so important for those who don’t favor war.
Arms Control Association: At an Arm Control Association (ACA) press conference Mark Fitzpatrick, Admiral Joe Sestak and Greg Thielmann argued that there is still time for diplomacy with Iran because an Iranian nuclear power arsenal is “neither imminent nor inevitable.”
Mark Fitzpatrick, Director of the Nonproliferation and Disarmament Program at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London says sanctions against Iran have an aim which is not being executed properly:
Fitzpatrick adds:
ACA senior fellow Greg Thielmann argued for direct negotiation with Iran without preconditions because any other approach is “counterproductive:”
The panelists continued discussion at the highest levels of the U.S. military emphasizing that military conflict with Iran is the least favorable outcome because of the massive blowback it would result in. According to former three star admiral Sestak:
Christian Science Monitor: Ralph Langner who discovered the Stuxnet virus which made headlines after it affected several Iranian organizations says the creators have opened a Pandora’s box of cyber warfare:
A new poll commissioned by J Street—an organization which identifies as “for pro-Israel, pro peace Americans”—showed that Jews continued to vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates by a 66 to 31 percent margin. In a list of issues, Iran ranked as least important. Israel was identified as the most important issue by only seven-percent of respondents. Issues such as the economy, health care and government spending polled as the most important issues for Jewish voters. Thus Israel related issues remained a relatively low priority for Jewish Americans who, as illustrated in the poll, decided whom to vote for based on issues that closely mirror the entire electorate.
The poll (PDF) reads (my emphasis):
Below is a list of issues facing our country today. Please mark which TWO of these issues are the most important for you in deciding your vote for Congress in November.
Total
The economy ……………………………………………………………………… 62
Health care…………………………………………………………………………. 31
The deficit and government spending ……………………………………. 18
Social Security and Medicare ……………………………………………….. 16
Taxes…………………………………………………………………………………. 14
Terrorism and national security…………………………………………….. 13
Education…………………………………………………………………………… 12
Israel ………………………………………………………………………………….. 7
The environment………………………………………………………………….. 7
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan…………………………………………… 6
Illegal immigration ………………………………………………………………. 6
Energy………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Iran…………………………………………………………………………………….. 0
Separation between religion and state ………………………………………-
(Other) ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2
(None of these) ……………………………………………………………………. 1
(Don’t know/refused) ……………………………………………………………. 0
In the hotly contested Pennsylvania Congressional race which pitted J Street backed Democratic candidate Joe Sestak against the ECI backed Republican candidate Pat Toomey, the results closely mirrored the national poll.
The Pennsylvania poll (PDF) asked a similar question (my emphasis again).
Now, I am going to read you a list of issues facing our country today. Please tell me which TWO of these issues were the most important for you in deciding your vote in the Senate race between Joe Sestak and Pat Toomey.
Total
The economy ……………………………………………………………………… 53
Health care…………………………………………………………………………. 35
Education…………………………………………………………………………… 15
Social Security and Medicare ……………………………………………….. 15
The deficit and government spending ……………………………………. 14
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan………………………………………….. 11
Taxes………………………………………………………………………………….. 9
Israel ………………………………………………………………………………….. 8
The environment………………………………………………………………….. 7
Terrorism and national security……………………………………………… 7
Illegal immigration ………………………………………………………………. 2
Iran…………………………………………………………………………………….. 1
(Other) ……………………………………………………………………………….. 5
(None of these) ……………………………………………………………………. 2
(Don’t know/refused) ……………………………………………………………. 4
If the ECI’s attack ads against Sestak had any impact, it’s very difficult to tell from the polling data. Instead, it looks like Jews, both nationally and in Pennsylvania, voted on the same issues that face all Americans. These were the issues that dominated the midterm elections last night. Despite the best efforts of the ECI to make the unconditional support of Israel and confronting Iran’s nuclear program an issue for Jewish voters, their efforts have met with remarkably little success.
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