Chas Freeman

Firestorm As Freeman "Withdrawal" Explodes in MSM

Until today the story of the "pro-Israel" right's efforts (ultimately successful) to keep a critic of Israel's policies out of the National Intelligence Council has been confined to the blogosphere. As is usually the case with this subject, the so-called MSM is afraid to touch this issue with a ten foot pole. Of course, that is what the whole Freeman case was about. Worse than that, it is about the fact that the President is prevented from appointing a distinguished public servant to an intelligence post because he is critical of Israeli policies.

Freeman Opponents Pyrrhic Victory

The campaign to defeat Chas Freeman's appointment as chair of the National Intelligence Council succeeded. He withdrew his name yesterday.

But it may come at a cost. The perception, almost universally held, that he was brought down because he is a strong and vocal opponent of Israel's West Bank and settlement policies is, not good for the Jewish community and the pro-Israel community in particular.

What’s Being Talked About?

In Salon, Glenn Greenwald has an interesting piece dissecting the anti-Semitism and anti-Israel discussion. And, Jeffrey Goldberg responds

Ben Smith over at Politico discusses the possibility of Chas Freeman, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, becoming the head of the National Intelligence Council

At The Plank, Michael Crowley talks about the future role of Dennis Ross in the Obama administration