Congress demands probe into Freeman's Saudi ties
Nine US representatives (eight of them Republicans), including House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, are demanding that the inspector general of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence investigate Chas Freeman's financial ties to Saudi Arabia. Freeman, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was named head of the National Intelligence Council last week. Minority Leader John Boehner and party whip Eric Cantor, six other Republicans and one Democrat, Congresswomen Shelley Berkeley, wrote a letter questioning Freeman’s financial ties. President Obama has named him as the chairman of the National Intelligence Council (NIC).I wonder if Freeman has paid his taxes.
Freeman is a former American ambassador to Saudi Arabia and past president of the Middle East Policy Council, and Arab lobby formerly known as the American-Arab Affairs Council. Two years ago, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah donated $1 million to the Council, whose quarterly Middle East Policy journal routinely includes anti-Israel messages.
“Given his close ties to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we request a comprehensive review of Amb. Freeman's past and current commercial, financial and contractual ties to the Kingdom to ensure no conflict of interest exists in his new position," the Congressmen wrote in a letter to the inspector general for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
New York Democrat Steve Israel earlier this week also asked the Inspector General to check into Freeman connection with the Saudis.
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Democratic [Should be Republican. CiJ] Whip Cantor stated, “[Freeman’s] statements about the U.S.-Israel relationship raise serious concerns about his ability to support the Administration’s attempts to bring security, stability and peace to the Middle East. As director of the NIC, Freeman would be in charge of drafting the National Intelligence Estimate and evaluating the strategic outlook of our nation. This selection threatens to politicize the intelligence community. I urge President Obama to reconsider this decision."
The White House ignored the letter and did not directly relate to it when questioned by ABC News and instead talked in general terms about the new president’s commitment to Middle East peace.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, "I've not read those [reports]. I think anybody can look at what the president has said and what the president's views are, enumerating from the very beginning of this administration the desire to be engaged actively in the Middle East region to ensure a durable and lasting peace.”
Obama is apparently really out to get to Israel. Given the history of Black-Jewish relations since the late 1960's, no one should be surprised.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:58 PM
2 Comments:
Carl - you never know. This Administration is all talk and no action. It can't even get its nominees vetted for federal office. No one takes them seriously.
Hillary Clinton said the same things on Jerusalem that Condi The Clueless said.
Hopenchange, any one? Heh
It's not the condition of Black-Jewish relations that's the problem, it's The One's very deep connections to Islamofascist and extreme leftist anti-Jewish, anti-Israel groups and individuals. You can run off a very long list of these associations - from Rashid Khalidi to Bill Ayers to Rev Wright (connected to NOI and pro-Hamas) to Ali Abunimah (of the vicious Electric Intifada site).
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