The biggest impact of this spy scandal -- AIPAC

[quaoar]

It's probably the most powerful, most successful lobby in Washington. Bush spoke to their policy conference in May.

And now they apparently stand accused of passing classified information to a foreign government.

Whoever the spy in Feith's office is will make the headlines, but the bodyslam to AIPAC will have profound effects on American foreign policy for years to come.

[newsguyatl]

1. they've put out a statement already

AIPAC STATEMENT --



Today, AIPAC learned that the government is investigating an employee of the Department of Defense for possible violations in handling confidential information. News stations tonight reported that the investigation centers around a supposed “mole” in the Department of Defense who allegedly disseminated internal White House policy deliberations on Iran to Israel through two AIPAC staff members.

Any allegation of criminal conduct by AIPAC or our employees is false and baseless. Neither AIPAC nor any of its employees has violated any laws or rules, nor has AIPAC or its employees ever received information they believed was secret or classified.

AIPAC is cooperating fully with the governmental authorities. It has provided documents and information to the government and has made staff available for interviews. We will continue to offer our full cooperation and are confident that the government will find absolutely no wrongdoing by our organization and its employees.

AIPAC is an American organization comprised of proud and loyal U.S. citizens committed to promoting American interests. We take our responsibilities as American citizens seriously. We do not condone or tolerate any violation of U.S. law or interests, and we have and will continue to follow the law in all its facets.

As American citizens concerned about the enduring strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship, AIPAC has and will continue to have discussions with policymakers at all levels of government. The right to petition our government is one of the fundamental rights of American citizens, which AIPAC members proudly exercise every day.

We will not let any innuendo or false allegation against AIPAC distract us from our central mission—supporting America’s interests in the Middle East and advocating for a strong relationship with Israel.

###

[David Dunham]

2. This spy story will definitely hurt Bush too.

[iconoclastic cat]

8. Everyone keeps saying that, but I don't see how it will hurt him.

Besides making him look clueless, which is very old news.

[physioex]

3. I have this strange feeling...

That Wolfie and AIPAC might have also been working togethor in a indirect sense. He might have know about it on a certain level but he wouldn't take action against the spy.....

[Carni]

4. I am not up on this but check out this link

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/us_ints/nc-christisons1.html

The guy that wrote this for counterpunch is suuposedly a retired CIA analyst and he raises the question of espionage in 2002.

Like I said this isn't my forte' but check this out because it does indeed look like there is no way the bush admin will skirt this issue.

[physioex]

6. I agree with the author....

I also had my suspisons...

[hedda_foil]

5. Oh Lord, I hope it does them in!

As a Jewish American, the fact that AIPAC represents itself as representing the Jewish vote totally appals me. They represent the Liebermaniacs and Likudniks. 80% or more of American Jews are very liberal and are not at all represented by AIPAC.

[whalerider55]

7. there's an old yiddish saying...

a goat has a beard, but that doesn't make it a rabbi.

with you, hedda.

whalerider55
(Bar Mitvah, 1968)

[Classical_Liberal]

10. Exactly n/t

.

[dennis4868]

16. MY DAD....

is a likudnic and he hates AIPAC.....should find out why....

[Junkdrawer]

9. Somewhere, Cynthia McKinney is smiling tonight....

;)

[oasis]

15. AIPAC had a hand in unseating a couple more congresspersons

in the 2002 elections.

[Gyre]

18. AIPAC took out Pete McCloskey

a decorated Marine Korean combat veteran who was a well-respected repube House congressman. All, for being critical of Israel. That was a LONG time ago. AIPAC's got it's hooks into every level of this government, but of course they won't admit a thing.

Gyre

[salib]

11. Why are we heading down this road

What exactly is "loyalty" in a democracy, and what is it we can ever be disloyal to?

[whalerider55]

12. loyalty?

holland-

please explain- i didn't see the word "loyalty" in any posts; maybe it was in a link but i missed it.

i think the issue for those of us americans of the hebrew persuasion has always been to make clear our support for the state of israel and our loathing of the genocidal policies of sharon and his associates. aipac has always presented themselves as representing the monolithic jewish community in america- when, as best i can tell, they represent the interests of the likudian israeli government. there is no monolithic jewish community in america. there are a range of practices, approaches, and ideas. there is another old yiddish saying- put two jews in a room and you get three opinions. and that's a spiritual truth.

can i be loyal to both?

but if you talk this way, you get accused of being a self-loathing jew.

i prefer to think of myself as a jewish american who thinks authoritarianism and genocide are incompatible with my spiritual creed and my love for the constitution.

i have long feared that the disporportionate influence of my brothers in the neo-con movement, and their linkage to sharon the contemptible would eventually lead to a resurgence of anit-semitism. time to test the theory, i think.



whalerider55

[quaoar]

13. This story is less than a day old

So who knows what the truth really is.

But if AIPAC is tarnished by this, it has repercussions not only on Bush and The GOP, but on the Democratic Party as well. AIPAC has influence over both parties, which is why it is so enormously influential.

[Julien Sorel]

14. You grossly underestimate AIPAC.

AIPAC itself is nothing more than a group of people who see themselves as the American arm of Israel's foreign policy. Such people will exist no matter what name is applied to them, their motives unchanged, and the dynamics that give them their power intact. And of course, they are not alone. There's the ADL, the AJC, the CPMJO -- it's a big bowl of alphabet soup of pro-Israel groups. In the highly unlikely event that this cripples AIPAC, one of these other groups would step up in its place, just as AIPAC itself took over prominence from the CPMJO.

But AIPAC will survive this, probably quite easily. Most Americans have never heard of AIPAC, and will be only too happy to forget about it should they hear the name in some evening news broadcast. The problem isn't AIPAC per se, but the powerful image Israel and some American Jews have worked hard to create of scrappy little Israel as victim, scrappy little Israel as a tiny little country surrounded by bloodthirsty, irrational Arabs. Until that changes AIPAC, or whatever group succeeds it, will be as powerful as ever.

[oasis]

17. What part of the $3 billion annually we send to Israel gets funneled

through AIPAC to our legislators? Will we ever know?