Charles Freeman withdraws his name because "the tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency"

juan cole posts charles freeman's entire withdrawal statement here...

a few of the more pungent passages...

I agreed to chair the NIC [National Intelligence Council] to strengthen it and protect it against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political campaign.

[...]

It is apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends.

[...]

The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors.

There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel.

[...]

I regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a foreign government.

unless and until the united states summons the political will and collective huevos to shake off the choke hold israel has on its foreign policy, there is precious little hope for mideast peace... it is truly shameful what we have allowed to be carried out with the help of our seemingly bottomless well of money and political support... the recent carnage in gaza is as much a litany of war crimes for the united states as it is for israel...

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