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Octafish

(55,745 posts)
7. Marching to AIPAC's Tune
Mon Mar 16, 2015, 03:03 PM
Mar 2015
The Real Story Behind the Republicans’ Iran Letter

by GARETH PORTER
CounterPunch, Weekend March 13-15, 2015

The “open letter” from Senator Tom Cotton and 46 other Republican Senators to the leadership of Iran, which even Republicans themselves admit was aimed at encouraging Iranian opponents of the nuclear negotiations to argue that the United States cannot be counted on to keep the bargain, has created a new political firestorm. It has been harshly denounced by Democratic loyalists as “stunning” and “appalling”, and critics have accused the signers of the letter of being “treasonous” for allegedly violating a law forbidding citizens from negotiating with a foreign power.

SNIP...

AIPAC marching orders

The more serious problem with focusing on the Logan Act, however, is that what Cotton and his Republican colleagues were doing was not negotiating with a foreign government but trying to influence the outcome of negotiations in the interest of a foreign government. The premise of the Senate Republican reflected in the letter – that Iran must not be allowed to have any enrichment capacity whatever – did not appear spontaneously. The views that Cotton and the other Republicans have espoused on Iran were the product of assiduous lobbying by Israeli agents of influence using the inducement of promises of election funding and the threat of support for the members’ opponents in future elections.

Those members of Congress don’t arrive at their positions on issues related to Iran through discussion and debate among themselves. They are given their marching orders by AIPAC lobbyists, and time after time, they sign the letters and vote for legislation or resolution that they are given, as former AIPAC lobbyist MJ Rosenberg has recalled. This Israeli exercise of control over Congress on Iran and issues of concern to Israel resembles the Soviet direction of its satellite regimes and loyal Communist parties more than any democratic process, but with campaign contributions replacing the inducements that kept its bloc allies in line.

SNIP...

So the real story behind the letter from Cotton and his Republican colleagues is how the enforcers of Likudist policy on Iran used an ambitious young Republican politician to try to provoke a breakdown in the Iran nuclear negotiations. The issue it raises is a far more serious issue than the Logan Act, but thus far major news organisations have steered clear of that story.

SOURCE:

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/03/13/the-real-story-behind-the-republicans-iran-letter/

War on Iran seems to be a popular refrain in Washington, in the papers, and on the tee vee. Personally, I hate that noise.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

What are Jeff Bezo's politics, anyway? leveymg Mar 2015 #1
The guy once sounded liberal in the Princeton sense of ''Service''... Octafish Mar 2015 #2
So Bezo sets up a "right to happiness" strawman and knocks it down to justify his love of money? Fred Sanders Mar 2015 #6
How did he get dragged into this? KamaAina Mar 2015 #3
He's a Libertarian. Socially liberal, but Right on issues like war and economics. sabrina 1 Mar 2015 #9
I'd say, there's no real line between D and R on foreign policy, now, but where is Bezos on this? leveymg Mar 2015 #10
He also put big bucks into buying the WaPo... JHB Mar 2015 #18
Oh, right. I must have blocked that out. KamaAina Mar 2015 #23
Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran KamaAina Mar 2015 #4
Marching to AIPAC's Tune Octafish Mar 2015 #7
We should ask Colon Powell if he has any evidence that Iran has pipes that look like irregation rhett o rick Mar 2015 #12
Hey don't forget the radio control airplane Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2015 #28
Thanks, I did forget. nm rhett o rick Mar 2015 #32
Stop quoting Panama Johnnie! n/t RoccoR5955 Mar 2015 #13
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that these neocons have had Iran as their sabrina 1 Mar 2015 #5
War with Iran sounds crazy. War with Russia sounds like it would be suicidal. Octafish Mar 2015 #11
Muravchik has been blowing that horn for years now Electric Monk Mar 2015 #8
Thanks! The guy's a Fellow of the 'George W Bush Institute' Octafish Mar 2015 #16
So many painful memories - thanks, I think... erronis Mar 2015 #17
I wrote the comment in the last sentence. Archae Mar 2015 #29
Neocons = Fascist Nazis Enthusiast Mar 2015 #14
What the Reichsmarschall said also can apply to DU. Octafish Mar 2015 #20
I'm convinced. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #42
People like Leo Strauss and Paul Wolfowitz, who believe they are so clever and intelligent, are Dont call me Shirley Mar 2015 #43
Now, why exactly are we suppose to bomb Iran? KansDem Mar 2015 #15
Because it't the only Islamic country in the ME not under the boot of the US military n/t eridani Mar 2015 #19
Money. Logistics. Netanyahu. Octafish Mar 2015 #24
I am sick of this war nonsense. I am sick of these war makers. Their minds are poisoned with Dont call me Shirley Mar 2015 #21
They stand to make a killing off death and suffering. Octafish Mar 2015 #27
Awwww. Did daddy take your toys away? LiberalLovinLug Mar 2015 #22
The Pitfalls of Peace Octafish Mar 2015 #33
Huge K & R !!! - Thank You !!! WillyT Mar 2015 #25
War has been the rights objective for years liberal N proud Mar 2015 #26
Essential knowledge: look up "Project for a New American Century" aka PNAC Man from Pickens Mar 2015 #30
where is Richard Perle these days, I wonder? nt grasswire Mar 2015 #31
Do you trust Iran's Leadership??? nt greytdemocrat Mar 2015 #34
Not if it is as corrupt as ours. Octafish Mar 2015 #41
And when the last drug cocktails for lethal injections are dispensed, these are the same fucks that lonestarnot Mar 2015 #35
''War with Iran is probably our best option'' is what the Washington Post said. Octafish Mar 2015 #46
Draft dodging neo cons, nilesobek Mar 2015 #36
+1 an entire shit load. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #44
K&R for the original post and subsequent informative posts and links. JEB Mar 2015 #37
Jeb is a PNAC-signing Neocon. nt wiggs Mar 2015 #38
The instant we get off oil, we will stop hearing about what a threat Iran is. Marr Mar 2015 #39
It ain't bullshit. Iran could attack Israel any time now. Enthusiast Mar 2015 #45
well, bush & cheney got away with an 'aggressive war' spanone Mar 2015 #40
Thank goodness it's in print in a paper known nationally.. fadedrose Mar 2015 #47
We should listen to the neocons because they were so right about Iraq Martin Eden Mar 2015 #48
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