Smearing Rob Malley

[Violet_Crumble]

You've got to scroll down the page a bit for this one

Robert Malley is a creative scholar and diplomat who was a key player in the Clinton negotiating team that worked tirelessly to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the late 1990s through 2001. Recently, he signed up as an unofficial adviser to the Barack Obama campaign, while maintaining his close ties to his former Clinton colleagues.

Malley’s connection to the campaign produced a firestorm. Apparently, Malley wrote several articles during the last few years stating, as someone who participated at Camp David, that all the blame for the summit’s failure did not rest with Yasir Arafat but that Ehud Barak also deserved his share of the blame.

For stating that fact (as also reported by every other participant at Camp David including President Clinton), Malley has been condemned as “fanatically anti-Israel.” Jews around the country are being warned that they must vote against Obama to prevent Malley from ever darkening the halls of the State Department or White House again. Similar attacks are being made against Ambassador Joe Wilson who, it is said, is also no friend of Israel and can be expected to serve in a Hillary Clinton administration.

All this is bogus. Both Malley and Wilson are pro-Israel. The only reason that they are criticized by the extremists is because they both support Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The attacks on Malley, which are particularly vicious, come from a right-wing rag called the American Thinker and from the former publisher of the New Republic, Martin Peretz, who openly despises the Clintons and anyone who has ever been associated with them. As a former member of Clinton’s peace team, Malley receives Peretz’s trademark vitriolic scorn.

http://www.ipforum.org/display.cfm?id=6&Sub=15

[bemildred]

1. Pissing off your old friends is not a good strategy.

The piece on Hamas and Gaza above it is not bad either. I seriously think they could "lose" in Gaza, sort of like they "lost" in Lebanon, but I suppose I'm nuts. In any case it is clear as a bell that invading Gaza won't stop the rockets, it is purely a domestic political exercise.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

3. And it's not like "real" people are on the receiving end, so... WTF? nt

[Lithos]

5. Gaza would be a mistake

Israel would never be able to be surgical. It would not be perceived as Israel vs Hamas.

[bemildred]

7. Well, Hamas is not really going to beat the IDF militarily.

But that does not mean that any useful strategic goals will be accomplished. If you are the IDF, if you don't win you lose. Whereas if you are Hamas, if you don't lose, you win. It's not fair, but that's the way it is.

I do find the notion of "surgical" use of explosives unconvincing. The whole idea with explosives it that they make a big mess, you don't have to aim too close.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Is there no shame?

Even scarier is MJ Rosenberg's Nasrallah rant.

When I read the stuff that passes for informed commentary from intelligent people, I realize that the next couple of decades are going to be looooooooong ones.

[number6]

4. long and bloody ones

"When I read the stuff that passes for informed commentary from intelligent people, I realize that the next couple of decades are going to be looooooooong ones."


and if insane(100year)war McCane gets in, even bloodier

:scared::hide::nuke:

[Violet_Crumble]

6. Former U.S. Officials on Middle East Support Crisis Group's Rob Malley

Former U.S. Officials on Middle East Support Rob Malley, Director of Crisis Group's Middle East Program

Over the past several weeks, a series of vicious, personal attacks have been launched against one of our colleagues, Robert Malley, who served as President Clinton's Special Assistant for Arab-Israeli affairs. They claim that he harbours an anti-Israeli agenda and has sought to undermine Israel's security. These attacks are unfair, inappropriate and wrong. They are an effort to undermine the credibility of a talented public servant who has worked tirelessly over the years to promote Arab-Israeli peace and US national interests. They must stop.

We have real differences among us about how best to conduct US policy toward the Middle East and what is the right way to build a lasting two-state solution that protects Israel's security. But whatever differences do exist, there is no disagreement among us on one core issue that transcends partisan or other divides: that the US should not and will not do anything to undermine Israel's safety or the special relationship between our two nations. We have worked with Rob closely over the years and have no doubt he shares this view and has acted consistent with it.

We face a critical period in the Middle East that demands sustained, determined and far-sighted engagement by the United States. It is not a time for scurrilous attacks against someone who deserves our respect.

Sincerely,

Samuel (Sandy) Berger
Former National Security Advisor

Amb. Martin Indyk
Former Ambassador to Israel and Egypt and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs

Amb. Daniel C. Kurtzer
Former Ambassador to Israel

Aaron David Miller
Former Senior Adviser for Arab-Israeli Negotiations, Department of State

Amb. Dennis Ross
Former Special Envoy of the President to the Middle East


http://www.crisisgroup.org:80/home/index.cfm?id=5307&l=1