Susanne Posel
Occupy Corporatism
February 2, 2013
At the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing this week, Senator Jim Inhofe, a supporter of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (APIAC), questioned about why the Iranian government would approve of former Senator Chuck Hagel’s nomination to replace Leon Panetta as US Defense Secretary.
As the eight hour hearing commenced, the once surety that Hagel would receive Congressional approval to become Secretary of Defense became visibly strained.
Inhofe said: “Given that Iran, the people — I’m quoting right now from Iran — people of the Middle East, the Muslim region and North Africa, people of these regions hate America from the bottom of their heart. It further said Israel is a cancerous tumor in the heart of the Islamic world. They further said Iran’s warriors are ready and willing to wipe Israel off the map. The question I’d like to ask you, and you can answer for the record if you’d like, why do you think the Iranian foreign ministry so strongly supports your nomination to be the Secretary of Defense?”
The strange implications unstated by Inhofe left Hagel at a loss for words. Hagel responded: “I have a difficult enough time with American politics, Senator. I have no idea, but thank you. And I’ll be glad to respond further for the record.”
Hagel stated that the Obama administration is using the tactic of “containment” with regard to Iran. Hagel recognizes that the nation has an “elected legitimate government.”
Hagel openly spoke about being “fully committed to the president’s goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, and — as I’ve said in the past — all options must be on the table to achieve that goal.” He then back-tracked the comment after being pressured by Carl Levin, Chair of the SASC who stated: “We do have a position on containment, and that is we do not favor containment. I just wanted to clarify the clarify.”
Hagel admitted that the White House consistently judges “Iran on its behavior. They are consistently in violation of their United Nations obligations, their international obligations, and because of that they are enduring the most intense sanctions regime in history.”
Inside the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012, specifically the Menendez-Kirk amendment , there is this statement which says in part: “It shall be the policy of the United States … to deny the government of Iran the ability to continue to oppress the people of Iran and to use violence and executions against pro-democracy protesters and regime opponents … [and] to fully and publicly support efforts made by the people of Iran to promote the establishment of basic freedoms that build the foundation for the emergence of a freely elected, open and democratic political system.”
Senator Kristen Gillibrand, another supporter of AIPAC, used this amendment to pressure Hagel on his comments that Iran was a “legitimate government.” Gillibrand said: “I want to make sure that your statement earlier today with regard to whether Iran is legitimate… I can understand if you meant [that] it’s a legal entity that has international relations and has diplomatic relations and is a member of the UN, but I do not see Iran or the Iranian government as a legitimate government.”
Hagel responded: “Thank you, senator. What I meant to say, should have said, [is that Iran is] recognizable. It is recognized by the United Nations, most of our allies have embassies there. That’s what I should have said.”
Senator Saxby Chambliss, who has received travel funding for campaigns and kick-backs from AIPAC, pointed toward Iranian terrorist connections as a reason that its government would be illegitimate.
Hagel clarified his statement for Chambliss by saying: “Well, let’s start with a specific question on a vote, regarding designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. You recall, because you were there, there were 22 senators who voted against that. The effort against it — the main point made on the floor of the Senate came from Senator Jim Webb. And his point was we have never, ever designated a part of a legitimate government, a state — and when I say “legitimate,” that doesn’t mean we agree with Iran, but it is a member of the United Nations. Almost all of our allies have embassies in Iran. So that’s why I note — an elected, legitimate government, whether we agree or not. But we have never made any part of a legitimate, independent government, designated them or made part — made them part of a terrorist organization. We’ve just — we’ve never done that.”
Senator Mike Lee, who signed onto AIPAC to apply Congressional pressure to Obama for the benefit of Zionist agendas against Iran, wanted to know why Hagel had commented in 2003 that Israel keeps Palestinians “caged up like animals”. Hagel responded: “Like many things I’ve said, I would like to go back and change the words and the meaning. If I had a chance to go back and edit it, I would. I regret that I used those words.”
Hagel also included that Lee was taking his words out of context by explaining that he was “[addressing] the frustration in what’s happening [in Israel] which is not in Israel’s interest” and cited the need “to find ways that we can help bring peace and security to Israel.”
Hagel was blasted by Senator John McCain, who regularly speaks at AIPAC functions and has been a supporter of the Zionist lobby for years, for having recommended that the US commit to disarmament of nuclear weapons by 80% when on the Global Zero US Nuclear Policy Commission which produced the Global Zero (GZ) report.
In defense of his participation in the GZ report, Hagel told Inhofe that he never demanded “unilateral disarmament” of the US. Hagel explained that the report gave “illustrative possibilities” as well as “scenarios” that were not applying pressure to Congressional policies.
When President Obama nominated Hagel for the position of US Secretary of Defense, Senators and their staff were concerned about the opinion of AIPAC saying: “Staffers and members are trying to find out what AIPAC thinks of Hagel, and we are not getting anything” and “AIPAC will be sitting this one out.”
Zionist-supported AIPAC officially took the political posturing that they “do not take positions on presidential nominations”; however White House staffers began to inquire to prominent members of the Jewish community to come forward to express concerns about Hagel.
In 2006 Hagel said in an interview that AIPAC “intimidates a lot of people up here” as well as refused to support the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization during the George W. Bush Administration. Hagel pointed out that he is “a United States Senator. I’m not an Israeli senator.”
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has been vocal about calling Hagel “a borderline anti-Semitic” in place while of AIPAC coming out against the then US Senator.
However, AIPAC may be turning a blind eye because of their close relationship with the Pentagon. Hagel would be one person AIPAC would lobby to for pro-Israeli support and it is “AIPAC’s policy is to make friends and avoid having enemies.” Steve Rosen, former AIPAC director of foreign policy succinctly said: “It’s probably going to have to make friends with Chuck Hagel.”
Other Zionist organizations such as the Emergency Committee for Israel concocted a campaign and website against Hagel with the request that Americans protest Hagel’s nomination for US Secretary of Defense.
It is clear that AIPAC, through smaller outreach organizations and their supporters on Capitol Hill, are attacking Hagel as Obama’s nomination for US Secretary of Defense because he does not agree with the Zionist agenda and most likely will not participate in Zionist lobbyists dictating US foreign policy in Washington.
This move by Obama is a clear message to the Zionist regime that there are changes coming in how the US supports their schemes across the world. Outwardly the battle may include political posturing and anti-Semitic claims, yet the back story is that there may be a shift in the Obama administration away from collaborating with the Zionist Israeli government for world domination.
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