"A Clean Break" Meeting? Cheney, Olmert, Rummy and Netanyahu met in June?

[leftchick]

I truly never, EVER thought "A Clean Break" and the PNACers would advance this far. I fear we are fucked....


<snip>

The "getting rid of Saddam" part has already been accomplished. The total degradation of the Palestinians is ongoing. The "destabilizing of Syria in Lebanon" took place last year. The next step would be hitting at both Syria and Iran via Lebanon.

Five months ago, Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, warned in a public speech that if Israel did not release the Lebanese prisoners it was holding, "we will try to get an Israeli soldier". That's exactly what happened. Israel knew it and had five months to prepare for an invasion and/or the current "pinpoint" bombing of Lebanon's infrastructure - something that any military strategist knows cannot be prepared in a day or two.

The fact that the Bush administration and the Olmert government in tandem blame both Syria and Iran follows the Clean Break plan to the letter. And the plan could have been fine-tuned very recently. Former Likudnik Olmert went to the US in May and Likud chairman Netanyahu followed him in June - and landed in neo-con heaven, participating in a meeting with US Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at a conference organized by the American Enterprise Institute in Colorado.

As far as Bush's "get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this shit" is concerned, it makes absolutely no sense: it was Bush himself who forced Syria out of Lebanon last year, to clear the way for Israel to attack Lebanon facing no resistance. As for the Israel-Iran confrontation, it has nothing to do with ideology, as the Bush administration puts it. It's pure power play. Israel and Iran are two regional military powers entangled in a battle for regional supremacy. And even the guessing game on Syria and/or Iran supporting Hezbollah is also irrelevant.

<snip>

No one at this point may predict with certainty what the Bush/Blair/Olmert troika is actually cooking. But there is the terrifying possibility that these may be the early stages of the Great Middle East war outlined in A Clean Break; the chance for the US/Israel axis to strike at both Syria and Iran - with no one, be it Russia, China or the cowardly EU, being able to stop it.


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HG21Ak01.html

[SoCalDem]

1. yep..I started to worry when I kept seeing Bebe on CNN and

MSRNC every other day.. He's their "go-to" guy now..

[leftchick]

2. I remember seeing him on C-Span a few weeks ago

and I thought uh-oh. But damn! This is so evil. :(

[whistle]

3. This is a pretty good outline of yet another MIHOP/LIHOP....

...BuchCo is improving with practice. WW III on the other hand is a new game and so will be a terrific adrenalin rush for all the players, except those incinerated in the blast flash

[Master Mahon]

4. No No No

It's about defending Israel and because all of the ME hates our freedoms!!
We got to fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here.

[movonne]

5. Why can't Russia and China be able to stop it?? I would think

that China could demand we pay up our loans...This whole thing is not going to work any better than it did in Iraq..

[leftchick]

6. that is what I wondered as well

China holds our purse strings for eternal war. And Russia has too much invested in Iran to sit idly by.

[femrap]

21. Maybe the leaders of China are willing to

carry our debt since it keeps their billions of people occupied manufacturing consumer crap? Just think if the Chinese people decided they would like to have some freedom???

This world is a mess.....except for maybe Slovenia....I saw an excellent story about its leader on Link TV yesterday. He got cancer and then saw the 'light.' He has become kind, spiritual, and understanding.

[DELUSIONAL]

7. Oh hell -- this is even more complex than I was imagining

. . . this is far more complex than Hizbolla is a nasty terrible "terrorist".

We do know that Israel has been planning this long before the 2 Israeli soldiers were kidnapped.

It is clear that the sort of destruction we are seeing in Lebanon PLANNED. When Syria was forced out this was the beginning . . . Or the invasion of Iraq.

This is a keeper article -- which ends with the prediction:


Give me a (Clean) Break
There is simply no solution whatsoever to the ongoing Middle East disaster until "David" Israel (with its nuclear weapons) stops stealing Arab lands and returns all occupied territory to the "Goliaths" - the Sheba Farms to Lebanon, the Golan Heights to Syria, the West Bank and East Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

Arab puppet regimes will inevitably fall, by the force of their population's rage. The Washington elite may even realize one day (no one is counting on it, though) that the US gains absolutely nothing from Israel's wag-the-dog tactics. Israel inevitably will be forced to negotiate with its neighbors. Then and only then, if still no peace can be reached, Israel might find some legitimacy to keep attacking Arabs at random.

Edited to add names of "Clean Break" Authors -- from the neocon website

Participants in the Study Group on "A New Israeli Strategy Toward 2000:"

Richard Perle, American Enterprise Institute, Study Group Leader

James Colbert, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
Charles Fairbanks, Jr., Johns Hopkins University/SAIS
Douglas Feith, Feith and Zell Associates
Robert Loewenberg, President, Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
Jonathan Torop, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
David Wurmser, Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies
Meyrav Wurmser, Johns Hopkins University

http://www.iasps.org/strat1.htm

now I really need a shower --- shudder -- eek.

[Emit]

13. "Neo-con Plans for Syria "

Here's some more info on the authors of "Clean Break" -- offers some insight into their likely plans.

Neo-con Plans for Syria

The best way to understand neoconservative plans for Syria is by following David Wurmser, who is Vice-president Dick Cheney's adviser on Syrian policy. A pro-Likud ideologue, he is an advocate of pre-emptive war against Syria and Hezbollah, a position favored by other neocons, such as Douglas Feith, John Bolton, Richard Perle and Eliot Abrams.

David Wurmser has participated in several key reports outlining the neoconservative agenda in the Middle East. See the IRC. In 1996 he helped write a report for Israel's Likud party that urged Israel to break off then-ongoing peace initiatives. The report, which was titled "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm" and was published by the Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies (an Israeli- and DC-based think tank) advised then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "to work closely with Turkey and Jordan to contain, destabilize, and roll-back" regional threats, help overthrow Saddam Hussein, and strike "Syrian military targets in Lebanon" and possibly in Syria proper. Coauthors of the report included Richard Perle, Meyrav Wurmser, and Douglas Feith.

In 2000, Wurmser worked on a strategy document published by Daniel Pipe's Middle East Forum and Ziad Abdelnour's U.S. Committee for a Free Lebanon that advocated a wider U.S. role in Lebanon. The study, "Ending Syria's Occupation of Lebanon: The U.S. Role?" called for the United States to force Syria from Lebanon and to disarm it of its alleged weapons of mass destruction. It also argued that "Syrian rule in Lebanon stands in direct opposition to American ideals" and criticized the United States for engaging rather than confronting the regime. Among the documents signers were several soon-to-be Bush administration figures, including Elliott Abrams, Douglas Feith, Michael Rubin, and Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky. Other signers included Richard Perle, Michael Ledeen, and Frank Gaffney.

~snip~

More recently Wurmser worked in the Pentagon intelligence unit set up by Under Sec Douglas Feith after the Sept 11 attacks to search for links between terrorist groups and host countries. James Risen of the NYTimes wrote in April that Wurmser, Feith and Michael Maloof, a former journalist, culled classified material, often uncorroborated CIA data, uncovering what Maloof calls 'tons of raw intelligence' that two were 'stunned' to find was not mentioned in CIA's finished reports; unit saw new alliances among Islamic terrorists such as Shiites and Sunnis and secular Arab regimes and gave senior Bush administration figures conclusions connecting Iraq and Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. Some intelligence experts charge unit had secret agenda to justify war and was staffed with people handpicked by conservatives like Richard N Perle to justify preordained conclusions; Patrick Lang says those brought in were not analysts but people who would deliver desired opinions; chart showing links between Feith, Maloof, third group member David Wurmser and Richard Perle, Stephen A Cambone, Iraqi exile figure Ahmad Chalabi and top officials briefed by unit: John R Bolton, Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, CIA Dir George Tenet, national security adviser Stephen J Hadley and Vice Pres Cheney's aide I Lewis Libby (M)

In April 2003, Feith's group drew up contingency plans for a war on Syria which were nixxed by Bush, according to Guardian reporter Julian Borger. In the past few weeks, the US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, ordered contingency plans for a war on Syria to be reviewed following the fall of Baghdad. Meanwhile, his undersecretary for policy, Doug Feith, and William Luti, the head of the Pentagon's office of special plans, were asked to put together a briefing paper on the case for war against Syria, outlining its role in supplying weapons to Saddam Hussein, its links with Middle East terrorist groups and its allegedly advanced chemical weapons programme.

http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Joshua.M.Landis-1/syriablog/2004/05/neo-con-plans-for-syria.htm

[leftchick]

14. Pepe Escobar is a keeper

I love his reporting.

[H2O Man]

8. All those leaves ....

turning together.

[tnlefty]

9. Make up your mind - I thought it was the Aspens turning together!

How ya been? :hi:

[DELUSIONAL]

10. Your screen name so so relevant to what is happening in the Middle East

I am exploring the NEOCON website and found this research paper about WATER
http://www.iasps.org/nbn/nbn70a.htm
This research was found in the area of the website called "News behind the news"

The Geopolitics of Water
In the great geo-strategic game known as the Middle East, peace politics get much of the press and the attention of policy leaders. On occasion, oil takes center stage but often for the wrong reason (see, e.g., "The End of the Oil Era and the Price of Oil"). What is important to understand is that water is in fact the key strategic resource in the region and if you follow the flow of water, you'll follow the politics and policy machinations that lie at the heart of the Israeli-Syrian dialogue. IASPS Fellow in Strategy Paul Michael Wihbey co-authored an analysis of the water question that appeared in the Washington Times, Wednesday, March 29, 2000, reproduced below.

March 29, 2000


Geopolitics of water

Paul Michael Wihbey and Ilan Berman

The current freeze in negotiations between Israel and Syria underscores the fact that water is rapidly becoming a crucial — if not the most significant — strategic issue between nations in the Middle East. According to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, speaking on Israeli television, water was one of the three key issues that stood in the way of an agreement in Geneva last weekend.

[Gloria]

11. The first night of all this, I couldn't sleep because I knew in my

gut this was the start of the next phase--creating the scenario for the war on Syria/Iran.

I'm just so sick over all this....

[goforit]

12. Here we go folks. Enjoy the ride.

[Emit]

15. Here's an interesting, detailed assessment of the Clean Break Plan

Clean Break or Dirty War?
Israel’s Foreign Policy Directive to the United States
Executive Summary

Great changes are seldom achieved without a plan. The Israeli policy paper “A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm” (ACB) was authored by a group of policy advisors to Israel. Subsequently, nearly all members ascended to influential policy making positions within U.S. government, media, and academic circles. Many of the ACB policies such as toppling the government of Iraq are now in full implementation and present new challenges to the global community. Others, such as the reform of Israel’s economy have been abysmal failures, but generate little visibility or impact outside of Israel.

~snip~

http://irmep.org/Policy_Briefs/3_27_2003_Clean_Break_or_Dirty_War.html

[Hissyspit]

16. kick

[leftchick]

18. That is an excellent link!

Thank you!

Rat Bastards....

<snip>

The paper’s call for a “break” from failed policies of the past such as “land for peace” and a new concentration on the realities of “balance of power” in the region are striking for their realpolitik approaches and high dependence on actions and resources of the U.S. government.


Exhibit #2
ACB Policy Initiatives
(Source: IRMEP 2003)


Increase U.S. Congressional Support “Electrify and find support” of key U.S. congressional members
Strategic cooperation with U.S. on missile defense
Gain more support among members of Congress with little knowledge of Israel
Harness support to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv
Identify Israel with the U.S. and “western values”
Utilize Cold War rhetoric to make Israel’s case to the American people
“Peace for Peace” Palestinian Solution Eliminate movements toward a “comprehensive peace” and substitute with the “Peace for Peace” strategy
Stress “balance of power” as sole test of legitimacy, enforce agreements
Nurture alternatives to Arafat
Seek legitimization of “hot pursuit” of Palestinian militants
Eliminate “land for peace” concept, use negotiations only as a forum for communicating resolve
Establish a joint monitoring committee with the U.S. for measuring Palestinian compliance
Withhold U.S. aid to Palestinians
Promote Human Rights among Arabs to isolate Palestinians in Arab Constituencies
Legitimize 2000 year old historical land claim
Foment Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for peace
Contain, Destabilize, and Roll Back Regional Challengers Challenge Arab countries as “police states” lacking in legitimacy.
Fortify regional alliances. Work with Turkey and Jordan to insert hostile Arab tribes into Syria
Syria Publicly question Syrian legitimacy, assume treaties with Damascus are in bad faith
Contain Syria, strike select targets
Reject “land for peace” concept on the Golan Heights
Iraq Install a Hashemite monarchy in Iraq
Isolate and surround Syria with a friendly regime in Iraq
Lebanon Engage Syria, Iran and Iraq in Lebanon
“Wean” Lebanese Shiites from Iraq toward Jordan
Economic Reform Eliminate Social Zionism from the economy.
Reform the overall economy, cut taxes
Show maturity and economic self reliance from the United States
Eliminate need for defense by U.S. military forces
Remove U.S. aid leverage over Israel
Relegislate a free trade zone, sell off public lands and enterprises
Zionism Rebuild Zionism, rejuvenate the national ideal
“Shape the regional environment” in favor of Israel, “transcend foes” rather than contain them
Pre-emption as the preferred national defense strategy

Although ACB readers can identify nearly 34 distinct and actionable goals eloquently stated within the document, they may be summarized in five overarching policy goals:

1. Increase U.S. Congressional Support
2. "Peace for Peace" Palestinian Strategy
3. Contain, Destabilize, and Roll Back Regional Challengers
4. Economic Reform
5. Rejuvenation of Zionism

In this paper, we evaluate the level of implementation of these five summary goals, and their effect on the interests of the United States. However, no set of policies ever come to fruition without an active and vocal distribution and implementation network. ACB’s legions of American shock troops are many. At its core, key operatives working within the Bush Administration (called the Neocons), policy research “think tanks”, specialty press, and opinion columns have achieved amazing success at seasoning and baking ACB policy agenda items into a tenuous mold as “vital interests” of the United States itself. (See Exhibit 3)


The need for “crime scene” levels of evidence linking ACB followers’ complicity in the actions of the U.S. Government at Israel’s behest is unnecessary. Many U.S. actions are simply so inexplicable that consideration of their chief benefactor, Israel, is the only reasonable explanation. And as Americans dismiss Arab government charges that Israel is attacking them by proxy across the region, the evidence shows that the Arabs are correct. “A Clean Break” is, at heart, an Israeli proclamation of “Dirty War”.

[Emit]

22. You're welcome n/t

[malaise]

26. The problem is

that the Zionists and fascists think they are the only people making decisions. This will fail the same way Iraq has failed. More weapons has never guaranteed victory. They will fugging learn.
sp.

[leftchick]

28. I hope you are right

damn, I never thought I would have to root for the "other guy".

[mmonk]

17. I posted the Clean Break strategy

in a thread early on in the conflict concerning this operation. I didn't get a reply then. Glad to see some are looking at the possibility. I'm not a tinfoil hat master, but I know people willing to consider it and some that worked on the idea have power now.

[Emit]

23. Thought you might be interested in this pod cast I just listened to

Neocon Clean Break plan or Beirut Declaration?

3. Radio Interviews #13 - 11/10/05 - Neocon Clean Break plan or Beirut Declaration?
On November 10, Grant Smith appeared on the Jim Greenfield show to discuss IRmep's book "Neocon Middle East Policy: the 'Clean Break' Plan Damage Assessment." (Available at http://www.irmep.org/cbda...
Podcast Date: Nov 11, 2005 12:20:42

http://www.podcast.net/show/11153

http://irmep.org/Defaults.asp

[leveymg]

19. They too are expendible. Even PNAC is playing a role in an oil industry

plan that calls for long-term destabilization of world oil supplies with a massive rise in prices. No wonder Saudi Arabia has already signed onto this outwardly Israeli scheme to do in its regional rivals with US backing. And, as for the Americans, we're slated for historical obsolescence anyway, so they're just driving us until the wheels fall off.

If we don't investigate and imprison the oil industry cartel leaders who are behind this, we're all done for.

[GeorgeGist]

20. If true the aspens were probably quaking...

for someone to think that Israel can obtain regional supremacy at any time in the foreseeable future is just plain STUPID.

[rucky]

24. The extra-special scary part:

Our involvement in this war will be more popular than the Iraq invasion. Many Democrats will support it.

[Emit]

25. Yes, I see that. So true. n/t

[leftchick]

27. double plus bad

:(