All this folderol about how the neoconservative moment is over, and the War Party totally discredited, is just so much wishful thinking, as the prospect of John F. Lehman's nomination as CIA chief makes all too clear. Rumor has it that Porter Goss is out – too partisan – and Lehman is leading the pack. If so, this is a testament to the neocons' bureaucratic staying power.
...In 1983, a mysterious package of documents arrived at the New York Times, a fortuitous delivery that led to a piece by reporter Jeff Gerth in which Lehman, along with Richard Perle, was accused of accepting payments from Israeli arms dealers Shlomo Zabludowicz and his son, Chaim Zabludowicz, who were Perle's clients in 1980. They paid $90,000 to Abington Corporation [a lobbying firm whose president was Lehman]: Perle kept $50,000, while Abington got the rest.
Lehman blamed his wife: Perle said he did the work for the Zabludowicz clan before he was employed by the government. Whatever.
In any case, as per the custom in Washington, Lehman and Perle survived the scandal, as neocons always do, and lived to fight another day.
...Lehman's most recent position has been as a member of the 9/11 Commission, where he excoriated Richard Clarke for writing a book, and went on Meet the Press declaring that a prominent member of Saddam's militia had been identified as a member of Al Qaeda, confusing two different Arab names in the process and getting it thoroughly wrong. The Washington Post pointed out the discrepancy to Lehman, who brushed it aside, claiming it really made no difference: he stood by his claim.
... He has long exhibited a Laurie Mylroie-like obsession with Iraq, claiming, for instance, that Saddam was behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. The bombing, as it turned out, was the work of al-Qaeda, and had nothing whatsoever to do with Iraq. A few days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Lehman signed an open letter calling on the President to attack Iraq.
Antiwar article links added
...In 1983, a mysterious package of documents arrived at the New York Times, a fortuitous delivery that led to a piece by reporter Jeff Gerth in which Lehman, along with Richard Perle, was accused of accepting payments from Israeli arms dealers Shlomo Zabludowicz and his son, Chaim Zabludowicz, who were Perle's clients in 1980. They paid $90,000 to Abington Corporation [a lobbying firm whose president was Lehman]: Perle kept $50,000, while Abington got the rest.
Lehman blamed his wife: Perle said he did the work for the Zabludowicz clan before he was employed by the government. Whatever.
In any case, as per the custom in Washington, Lehman and Perle survived the scandal, as neocons always do, and lived to fight another day.
...Lehman's most recent position has been as a member of the 9/11 Commission, where he excoriated Richard Clarke for writing a book, and went on Meet the Press declaring that a prominent member of Saddam's militia had been identified as a member of Al Qaeda, confusing two different Arab names in the process and getting it thoroughly wrong. The Washington Post pointed out the discrepancy to Lehman, who brushed it aside, claiming it really made no difference: he stood by his claim.
... He has long exhibited a Laurie Mylroie-like obsession with Iraq, claiming, for instance, that Saddam was behind the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000. The bombing, as it turned out, was the work of al-Qaeda, and had nothing whatsoever to do with Iraq. A few days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks Lehman signed an open letter calling on the President to attack Iraq.
So somehow, in spite of Lehman's inattention to detail in the serious issue of defense against terrorism, our intelligence is going to improve with his appointment?
In the early 90's, Lehman joined up with the Committee on U.S. Interests in the Middle East, a neocon front group organized by Richard Perle, Elliott Abrams and Douglas J. Feith, and headed up by Frank Gaffney. The Committee lobbied for more U.S. tax dollars for Israel...
The principal founders and sponsors of the Committee, which broke with Dubya's dad over this issue, are now in charge of U.S. foreign policy, and of the last two holdouts – the Department of State and the CIA – it looks like they're about to take Langley.
The principal founders and sponsors of the Committee, which broke with Dubya's dad over this issue, are now in charge of U.S. foreign policy, and of the last two holdouts – the Department of State and the CIA – it looks like they're about to take Langley.
....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.
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