Hoenlein: ElBaradei a ‘stooge’ for Iran
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The director of the U.S. Jewish foreign policy umbrella called Mohammed ElBaradei, the opposition leader emerging from the Egyptian ferment, a “stooge for Iran.”
Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice-president of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, accused ElBaradei of covering up Iran’s true nuclear weaponization capacities while he directed the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog.
“He is a stooge for Iran, and I don’t use the term lightly,” Hoenlein said in an online recorded interview with Yeshiva World News on the Egyptian crisis. “He fronted for them, he distorted the reports.”
ElBaradei, who directed the IAEA from 1997-2009, returned to Egypt after his third term ended. He was soon touted as a possible challenger to the 30-year autocracy led by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
He has emerged, since protests were launched last week, as a consensus candidate of various opposition groups for transitional leader.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has adopted a policy of not commenting on the breaking developments, not wanting to be seen as siding with any player in the Egyptian unrest. Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt is the cornerstone of its defense and foreign policies.
During his term as IAEA chief, ElBaradei said Iran was further away from a nuclear weapon than many in the West claimed and castigated western powers — including Israel — for suggesting that a military option against Iran was increasingly possible.
ElBaradei made it clear in those statements that his posture stemmed from the U.S. failure to heed warnings from him and other weapons experts that Iraq did not have a weapons capacity, and to invade the country nonetheless.
ElBaradei criticized Iran for not cooperating with IAEA inspectors, but also argued that the likeliest means of increasing inspections was to engage with Iran.
His outspoken opposition to the war in Iraq and increased pressure on Iran earned him the enmity of some Bush administration officials. U.S. agencies reportedly monitored his communications to see if he was colluding with Iran, but came up with nothing.
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So what do you think? First signs of Ziopanic or good intox?
- Original Yeshiva World News article here
- Audio of the interview here
Good nite!
The Saker
Panick may be too strong a word, but trust me, these guys are nervous. Ari Shavit, in Haaretz today does not seem very happy.
Just as the officers’ revolts in the 1950s toppled Arab monarchies that were founded on colonial superpowers, the mass revolts of 2011 are toppling Arab dictators who rely on U.S. support. The Arab giant wants its freedom.
The second revolution that is occurring in front of our eyes is the collapse of the American empire. It could be that the American empire was evil.
But for 60 years the American empire kept the world stable, and provided relative quiet, peace and prosperity. The current U.S. president, Barack Obama, is undermining the American empire.
Obama’s betrayal of Hosni Mubarak is not just the betrayal of a moderate Egyptian president who remained loyal to the United States, promoted stability and encouraged moderation. Obama’s betrayal of Mubarak symbolizes the betrayal of every strategic ally in the Third World. Throughout Asia, Africa and South America, leaders are now looking at what is going on between Washington and Cairo.
Everyone grasps the message: America’s word is worthless; an alliance with America is unreliable; American has lost it. A result of this understanding will be a turn toward China, Russia and regional powers such as Iran, Turkey and Brazil.”
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/obama-s-betrayal-as-goes-mubarak-so-goes-u-s-might-1.340244
And as for talking only about bread, you must have missed the MANY MANY chants about Mubarak the Israeli tool, Suleiman the zionist agent, pictures of Mubarak with a star of david. or chants of “Mubarak, Mubarak, Tel Aviv is waiting for you.”
HOWEVER…. (coninued in next message)
(continued from previous message)
However, I am ver nervous. I’ve been thinking about what Mubarak’s plan is. He still doesn’t want to leave, so I’m assuming he has a scheme of some sort. Here is what I think it is.
Mubarak is probably waiting in Sharm el Sheikh, essentially under Israeli protection. It is demilitarized and Egyptian troops can’t go there without Israeli permission per camp david. There he will simply wait. Eventually, as the economy stops, Egypt’s food supplies will run low. This will cause enormous problems and disunity among the protesters. If that happens, he might find somebody in the army willing to put down the protests.
I suspect he has USrael’s full support for this plan.
Demonstrators will need to come up with their own plan. They have to try to sieze key buildings. The interior ministry and state television and also restore internet somehow. Hopefully protesters can organize shifts so that some could return to work while others keep the momentum going.
I’m not sure if this is right. This is just me thinking “If I were an evil dictator at the end of my rope, what would I do?” They had no hesitation in starving Gaza. They had no hesitation in starving Iraq. Why would Egypt be different?
Saker,
Good points Lysander…
The only problem is this…in today’s world with thousands of satellite channels and the Internet….it’s becoming very very difficult to pull a Tienanmen…in 89 you had ONLY CNN….
My 2 cents
I would watch for General ANNAN, the Egyptian army’s chief of staff…he just came back from DC and has All the orders/support of the Pentagon and he is the designated negotiator with the 10 person committee set up by the Opposition…and AlBaradei etc. whatever he arrives at in those negotiations will be respected if they don’t have real crushing Violence on their minds…with Israeli inspiration and encouragements…
SINAI is becoming more and more a battleground…and a war theater….
Cheers,
Joe