Obama & The Neocon Middle East War Agenda
By Stephen Sniegoski
12-7-8

Many Americans, in fact, many people in the world are under the impression that Obama's policies will be the antithesis of those of the Bush administration. But his recent appointees would tend to bring forth the opposite question: To what extent is Obama a neocon? Well, he is not a 100 percenter like McCain. But he is oriented in that direction, as illustrated by the people he has selected.

While only a very few neocons such as Ken Adelman backed Obama before the election, many neoconservatives are now elated by his picks. As neocon Max Boot writes: "I have to admit that I am gobsmacked by these appointments , most of which could just as easily have come from a President McCain." Almost as euphoric is David Brooks: "Believe me, I'm trying not to join in the vast, heaving O-phoria now sweeping the coastal haute bourgeoisie. But the personnel decisions have been superb. The events of the past two weeks should be reassuring to anybody who feared that Obama would veer to the left or would suffer self-inflicted wounds because of his inexperience. He's off to a start that nearly justifies the hype." "I'm relieved," Richard Perle commented, "Contrary to expectations, I don't think we would see a lot of change." Neocon Mona Charen opines: "Superstition almost forbids me to comment on President-elect Obama's appointments thus far. The news has been so shockingly welcome that I'm almost afraid to remark on it for fear of breaking the spell."

Journalist Robert Dreyfuss observes that an Obama administration probably won't be like the neocons on Iraq-and will remove combat troops over time (well, maybe)---and will not spout the bellicose rhetoric of the Bush administration. And there will be more cooperation with the international community. However, the central issue of the neocons and Israel today is Iran. And, on Iran, there is a very hawkish tinge to his administration. Remember, how Hillary talked about destroying Iran if it attacked Israel. Dreyfuss writes: "When it comes to Iran, however, it's far too early to dismiss the hawks. To be sure, they are now plying their trade from outside the corridors of power, but they have more friends inside the Obama camp than most people realize.

Several top advisers to Obama Â* including Tony Lake, UN Ambassador-designate Susan Rice, Tom Daschle, and Dennis Ross, along with leading Democratic hawks like Richard Holbrooke, close to Vice-President-elect Joe Biden or Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton Â* have made common cause with war-minded think-tank hawks at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and other hardline institutes." Dreyfuss shows that these individuals have continued to be close to the neocons. He writes "Organizations like WINEP, AIPAC, AEI, BPC, and UANI see it as their mission to push the United States toward a showdown with Iran. Don't sell them short. Those who believe that such a confrontation would be inconceivable under President Obama ought to ask Tony Lake, Susan Rice, Dennis Ross, Tom Daschle, and Richard Holbrooke whether they agree Â* and, if so, why they're still palling around with neoconservative hardliners."

I think that it is also the case that the neocons have successfully moved the mainstream in their direction, despite the fiasco of the Iraq war. Will Obama opt for war with Iran? Though not by any means a certainly, it is not out of the question either. The following is a possible scenario.

I would expect that initially the Obama administration will have to focus almost totally on the economy, with foreign policy put on the back burner. When all the business/financial bailouts and stimulus packages fail to rejuvenate the economy, then will be time to make use of the war card.

Continued poor economic conditions could provide the political incentive to divert attention away from the domestic arena to wars abroad. Obama, with the image of being a man of peace, would have greater credibility with the American people in pursuing a hardline policy toward Iran than either Bush or McCain, especially after he would pursue an effort at diplomacy, without offering any substantial quid pro quo to Iran.

And Obama would be pushed in this direction by the neocons outside his administration and the hawks within.

Once diplomacy broke down, tougher measures would be portrayed as the only alternative with an allegedly intransigent foe. Policies such as a naval blockade would likely lead to military confrontations and the justification for the US air attack on Iran. The Iranian response (such as an effort to block the shipping in the Persian Gulf) would cause a spiraling into a broader war.

I might add that I discussed Obama's foreign policy picks on Press TV. The show was "American Dream" and I was on a panel with an AEI person and a Democratic Party operative. Except for my physical appearance, I think I did fairly well in the discussion.

The program also mentioned my book, "The Transparent Cabal: The Neoconservative Agenda, War in the Middle East, and the National Interest of Israel" http://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Cabal ... 1932528172

Press TV Interview Video

http://www.presstv.com/Programs/player/ ... x?id=76622

It was the Nov. 25 show. To view you must hit "windows media player"

PressTV is funded by the Iranian government but it has numerous Establishment participants, including neoconservatives, who are hostile toward Iran. The "American Dream" is an illustration. The host of the program, Elliott Francis, is an African-American television journalist.

Here is Wikipedia's description:

Elliott Francis is a Washington, D.C.-based television journalist

Elliott Francis brings more than 25 years of experience in news reporting to his role as co-anchor for ABC-7's Weekend News. An Emmy Award winning journalist, and former anchor and regional correspondent for The Fox News Channel, Elliott has sparked compelling and informative conversation with many top newsmakers and celebrities.

(Needless to say, I was not one of the aforementioned "top newsmakers and celebrities.")

http://www.rense.com/general84/obmm.htm