Israel is empowering al Qaeda, Petraeus warns

[laststeamtrain]

Israel is empowering al Qaeda, Petraeus warns

by Paul Woodward on March 16, 2010



As erupting violence in Jerusalem suggests a third intifada may soon take hold, the CENTCOM commander Gen David Petraeus, testifying before the US Senate Armed Services Committee today, gave a grave warning about the wider impact of a conflict that has been the epicenter of Middle East hostilities ever since the creation of Israel.

In issuing his warning, Petraeus — arguably the most influential even if not the highest ranking member of the US military — was reiterating a statement he made almost a year ago. The only difference between what he said in April 2009 and what he said today, was that he now acknowledges al Qaeda is being strengthened by the conflict.

He now says:

"The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the AOR . Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas."

If such a statement was being made outside the American political arena, it could be regarded as a rather bland expression of what has long been utterly obvious. Yet from the lips of a celebrated general, regarded by many as a potential future president, these words come as a bombshell.

Neoconservatives and the Israel lobby have worked hard and long to obscure the deeply corrosive regional impact of a conflict that successive Israeli leaders have either been unwilling or seemingly incapable of resolving. Others, who earlier said what Petraeus now says, have either been dismissed as poorly informed or worse, branded as anti-Israeli or by insinuation, anti-Semitic.

No such charge will stick to Petraeus. Indeed, if the Israel lobby was so foolhardy as to try and go after an American general who sometimes gets treated like a latterday Eisenhower, the lobby will be at dire risk of being visited by its own greatest fear: being branded as anti-American. ... http://warincontext.org/2010/03/16/israel-is-empowering-al-qaeda-petraeus-warns/

[bemildred]

1. This is certainly getting interesting.

Not that any of it is good, but interesting.

[laststeamtrain]

3. Soon the chattering class on TV will be using the phrase: Eisenhower Republican.

Not a paranoid loon, not a Wall Street sleaze-ball. A real guy. Smell the aftershave & all that.

It'll play in Peoria.

[theoldman]

2. Although Petraeus has ascended up the ranks by being a good politician

I do not see him running for president. Of course, if the Republicans cannot find another candidate Petraeus would be a good choice. It all depends on the US military situation at the time. If the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have tapered off he will be forgotten.

[ShortnFiery]

9. I'm getting the impression that Petraeus doesn't want to mess with civilian politics.

He can make a mint and earn a truckload of respect and power by retiring and serving as "a graybeard" for corporations comprising the Military Industrial Complex (MIC).

But make no mistake, he's always going to serve his masters (the MIC's continued existence and expansion) FIRST AND FOREMOST.

[troubledamerican]

4. "Petraeus is ANTI-SEMITIC" or "Why don't you LISTEN TO THE GENERALS?" ... What will media side with?

[applegrove]

5. I'm just sick about it all.

[trungpa ricochet]

6. It's about time.

Finally a professional soldier who can see down the road. Israel is provoking this phenomenon to continue playing America for a chump. Put out the fire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and you will see all the other fires die down.

[ShortnFiery]

8. That's exactly what General Anthony Zinni said in 2002 while warning against the invasion of Iraq.

But nobody LISTENED to him. Is President Obama using his valuable negotiating skills now? NOPE! He should be.

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/zinni.html

The Middle East peace process, in my mind, has to be a higher priority. Winning the war on terrorism has to be a higher priority. More directly, the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Central Asia need to be resolved, making sure Al Qaeda can't rise again from the ashes that are destroyed. Taliban cannot come back. That the warlords can't regain power over Kabul and Karzai, and destroy everything that has happened so far.

[Larkspur]

7. Petraeus just killed any chance he might have had to get the GOP Prez nomination

The Xtian Fascists will burn his effigy if he tries to run for the GOP Prez nomination in the future. They want the Rapture to happen in their lifetimes and hell or highwater no general will stop them.

For me, I'm glad that Petraeus is saying this. It's been true for a long time, but I'm sure it's getting worse, and if resolving the I-P conflict comes down as a choice between backing Israel right or wrong and the saftey of our troops and mission in other Muslim lands, then I'll side with Petraeus on this one.

[Kolesar]

16. I would like to see Obama and Petraeus competing to "out do" each other on this issue

Were Petraeus to run for president.
I think you are right about ... the right, though.

[Doctor_J]

10. Holy crap. WTF is with this guy?

Rethink DADT and Blame Israel in the same day? what's next? War Crimes trials for Rummy and Smirk?

[ShortnFiery]

11. From you keyboard to God's Ear.

"what's next? War Crimes trials for Rummy and Smirk?" :-) :hi:

[Jefferson23]

12. Never in a million years would I have guessed a military commander

of this stature would have inserted his influence in this conflict.

:yourock:

:popcorn:

[yurbud]

13. Back in the Mersheimer & Walt controversy, I wondered if this would happen:

someday, when our support of Israel becomes to inconvenient to moneyed interests, we would turn on them and cut them loose.

[harkadog]

14. An utterly false OP headline

Petraeus did not say Israel was empowering al-Qaeda. Only someone who was blinded with prejudice against Israel could make that reading. He said the conflict was allowing al-Qaeda to mobilize support. Only if you think Israel wants a conflict could you twist his words into the OP headline.

[trungpa ricochet]

15. Netanyahu is a man of peace

:puke: