What exactly is the "Foundation For The Defense of Democracies"?

[leftchick]

It sounds like another neocon program for eternal wars....



U.S. President George W. Bush speaks about the U.S. military involvement in Iraq while at the Dorothy Betts Marvin Theatre at the George Washington University in Washington March 13, 2006. REUTERS/Larry Downing

Some neo- freaks happened to be on hand...

[meegbear]

1. Have you tried checking the internets?

Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) was founded two days after the September 11, 2001 attacks. Although FDD is nominally bipartisan, right-wing Republicans direct the policy institute, which focuses on “terrorism, the ideologies that drive terrorism, and the policies that can most effectively eradicate terrorism.” In its view, the "major ideological threat to democracies comes from Islamic extremism and rogue states," which are the "leading supporters of terrorism and totalitarianism." In keeping with its neoconservative ideology, FDD advocates that the "United States should lead the war of ideas in the battle between freedom and totalitarianism." (1)

Republican Party insiders dominate FDD's board and staff. FDD's three board members are Steve Forbes, Jack Kemp, and Jeane Kirkpatrick. Its two “distinguished advisers” are Newt Gingrich and James Woolsey, while other advisers include Gary Bauer, Richard Perle, William Kristol, Walid Phares, Charles Krauthammer, and Frank Gaffney—all prominent neoconservative figures with multiple links to the Defense Policy Board, Center for Security Policy, American Enterprise Institute, Weekly Standard, and Project for the New American Century. Among FDD's advisers are also several prominent Democrats associated with the Democratic Leadership Council and the Progressive Policy Institute, including Donna Brazzile, a close associate of Sen. Joseph Lieberman; and Sen. Zell Miller (D-GA).(2)

<snip>

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1475

[TahitiNut]

3. "founded two days after the September 11, 2001 attacks"

Sure did catch 'em by surprise, huh? :eyes:

[rpgamerd00d]

2. RW Think Tank

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Foundation_for_the_Defense_of_Democracies

The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) is a think tank that claims to conduct "research and education on international terrorism - the most serious security threat to the United States and other free, democratic nations. FDD produces independent analyses of global terrorist threats, as well as of the historical, cultural, philosophical and ideological factors that drive terrorism, and which threaten democracies and the individual freedoms guaranteed within democratic societies." <1> (http://www.defenddemocracy.org/about_FDD/about_FDD_show.htm?doc_id=169256&attrib_id=7615) FDD was created two days after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Origins of FDD

An enhanced view of FDD's origins is expressed in the 17 November 2003 issue of The American Conservative article by Daniel McCarthy, "Most Favored Democracy" (http://www.amconmag.com/11_17_03/article1.html):

In early 2001, a tightly knit group of billionaire philanthropists conceived of a plan to win American sympathy for Israel's response to the Palestinian intifada. They believed that the Palestinian cause was finding too much support within crucial segments of the American public, particularly within the media and on college campuses, so they set up an organization, Emet: An Educational Initiative, Inc., to offer Israel the kind of PR that the Israeli government seemed unable to provide itself.

At first, Emet floundered, without an executive director or a well-defined mission. But that changed after Sept. 11, and Emet changed too, into what is now the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. The name is different, but the goal of influencing America's opinion-forming classes remains.

What makes all of this possible is the support the foundation receives from its billionaire backers. Its nearly $3 million annual budget comes from 27 major donors, most of whom are members of "the Study Group"--also sometimes called the "Mega Group" because of their sizeable contributions--a semi-formal organization of major Jewish philanthropists who meet twice a year to discuss joint projects.

Leonard Abramson was the point man for establishing Emet. He, Michael Steinhardt, and Edgar Bronfman were the foundation's board of directors at the time of its incorporation in the spring of 2001.

[EFerrari]

4. Every time I see one of these Orwellian titles, my skin crawls.

It's how I knew what Help America Vote would really do.

[donkeyotay]

5. Yep, you can take the short cut when investigating the crime wave

HAVA was about helping the GOP-CIA steal elections and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is something like Another Money Laudering Front to Overthrow a Legitimate Government and Invade a Sovereign Nation Making Our Nasty, Crooked GOP Selves RICH in the process.

[EFerrari]

6. See? We are now officially bilingual. We are fluent in GOP. nt