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.American
Free Press |
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| ..Vol
VII . .#4 . January 29, 2007 . americanfreepress.net |
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Page 11, AMERICAN
FREE PRESS * January 29, 2007 Behind the Scenes with Michael Collins Piper
Former General,
Presidential Candidate Says
`New York Money' Promotes War
By Michael Collins Piper
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. New York money is not only playing
a big part in 2008 presidential
campaign politics, but it’s also a
driving force behind the ongoing push by pro-Israel fanatics at the highest levels of U.S. policy-making to force the United
States into a senseless war against Iran.
. . .That’s the only conclusion that can be reached based on
a survey of recent news reports—circulating largely within
publications in Israel and in the American Jewish community—
that have not been brought to the attention of most
Americans through the aegis of the so-called “mainstream media.”
. . .It’s almost as if the major media in America is simply
determined to prevent average Americans from knowing
that there are some people who believe that Israel and its well-heeled financial backers in the United States are the primary advocates for U.S. military action against Iran.
. . .Perhaps the most explosive comments in this regard
came from Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), who was a candidate
for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and
who—until now, at least—was considered a likely candidate
for the Democratic nod in 2008. In a recent interview
with columnist Arianna Huffington, Clark said that he believed that the Bush administration is determined to wage war against Iran.
. . .When asked why he believed this, Clark said:
You just have to read what’s in the Israeli press. The
Jewish community is divided but there is so much pressure being channeled from the New York money people to the office seekers.
. . .In short, Clark was saying that powerful New York-based
financial interests (those whom he called “the New York
money people”) are putting pressure on political candidates and incumbent politicians to support a war against Iran.
. . .In fact, Clark is correct. Jewish community newspapers
have indeed noted, time and again over the past several
years, that many in the American Jewish community and in
Israel are urging U.S. military action against Iran. And in
Israel, of course, the bellicose talk of Israel itself attacking Iran is commonly and publicly discussed with free abandon. All of this is little known to the American public.
. . .Despite this, Clark has now come under fire and is being
accused of “anti-Semitism” or otherwise charged with lending
credence to what are dismissed as “anti-Israel and anti-
Jewish conspiracy theories,” which—Clark’s critics say—
suggest that Israel and its supporters are prime movers behind the drive for war.
. . .Because Clark is the son of a Jewish father (although he
didn’t know that until several years ago, having been raised
by a Christian mother and a Christian step-father who never
told Clark of his Jewish heritage), some Jewish leaders are
pulling their punches, recognizing that it sounds somewhat
outlandish to call Clark “anti-Jewish.” But the word is definitely
out in the American Jewish community: “Clark can’t be trusted.”
. . .On Jan. 12, one of the nation’s most distinguished Jewish community newspapers, the New York-based
Forward, carried a front-page story zinging Clark for his
remarks noting that, “The phrase ‘New York money people’
struck unpleasant chords with many pro-Israel activists.
They interpreted it as referring to the Jewish community,
which is known for its significant financial donations to political candidates.”
. . .The fact that Jewish leaders and publications are attacking
Clark for using the term “New York money people” is
ironic, inasmuch as just the week before the furor over
Clark’s comments arose, the same Forward newspaper, in its
own Jan. 5 issue, had a front-page story announcing that
pro-Israel stalwart U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had
lined up significant financial support for his own forthcoming
presidential campaign from those whom—in its
own headline—Forward called “New York money men.”
. . .In that revealing article, describing McCain’s “heavily Jewish finance committee,” Forward announced that, in
recent weeks, “McCain has been signaling that an attention
to Jewish issues will remain on his agenda as his campaign
moves forward.” The Jewish newspaper did not mention
whether McCain will direct any attention to Christian,
Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu issues—or any other issues of concern to other religious groups. The article in Forward made it clear that support from these “New York money
men” is critical in the forthcoming presidential campaign
and that it could be pivotal, whether that money stays in
McCain’s camp or ultimately goes elsewhere.
. . .This information could prove a surprise to grass-roots
Republicans all over America who think (apparently incorrectly)
that they are the ones who actually pick their party’s presidential nominee.
. . .In addition, in light of the fact that Jewish groups have
attacked Clark for suggesting that “New York money people”
were pressuring political candidates to push for war
against Iran, it is interesting to note that Forward pointed
out that one of the key “New York money men” supporting McCain cited the issue of Iran as one of the reasons why he was boosting the Arizona senator.
. . .Dr. Ben Chouake, who is president of the pro-Israel
NORPAC, a political action committee, and a member of
McCain’s finance committee, was cited as having remarked
that Iran is “an immense threat to the United States, and
this is an immense threat to Israel,” and that “the person
that is the most capable, most experienced, most courageous to defend our country, would be John McCain.”
. . .Clearly, the “New York money people” are playing a
major part in the American political arena, throwing their
weight behind who gets elected—and who doesn’t—and
whether or not America goes to war. That’s something that Americans need to know about, but they had better not count on the mass media to tell them about it.
(Issue #5, January 29, 2007, AMERICAN
FREE PRESS)
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