ACV Democratic News: Israel Stole Classified US information and Gave it to Congressional Republicans

Israel Stole Classified US information and Gave it to Congressional Republicans

Netanyahu takes Billions of Dollars of Aid from the USA and then spies on us and sells us out and the republicans work hand in hand with him.

The Wall Street Journal's Adam Entous dropped a huge story Tuesday morning: Israel acquired classified US information while spying on the Iranian nuclear negotiations, and leaked the stolen information about the emerging deal to American lawmakers in an attempt to sabotage the Obama
administration's outreach to Tehran.

This is yet another disaster for US-Israel relations. But that's not because Israel acquired classified US information, which honestly isn't that surprising. What's really outrageous is that Israel used the information in a deliberate attempt to manipulate American politics.

No one should be shocked that Israel was spying on the talks. A certain degree of espionage is pretty par for the course in world politics, even among allies. Indeed, as Entous' story repeatedly makes clear, American officials expected Israel to snoop on them. In fact, according to Entous, the US found out about the Israeli spying because it was already spying on Israel:

The White House discovered the operation, in fact, when U.S. intelligence agencies spying on Israel intercepted communications among Israeli officials that carried details the U.S. believed could have come only from access to the confidential talks, officials briefed on the matter said.

But there is a real scandal here, and that's Israel using stolen intelligence as part of a deliberate campaign of messing around with American partisan politics. That's why the White House is angry: "It is one thing for the U.S. and Israel to spy on each other. It is another thing for Israel to steal U.S. secrets and play them back to U.S. legislators to undermine U.S. diplomacy," a senior US official told Entous.

If Entous' reporting is correct, the Israeli government used the leaked information to help Republicans build support for new sanctions among Democrats, which would be necessary to overcome Obama's veto. Israel was using stolen information to help Mitch McConnell and John Boehner foment a Democratic rebellion against the president.

This is the same reason Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress about Iran infuriated so many Democrats this month. The problem wasn't that Netanyahu was invited to Congress; it's that the speech was coordinated with Republicans behind the president's back in a deliberate attempt to undermine his Iran policy.

The spying/briefing allegations suggest the speech was part of a much broader campaign to help Republicans pass new sanctions, a particularly dangerous move by Netanyahu at a time when Israel is at risk of becoming a partisan issue in America.

Allies really aren't supposed to do this sort of thing. Playing partisan domestic politics — and doing it with classified information, no less — positions Israel as the Republican Party's ally, not America's. The fact that Republican interests line up with Israel's in this case doesn't justify crossing these lines.

None of this is to say the Netanyahu government has to just sit down and accept an American Iran policy it opposes. It's perfectly within bounds for Netanyahu to publicly oppose the ongoing negotiations in which international powers are seeking to limit Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for relief on its crippling economic sanctions. It's fine for Netanyahu to lobby the French, who have an important role in the negotiations, to push for more stringent limits on Iran's nuclear program. That's all normal international politics.

But Republicans' vote count in Congress isn't.

The GOP has let you down, sold you out. Their behavior is not what you expected from them and they have taken your vote for granted. It is time to hold them accountable for their treachery.

Boehner Shocked and Baffeled that Israel Spied on Iran talks

House Speaker John Boehner described himself as ‘baffled’ when asked if the actions of the Israelis were appropriate. The House Speaker was so shocked he had lost his color and appeared sober.

House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) said Tuesday he was “shocked” by revelations that Israel spied on closed-door nuclear talks involving the U.S. and then passed information along to U.S. lawmakers.

Mr. Boehner, when asked about The Wall Street Journal report published Monday evening, declined to say whether such actions by the Israelis were appropriate, describing himself as “baffled.”

“I was shocked by the fact that there were reports in this press article that information was being passed on from the Israelis to members of congress,” Mr. Boehner said. “I’m not aware of that at all. I am completely innocent.”

Current and former U.S. officials said the espionage was part of a broader campaign orchestrated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to derail an emerging agreement between a handful of world powers and Iranian officials over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The effort by Israel to share confidential information with U.S. lawmakers in order to build a case against an Iran deal upset the White House, officials said.

When asked, Mr. Boehner said “there was no information revealed to me whatsoever. I know nothing, I was unaware this was going on”

The government of Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday issued statements denying that Israel spies on the U.S.

Convicted of Spying for Israel

His denial makes me think of Jonathan Pollard, an American prison inmate who pleaded guilty in 1987 to selling classified information to Israel while working as a civilian intelligence analyst. He is serving a life sentence in a South Carolina prison for spying for Israel. In November of 2015 he will be considered for parole.

While the U.S. may not be directly targeted, current and former Israeli officials says Israeli intelligence agencies sweep up communications between U.S. officials and parties targeted by the Israelis, including Iran, allowing Israel to piece together the U.S.’s position in the nuclear talks.

Boehner Proclaimed his total and Complete Innocence.

The White House and Mr. Boehner have been at odds for months over the top House Republican’s decision to invite Mr. Netanyahu to speak to Congress earlier this month without first consulting the Obama administration. Mr. Boehner has been critical of the emerging Iran nuclear deal, and is scheduled to visit Israel in the coming weeks to get his marching orders.

June 8, 1967: The Treasonous Israeli Attack on the USS Liberty

Here's an incident you may be unaware of. The USA considering Israel our good friend did its best to bury it.

June 8 is the anniversary of the treasonous Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, and it is a day upon which every freedom-loving American should stop and remember the 34 sailors who were killed and the 174 who were wounded in this Jewish Supremacist false flag operation.

According to former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Thomas Moorer, “Those men were then betrayed and left to die by our own government.” The survivors are still awaiting justice.

What happened to the USS Liberty?

The USS Liberty was a virtually unarmed American navy ship that was attacked by Israeli planes and torpedo boats.

34 American sailors were killed and 172 injured that day, a casualty rate of 70%. This is among the highest casualty rates ever inflicted upon a U.S. naval vessel.

What was Israel’s explanation for the attack?

Israel claimed the attack was “a case of mistaken identity”; that they didn’t know it was an American ship.

Why would we question that explanation more than 30 years later?

The ship’s survivors were afraid to speak out in the early years because of threats of “court martial, prison or worse” if they did not remain silent. However, as time passed, they have stepped forward to say the attack was deliberate. Recently, high government and military officials have suggested that not only was the attack deliberate, but that the US government covered-up the incident. Today, an Independent Commission of Inquiry has found that Israel committed “an act of war” against the United States. In addition, the Navy’s chief attorney to the original 1967 military Court of Inquiry has issued a statement that orders to cover-up the incident were issued by President Lyndon Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara.

Did Israel have reason to believe the USS Liberty was an Egyptian ship?

Israel says its pilots and torpedo boat commanders confused the USS Liberty with the El Quseir, an Egyptian ship allegedly firing upon its forces in the Sinai. But there was no Egyptian naval bombardment that day; nor did the El Quseir (an unarmed 1920s-era horse carrier out of service in Alexandria) bear any resemblance to the Liberty.

Isn’t it difficult to identify a ship if you’re in an airplane?

In 1967, the USS Liberty was the most sophisticated intelligence ship in the world, with dozens of large antennas, including a large moon-bounce “satellite-dish” mounted on a tall structure near the stern. It may have been one of the most easily identifiable ships of any navy in the world. With a displacement of 10,000 tons, it was four times the size of the antique Egyptian transport it is claimed to have resembled. Freshly painted, the Liberty carried large white identification numbers on its bow. Egyptian hull numbers are painted black.

Doesn’t Israel say that the Liberty flew no flag?

According to American survivors, a 5-by-8 feet American flag was hoisted early that morning and was flying all day until it was shot away by attacking aircraft. Within several minutes, it was replaced by the giant 7-by-13 feet holiday ensign, which flew for the duration of the attack.

Could Israel have thought the ship was in a war zone, acting suspiciously?

According to surviving crew members, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft closely studied the Liberty over an eight-hour period prior to the attack, one flying within two hundred feet of the ship. At all times the Liberty was a clearly marked American ship in international waters, proceeding at a speed of only 5 knots.

What was the weather like the day of the attack?

Weather reports confirm that it was a clear day with unlimited visibility. The Israeli reconnaissance planes could have seen the Liberty’s crew sunbathing on the upper decks just before the attack. The flag was flying in a 12-knot breeze for most of the afternoon.

Doesn’t Israel say they ended the attack the minute they saw someone hoist an American flag?

The Israeli attack by combined air and naval forces spanned two hours — as long as the attack on Pearl Harbor. The air attack alone lasted approximately 25 minutes: consisting of more than 30 sorties by approximately 12 separate planes using napalm, cannon, and rockets which left 821 holes in the ship. Following the air attack, three Israeli motor torpedo boats torpedoed the ship, causing a 40’x 40’ wide hole in her hull, and machine-gunning firefighters and stretcher-bearers attempting to save their ship and crew. More than 3,000 machine-gun bullet holes were later counted on the Liberty’s hull. After the attack was thought to have ended, three life rafts were lowered into the water to rescue the most seriously wounded. The Israeli torpedo boats returned and machine-gunned these life rafts at close range. This was followed by the approach of two large Israeli Army assault helicopters filled with armed commandos carrying what appeared to be explosive satchels (they departed after hovering over the ship for several minutes, making no attempt to communicate).

Did the Liberty send out a distress signal when it was under attack?

Throughout the air attack, the Liberty’s radio operators found it difficult to transmit a distress signal because the attacking Israeli aircraft jammed all five of the Liberty’s American, not Egyptian, emergency radio channels. However, a call for help did reach the U.S. Navy command in the Mediterranean.

What was the American response time?

Although American carrier-based air support was only 40 minutes away, help did not reach the USS Liberty for seventeen hours. Navy fighters were launched from the aircraft carriers America and Saratoga while the Liberty was under attack. However, they were quickly recalled by the White House. This is the only instance in American naval history where a rescue mission was cancelled when an American ship was under attack.

Why would Israel have deliberately attacked an American ship?

Israel’s motive for launching the attack has never been determined with certainty. This is why an impartial investigation is critical. One hypothesis is that Israel intended to sink the ship (with no survivors) and blame Egypt because this might have brought the United States into the 1967 war. Another hypothesis is that the Liberty was gathering intelligence about activities that Israel did not want revealed. Examples might include the massacre of Egyptian prisoners of war that was then occurring in the Sinai, as well as Israel’s impending invasion of Syria.

Has the incident been investigated in the past?

Some people say that there have been “thirteen official investigations” all concluding the attack was a case of mistaken identity. Several were conducted by Israel. Upon examination, however, every one is based upon the conclusions of the original 1967 US Navy Court of Inquiry, which accepted the Israeli version, but which has been exposed and discredited by its chief attorney as a cover-up.

Did the surviving crew members testify in the other investigations?

In not one of these “investigations” were any of the Liberty’s surviving crew members permitted to publicly testify.

Why would the White House prevent the rescue of an American ship?

This is, perhaps, the most disturbing question arising out of Israel’s attack. It is why there needs to be a thorough investigation of the actions taken by the White House and the Secretary of Defense. Why did they order the recall of the planes that had been sent to rescue the Liberty? Why did they order that the survivors be silenced and the true facts be withheld from the American people?

Why is this significant for the American people 36 years later?

We have a duty to the crew of the USS Liberty, while the survivors are still alive to testify, and while the perpetrators can be brought to justice. Furthermore, any policies that paralyze our elected leadership to the extent they become unable or unwilling to protect Americans and American interests, endangers not only the safety of all Americans but also the national security of the United States.

Doesn’t America have a special relationship with Israel?

No nation or people should be above the law; nor should American interests be subordinated to the interests of any foreign nation. Those Israelis responsible for ordering the attack and the resulting murder of American sailors must be held accountable for their actions.

Original article at the Council for the National Interest.

There is detailed evidence from Liberty crewmen and other military and intelligence personnel that the Israeli attack was intentional. Numerous extremely high US military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials have espoused this view. Among them are:

Dean Rusk, Secretary of State under LBJ;

Richard Helms, Director of the CIA;

Rufus Taylor, Deputy Director of the CIA;

Clark Clifford, special assistant to the President;

Louis W. Tordella, National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director;

General Marshall Carter, former director, NSA;

Major General John Morrison, US Air Force, Deputy Chief NSA Operations;

Oliver Kirby, former deputy director for operations/production, NSA;

Lieutenant General William E. Odom, former director, NSA;

Louis W. Tordella, National Security Agency (NSA) Deputy Director;

Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, USN, Director NSA 1977-1981;

Paul C. Warnke, Undersecretary of the Navy and later general legal counsel to the Department of Defense;

Rear Admiral Merlin Staring, Staff Legal Office for Commander in Chief US Naval Forces Europe and later Chief Judge Advocate General of the Navy;

George Ball, under secretary of state;

Dwight Porter, US Ambassador to Lebanon;

Lloyd M. “Pete” Bucher, US Navy, Commanding Officer USS Pueblo;

Captain Ward Boston, senior legal counsel for the Naval Court of Inquiry;

Rear Admiral Clarence “Mark” Hill, co-founder of the Naval Aviation Foundation;

Admiral David McDonald, Chief of Naval Operations; and

Vice Admiral Jerome King, Jr., Deputy Chief of Naval Operations.

In 2003 the Moorer Commission, an independent commission headed by Admiral Moorer, reported on Capitol Hill: “There is compelling evidence that Israel’s attack was a deliberate attempt to destroy an American ship and kill her entire crew.”

The Moorer report went on to state, “In attacking the USS Liberty, Israel committed acts of murder against U.S. servicemen and an act of war against the United States.”