Money talks. $300 Million speaks loudly, all directed, in secret, at Iran. That is a big honey pot, and Obama would be putting it in jeopardy if he were to base his opinion on the findings of the NIE, and not on the people that directly benefit from this secret honey pot.

And sure, Israel appears to be getting a piece of the intel pie (i.e. BushCo sharing it) but IMO neither Bush nor Obama appear to be as heavily influenced/pressured by Israel in this case, they appear to be more influenced by the shadow government that largely consists of the Intelligence/Military/Arms community.

Israel wants to bomb Iran, and Bush said no. Why? If Bush is 100% controlled by AIPAC, then why not do whatever they dictate? Why go against the wishes of Israel if it supposedly owns Bush lock, stock, and barrel? Could it be that $300 Million is a lot of money, and that there are other "covert", i.e. secret, interests involved? Such as our Intelligence Community that thrives in secrets and shadows?

Mr. Greenwald, if Israel is going to claim itself as a Jewish State, then it is implicitly asserted that their policies are based in Judaism. Therefore, it is completely legitamite to understand Israel's policies and actions as an expression and manifestation of Judaic beliefs.

Oh, come on Steele! You know as well as I do that JEWS LIE!!!

Of course they say it "based in Judaism". Naturally they want to use the cover of a peaceful, ancient and politically weak religion as a cloak.

You couldn't figure that out? Gee, Steele, why do the Israelis and the Jews have so much power over you? It really is pathetic.

This is exactly the kind of thinking that led to the tragedy of Willie Horton.

You know what? Spare me. If it wasn't for your boy 43 and his outrageously incompetent prosecution of the "war on terrah" -- idiotic policies you cheered on -- Obama wouldn't have to clean up this mess in the first place.

If we're lucky, and I mean very lucky, he will take advantage of the political cover that may come with post-Bush revelations, (likely to be more spectacular than what we know now, i.e. the tip of the iceberg), to appoint 9/11 type commissions or independent councils to investigate. In the meantime, take heart that with the economy doubling over and threatening to get much much worse, the type of social unrest and upheaval that may well catalyze true transformative change could be at hand (although, as in all things, be careful what you wish for. The outcomes from such upheaval has a checkered record, at best.

Seems like a lot of wishin' going on in that first sentence.

As for the rest: what I, and I presume a lot of other posters here, are deeply concerned about is that Obama's "incremental changes" will do little to forestall the potential for "social unrest and upheaval" you write about. What is required is not incremental change, but visionary leadership that attempts to get out in front of these problems. Based on his statements and proposed appointments, he seems unwilling to take the political risks to do so. And if that's the case, that's hardly the visionary leadership I'd been led to understand Obama represents.

Chris Hedges piece - June 2008:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080608_the_iran_trap/

I don't hate Jews. I hate ass-holes. And if ass-holes defend their ass-ness with Judaism, then it looks like I hate Jews.

You say it is the war industry, I say it is Zionism. I am not denying the war industry's hold on America, what I do believe is that Zionism is using the war industry as a proxy for their agenda. The war industry rests on a foundation of Zionism; Zionism does not rest on a foundation of war profiteering. At least that is my take.

I do blame Christiainity, too. Many Christian Zionists are taking part in this (Biden, Bush, Roger Ailes). But the Neocon Cabal was overwhelmingly Jewish, and their news media minions are overwhelmingly Jewish.

Former CIA Officer, Philip Giraldi on the Coats-Robb Report:

It advocated talking to Tehran to give it a chance to surrender on all key issues before attacking it, urging the next president to build up forces for the assault from day one of the new administration. The task force recommended that U.S. forces should remain in the area after Iran is bombed into submission, vigilant and ready to react to any possible resurgence by the mullahs.

One of the participants who endorsed this Report is being appointed, by Obama, as either the Special Envoy to Iran or the Middle East "Czar" (depending on what report you read).

When it comes to middle east policy, Obama has surrounded himself with hawks - Clinton, Biden, Ross, Lake and Rice (Susan. Iran is the foreign policy crisis to which Biden alluded that - mark his words - would occur within the first six months of the Obama presidency.

Mr. Greenwald, if Israel is going to claim itself as a Jewish State, then it is implicitly asserted that their policies are based in Judaism. Therefore, it is completely legitamite to understand Israel's policies and actions as an expression and manifestation of Judaic beliefs.

The number of states that have "Islam" written in their constitution is a very much larger, and would make the case with much better statistics, e.g., that the OIC (Islamic Conference) states policies and actions are a manifestation of Islamic beliefs.

Zionism has an important seat at the Bilderberg table, but it isn't the only seat. Why didn't Bush give Israel the green light to provide assistance for an Israeli attack Iran?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/01/11/iran.israel.nuclear/

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush rejected several Israeli requests last year for weapons and permission for a potential airstrike inside Iran, the author of an investigative report told CNN.

There are more forces at work than those within the Zioclown faction, e.g. The entrenched bureaucracy of secrets and intelligence. What do the Zioclowns care about things like Guantanamo Bay, torture, surveillance, etc. in AMERICA? They don't. That is why they don't flood UT with apologies for the NSA when GG blogs about spying.

And what is good for the goose is good for the gander, Israel doesn't get to bomb Iran with the help of Uncle Sam (yet), but Israel benefits from the covert ops the US is conducting there, and so does the Intel community, the secrecy barons, and the spook army.