WASHINGTON — A newsletter-publisher said to have ties with the Obama
administration has called on Washington to end its strategic alliance with
Israel.
George Friedman, publisher of Stratfor, has published a book
that called on the Obama administration to reorder U.S. foreign policy.
Friedman has argued that the key
element of the proposal required the end of U.S. strategic ties with Israel
and bolstering of cooperation with the Islamic world, particularly Iran and
Pakistan.
"The United States must quietly distance itself from Israel," Friedman
says in his book, titled "The Next Decade." "It must strengthen — or at
least put an end to weakening — Pakistan."
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This marked the second U.S. strategist to call for a revision of
Washington's alliance with Israel. Last year, a former consultant to Obama,
Anthony Cordesman, argued that the U.S. strategic alliance with Israel was
harming Washington's interests in the Middle East, Middle East Newsline reported.
Friedman's organization includes former intelligence officials and enjoys ties with the Obama administration, Middle East Newsline reported.
Acknowledging that his proposal would be regarded as
controversial, Friedman said under Obama and former President George Bush,
Washington has been in a confrontation with the Islamic world, which
consists of one billion people, as part of the "obsessive" U.S. war against
Al Qaida.
Instead, a U.S. withdrawal of support for Israel, which receives $3
billion a year in American aid, would restore balance in the Middle East,
Friedman argued. He said Washington's recent policy has destabilized the
region as well as bolstered Indian dominance of Pakistan.
"Owing largely to recent U.S. policy, those balances are unstable or no
longer exist," Friedman said. "The
Israelis are no longer constrained by their neighbors and are now trying to
create a new reality on the ground."
"The Pakistanis have been badly weakened by the war in Afghanistan, and
they are no longer an effective counterbalance to India. And, most
important, the Iraqi state has collapsed, leaving the Iranians as the most
powerful military force in the Persian Gulf area," Friedman said.
The book also called on Washington to recognize Iran as the new power in
the Middle East. Friedman argued that Washington must arrange a detente with
Teheran similar to that with China in the 1970s and the Soviet Union in the
1940s. He said Iran already dominates neighboring Iraq.
"And in the spirit of Roosevelt's entente with the USSR during World War
II, as well as Nixon's entente with China in the 1970s, the United States
will be required to make a distasteful accommodation with Iran, regardless
of whether it attacks Iran's nuclear facilities," Friedman said. "These
steps will demand a more subtle exercise of power than we have seen on the
part of recent presidents."
Friedman said the
decline in U.S. support for Israel must mark the first step in a revised
American foreign policy. He said this was vital for what he termed the
survival of
the U.S. empire.
"The United States is a commercial republic, which means that it lives
on trade," Friedman said. "Its tremendous prosperity derives from its own
assets and virtues, but it cannot maintain this prosperity and be isolated
from the world. Therefore, if the United States intends to retain its size,
wealth, and power, the only option is to learn how to manage its disruptive
influence maturely."
Comments
Realist wrote: "when the Israeli's doing to the Palestinians just like what Hitler did to them". Realist, that's simply false and outrageous. Either you do not know anything about either 1) Israeli actions toward Palestinians and 2) what the Nazis did, or you are simply a demagogue that knowingly hurls accusations without any truthfulness.
Jerry
5:35 p.m. / Monday, January 17, 2011
Dear Realist,
I never knew my grandfather as he was murdered in Auschwitz. He was one of 1.5 million Jews, many of them was burned in ovens by Nazis.
Their ashes were used for fertilizer and attempts were made at making soap from other remains.
My father was saved by a Christian family and at the age of 8 he fled to Poland where he emigrated to Israel.
Eventually he married and raised 4 boys. One served as an officer in IAf, one served as a pilot in IAF, one served as solider in infantry and me, the least successful, in the armored corps as a tank commander.
We were raised with very solid moral values, respect for human rights and mankind regardless of ethnicity, religion or sex.
None of us raised a finger against an innocent Palestinian and of course we never burn a Palestinian alive nor tried to make soap out of the remains.
Accusing Israel of making genocide against the Palestinians is at is best ignorance, something which is in no short supply among the radical left who still consider the mass murderer Ernesto "Che" Guevara a freedom fighter.
Do you know that from the beginning of the Israeli Arab conflict Jews and Arab has roughly the same number of causlties. Is this a genocide?!?!
Either you are ignorant or evil.
Roey, from Israel
1:47 p.m. / Sunday, January 16, 2011
Why do people listen to these hacks. Because they once had a postion of power, but were inept at keeping it while employed. Iran wants to rule the world and implement Sharia. Bow down? I don't think so. I agree with the other comment. Time to break ties with the Arab states. They are the true cuase of discontent in the world. Wake up sheeple and open your eyes, to see the edge of the cliff they are driving you towards.
MatthewJoseph
8:47 a.m. / Saturday, January 15, 2011
Which planet is Friedman living on ?
Bert McLeod
12:24 a.m. / Saturday, January 15, 2011
Funny how people call the Islamic world Nazis when the Israeli's doing to the Palestinians just like what Hitler did to them. America is being held back by a foreign policy that has unconditional support for Israel. Now, that will be the downfall of the U.S. Also, saying that U.S. strength as a moral country is what should support Israel is funny. Why support a country that has no morals?
Realist
6:49 p.m. / Friday, January 14, 2011
I always believed that the strength of U.S lays in its higher moral values and not in its military power and wealth.
Without moral values neither wealth nor military power can exists for the long term.
Supporting Islamic countries is like supporting tyranny and human rights abuse, especially against woman.
Since the U.S and it citizens are a source of good in this world, I expect that it will continue defending us from 20 or so countries which still, after more then 60 years, wants to destroy us. (I really don’t know why...)
Roey, from Israel
11:20 a.m. / Friday, January 14, 2011
Mr. Friedman has moved to the position that has long been advocated by proponents of abandoning Israel: Support of Israel is bad for trade, and complicates the U.S. diplomatic and military positions in the world. France and the UK have already adopted and implemented the policy advocated by Mr. Friedman, but it is not clear that their commerce has benefited as a result. Since those countries may be on the way toward becoming Islamic states, by virtue of their growing Muslim populations, the issue for them may simply be one of timing.
Consideration of support for Israel should reflect consideration of support for Saudi Arabia and Jordan, as well. The Kings Abdullah, rulers of those countries, do not enjoy the popular support of their peoples, but rather, have remained in power through force of arms. Interestingly, the enemies who threaten their reign are the same enemies who threaten destruction of Israel. Since Israel would regard an attack on either of those countries as a threat to its security, a potential Israeli response has served to deter would-be attackers. In that respect, the U.S. support of Israel has also served to support Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. support of Israel has enabled the U.S. to restrain Israel from military attacks when Israel was attacked or threatened. Elimination of U.S. support would also serve to reduce or eliminate U.S. influence over Israeli action. For example, when the imminent Iranian nuclear weapon capability was clear, the U.S. prevented an Israeli preemptive attack on Iran. In the absence of influence, the U.S. might resort to military action against Israel in order to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran. As another indication of the relationship of Israeli and Saudi interests, it has recently been reported that Saudi King Abdullah strongly urged an Israeli attack on Iran.
With the notable exception of Iraq, the U.S. has principally been aligned with Sunni Muslim governments. Iraq has been progressively falling under the influence of its Shiite neighbor, Iran. The historic and current conflicts between the Sunnis and Shia are far more violent and destructive than anything that has occurred between the Muslim countries and Israel. Mr. Friedman envisions a detente with Iran, and shoring up of Pakistan, as the prize for the U.S. abandoning Israel.
One should be careful what one wishes for.
Syd Chaden
5:23 p.m. / Thursday, January 13, 2011
The moment America turns its back on Israel is the moment God turns its back on America.
Timothy
3:04 p.m. / Thursday, January 13, 2011
Have all the Arab states recognize Israel's right to exist as a country.
george goldman
12:30 p.m. / Thursday, January 13, 2011
America: end your alliance with Islamic Nazi regimes, restore the Balfour, return Pakistan to India, make Lebanon Christian.
Britain's creation of ficticious Islamic Regimes, states which never existed 120 years ago - has already caused millions of lives. End the falsehood of Pretend Palestineans who are part of the Nazi Brotherhood.
BUTSeriously
6:36 p.m. / Wednesday, January 12, 2011
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