Steve Rosen: The Guy Who Got Freeman Speaks (and Speaks and Speaks)
This is a great profile of Steve Rosen, who led the anti-Freeman effort. Fascinating.
The article has one thing wrong. The Nightflower memo was not disclosed by Jeff Goldberg of the New Yorker. It was disclosed by me to reporter, Chuck Babcock, of the Washington Post. Rosen wrote the Nightflower memo to me on August 3, 1982, my first day at AIPAC (I worked there for four years, and, other than Rosen, I enjoyed the job. I left to take another one; my politics on the Middle East did not change until 1993 and Oslo).
I kept the memo and, years later, after Rosen succeeded in purging three of my former colleagues, I gave a copy of the memo to the Post where it was first published. The full text.
To:MJ
From: Steve
A lobby is a nightflower
It thrives in the dark
And dies in sunlight
Remember: The Walls Have Ears.
This is the guy who robbed our government of the services of a dedicated, patriotic American who bears no resemblance to the libelous picture Rosen (and his fellow travelers) painted of him. Pathetic.
This is becoming very confusing. Rosen is alleged to be part of the "Israel Lobby," the charter member of which is AIPAC, and which exerts a stranglehold over US policy in the Middle East, precluding any legitimate criticism of Israel by US policymakers. The influence of the said Israel Lobby is alleged to have been so significant that it is at least partly responsible for the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq. The influence was not sufficient, however, to prevent AIPAC's foreign policy chief from being indicted by the Bush administration justice department for allegedly violating the Espionage Act of 1917, a prosecution that even Rosen's foes seem to acknowledge was politically motivated and unwarranted. As a result of said prosecution, Rosen was fired by AIPAC and is now suing the organization. From his exile, Rosen is alleged to have spearheaded the effort to scuttle the nomination of Chas Freeman for the NIC position. Freeman's supporters claim the campaign against him demonstrates the nefarious influence of the Israel Lobby, the one dominated by AIPAC, which fired Rosen and is being sued by him. MJ Rosenberg, former AIPAC staffer, says the prosecution should be dropped, but the fact of the indictment, as well as AIPAC's decision to fire Rosen, shows that his actions (the ones the Bush administration, under sway of the Israel Lobby, chose to indict him for) nonetheless show that his behavior was beyond the pale. Meanwhile, AIPAC denies any role in the Freeman affair, MJ's colleague at IPF, Tom Dine, seems pleased by Rosen's return, and Rosen, like MJR, apparently supports Obama's foreign policy.
Oy vey! Some lobby.
March 17, 2009 6:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
More fun with the Lobby:
Two relatively obscure academics publish a paper exposing the heretofore secret workings of the Lobby and decrying its chilling effect on frank assessment of US policies in the Middle East. Rather than being chilled, their paper is widely received, despite some demonstrable flaws, expanded into book form and they are hailed as rock stars. Rosen, the champion of secrecy, trumpets his role in scuttling Freeman's nomination, denying others the credit.
March 17, 2009 8:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, American policy is controlled by Tibetian activists. But if you say that, you are called "anti-Buddhist."
Armchair you are so deep in denial it's becoming sad. And I mean Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard sad.
And whatever happened to the Ministry of Absorption's "Progressive Conscience"? Did his/her shift end at the Ministry?
March 19, 2009 10:47 AM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, I don't know that the case against him should be dropped. I didn't say that to the reporter.
Rosen is the most deceitful and duplicitous being I've ever known. God only knows what the government has on him.
I am not pleased by his return. I am disgusted by it.
Also, when it comes to Rosen, God only knows what he's done. Not me.
As Bill Clinton said to me about Netanyahu in 1997, when I was telling the Pres something about him, "you don't know the half of it, my friend."
March 17, 2009 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tell us how you really feel...
March 17, 2009 8:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, I will.
He's a Stalinist thug. You happy now!
March 17, 2009 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe the FBI agents who outed Franklin and Rosen were rogue, and didn't wait for approval from Mueller/Ashcroft.
Also, Franklin's charges were reduced from espionage to disclosing classified information, I believe, because of the political ramifications to our "special relationship."
Keep the sunlight coming M.J.!
March 17, 2009 8:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think someone tipped CBS off about the FBI op and they reported it prematurely, producing a weak indictment.
March 17, 2009 8:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
And potentially stunting a wider investigation, perhaps. Then again, hard to say if the case would have seen the light of day without the tip-off. I don't know what to conclude.
March 17, 2009 9:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wish the MSM would do some real reporting about all these "untouchable lobbies," including AIPAC, Cuba Lobby, and the NRA.
As you've said MJ, changing how we finance elections would change many substantive postions. We would really find out how many Members of Congress really support the positions they espouse and how many just sing for their supper.
March 19, 2009 10:51 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is interesting and important stuff, but I would also like to know when and how Obama & Co. are going to finally end the eight year streak of a doing-nothing US policy towards the Mideast.
When will the US recognize a Palestinian state on the West Bank (or, to be consistent, de-recognize the Israeli state)?
When will it get serious about cutting support for Israeli settler-terrorists (or, to be consistent, take no credible stance against Palestinians using terrorism as a "bargaining chip")?
What is the strategy for helping protect Congress members who would like to make statements on the Mideast that are not pre-approved/pre-packaged by AIPAC or worse?
It is early days for Obama, and I don't expect immediate answers to these points, but they ultimately count for more than what Mr. Rosen said or didn't say 16 years ago or this year.
March 17, 2009 8:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rosen's note to M.J. reminds me of Scooter Libby's note to Judith Miller:
"You went into jail in the summer. It is fall now. You will have stories to cover--Iraqi elections and suicide bombers, biological threats and the Iranian nuclear program. Out West, where you vacation, the aspens will already be turning. They turn in clusters, because their roots connect them. Come back to work---and life. Until then, you will remain in my thoughts and prayers."
Maybe Libby was inspired by Rosen's poetry, if Rosen passed out notes like that often.
Maybe we can put together a book of Neocon poetry. Any other known examples?
A cabal is like a night owl
Multiplied more than thrice
It sees all with a perma-scowl
and feeds on unsuspecting mice
March 17, 2009 9:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
While I disagree with him on many issues, Pat Buchanon had a nice riposte for Mr. Rosen:
March 17, 2009 10:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not exactly on point but close
The NyT is up with an article ...Israel perceives that it simply has a PR problem ...Solution - $2 million more for the Israel Lobby "We need 40 million, 50!"
Rich isn't it
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/19/world/middleeast/19israel.html?hp
March 18, 2009 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink