Dear Friend:
Middle East events are evolving—exploding—in a number of ways. Your Council for the National Interest is carefully researching news stories from around the world, collecting information from our exclusive sources, and analyzing this intelligence methodically. There is too much at stake to have too few facts.
That’s why we rely on our Executive Director Phil Giraldi. He has looked behind the scenes and is providing up-to-date evaluations of what is happening with the Israel lobby and how it manipulates America’s foreign policy. Consider his article “Once More into the Breach,” in which he observes:
“There is a fundamental issue at stake here. That is, does the United States have a national interest in its dealings with the countries in the Middle East that is fundamentally distinct from the Israeli interests?”
Friends and allies in this fight need to read this story. My first urgent request: will you send the link to them as well as to the media? Yes, many in the media are confused and even hostile, but many are interested in hearing the other side—that’s the proper role of a journalist. This is an urgent action item because it places the larger questions about the Israel lobby on the table, when some want to look anywhere but there for news and information. CNI is staying on target when it comes to the machinations of the Israel lobby.
Second urgent request: here is a link to the latest backgrounder CNI regularly produces for distribution—I’m asking you to download and print it up for distribution as well. The backgrounder, “A Question of Sovereignty,” is an exposé of how the Israel lobby is maneuvering America into military action against Iran. Once again, while heads are turned towards the TV images of Middle East protests, the march for war goes on at a quicker step. As Phil puts it:
“It is perhaps inevitable that Israel, given its access to the US media and the inside-the-beltway crowd as well as its powerful lobby, would attempt to steer America’s foreign policy in a direction that it would find congenial. This has been nowhere more evident than in the sustained campaign to move the United States in the direction of war with Iran …”
And the Israel lobby has its agenda and options focused on the delicate issue of timing when it comes to making war—whether it serves U.S. interests is meaningless. Start a war now? Not likely. As an “October surprise” just before the election? Perhaps not. After the new year? Well, here’s the analysis from “A Question of Sovereignty:”
“It is necessary to create the conditions to buy more time for Israel to delay a possible attack until 2013, so that, as Yadlin [Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israel’s military intelligence] puts it, ‘Israelis must know that they will not be left high and dry if these options fail’ … Israel knows it cannot successfully attack Iran unilaterally and must have the United States along for the ride to do the heavy lifting.”
Please print CNI’s backgrounder and mail it to members of Congress with a note asking: “Do you support a war with Iran? Are you willing to sacrifice more American lives to do Israel’s ‘heavy lifting?’ How much is too much?”
Finally, we’ve just come through a very slow summer season. Summer travels and the economy had an impact on what we are trying to accomplish. Frankly, CNI is stretched as far as we can go. While you think of it, will you support our ongoing work with a tax deductible gift of $50 or $75 or even $35? Yes, this is my third urgent request. We must catch-up from the July-August season, while moving ahead at full speed to keep up with the Israel lobby. Will you help? A donation of $100 or $1000 is very much needed so we may produce more backgrounder papers and on a timely basis.
CNI supporters are a prime motivation for us. Gifts of $15 or $1500 are often accompanied by “keep up the fight” messages. That does indeed keep your Council for the National Interest working overtime.
Please note: Whether you can contribute now or not, getting the word out to friends, allies, the media, and Congress is urgent. I hope to hear from you soon.
Gratefully,
Alison Weir
President
P.S. I hope you’ll the a minute to read my tribute to the brave journalist and publisher Alexander Cockburn. He was a friend and an effective ally in our shared beliefs.
P.P.S. You can also find CNI’s backgrounder directly on our website.
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