By Ted Belman, AMERICAN THINKER
The Trump administration is dedicated to undoing the harm done by the Obama administration in the Iran Deal. To succeed, it needs the right team.
Most of you have never heard of the Center for Security Policy. That’s about to change because it has a prominent, if not dominant role, in the Trump transition team in matters relating to Iran, Russia, China and Islam. Gone from the corridors of power is the Brookings Institute who have a satellite office in Doha, Qatar and their Vice President and Director for Foreign Policy, Martin Indyk. Soon, Pres Obama, the golfer, Sec’y Kerry, the bicyclist and Sec’y Clinton the failure will also be gone.
The CSP is a think tank created and led by Frank Gaffney Jr. He formerly acted as the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy during the Reagan Administration, following four years of service as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy. Previously, he was a professional staff member on the Senate Armed Services Committee under the chairmanship of the late Senator John Tower, and a national security legislative aide to the late Senator Henry M. Jackson.
The background of other staff members may be found here. Of particular note is Fred Fleitz and Clare Lopez.
Mr. Fleitz served in U.S. national security positions for 25 years at the CIA, DIA, Department of State and the House Intelligence Committee staff. During the administration of President George W. Bush, Mr. Fleitz was chief of staff to John Bolton, then Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. During his tenure with the House Intelligence Committee, he was the staff expert on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs and briefed key National Intelligence Estimates on these issues to committee members.
Ms Lopez, among other credits, is the author of an acclaimed paper for the Center, The Rise of the Iran Lobby and co-author/editor of the Center’s Team B II study, “Shariah: The Threat to America” as well as The Tiger Team’s “The Secure Freedom Strategy: A Plan for Victory Over the Global Jihad Movement.” She co-authored “Gulen and the Gulenist Movement” with CSP’s Vice President for Outreach, Christopher Holton, and “See No Shariah: ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ and the Disarming of America’s First Line of Defense” with Frank Gaffney.
Finally, Alex VanNess is the Director of the Middle East Peace and Security Policy. He writes extensively on issues relating to U.S. defense spending, the U.S./Israel strategic relationship, and the existential threats posed by Islamic fundamentalism.
Closely associated with them is the newly appointed National Security Adviser Gen Michael T Flynn. He had been Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency until Pres Obama forced him to resign because of his vocal opposition to the Iran Deal and his belief that the Islamists were stronger than ever. He recently wrote Field of Flight in which he forcefully argues that the Islamist ideology must be defeated in order to defeat the Islamists.
All of them have positions of influence due to their recognition that the Islamist ideology embodied in Sharia and Jihad must be defeated.
Israel
During the Bush administration and before, AIPAC was a powerful force in Washington. With the Election of President Obama and the creation of J Street, it began to lose considerable power. It no longer was the sole voice for American Jewry. In addition, the Democratic Party, which was its power base, was moving to the left and away from supporting Israel.
With the election of Donald J Trump, it lost even more influence due to the fact that a big majority of American Jews voted for Clinton and were anti-Trump. In addition, its public policies are to the left of Trump leaving them in an awkward position. They would have to support settlements and be flexible on the Two-State solution to be of any value to Israel. I don’t see that happening.
On the other hand, the Zionist Organization of America, which had been shunned by Obama, is replacing AIPAC as the leading Jewish voice. Its policies are totally aligned with those of the Trump administration in the making. And, of course, so are the views of the soon to be appointed US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, an orthodox Jew who supports the settlement enterprise and annexation of all or part of the West Bank. Also, Trump’s son in law, Jared Kushner an orthodox Jew is slated to be one of his key advisers on Israel and he too is supportive of the settlement enterprise.
On Dec 15/16, at an elegant gala in New York City, the Center for Security Policy conferred awards on Ron Dermer, Israeli Ambassador to the United States and Mort Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America. Judge Jeanine Pirro, a stalwart supporter of Trump and Israel, introduced them. Video messages from Carolyn Glick and David Horowitz were viewed. And many other people who are in the frontlines of fighting Islamists were in attendance.
The first priority for the Trump administration is to neuter the Iran Deal. DEBKA reported that The Trump team is drawing up a deal more to its liking which will probably remove any possibility of Iran getting a bomb in 10 years and require them to abandon terror and terror groups. To get them to agree, the US has to have leverage. Russia is the key to this. But why should Russia agree? She obviously has to be induced.
It is in the interests of the US and Israel that Russia and Iran not get full control of Syria and Iraq unless an enforceable agreement can be reached akin to a peace agreement. Its either that or force must be mustered to stop them. As part of that agreement Israel would get to keep the Golan and Syria would agree to create a large buffer where no military activities would be allowed. That buffer would also extend to the land adjacent to Jordan.
In any scenario, the US must fully embrace Israel as a partner. The US has no military presence in the Middle East outside of a few aircraft carriers. Thus, the presence of the Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF) on the front lines greatly strengthens the US’s ability to project power immediately. This will add to her leverage.
It is also in the interests or the US to strengthen Israel by supporting a solution to the Palestinian problem in which Israel gets to annex all of Judea and Samaria (West Bank). The Palestinians would get autonomy only. Plus, the US must get the UN and the EU off Israel’s back. This will normalize Israel and enable her to play a larger regional role to the benefit of the US.
Furthermore, as ISIS is brought to heal in Syria and Iraq, it will foster terror cells all over the world. Gen Flynn is tasked with not only defeating ISIS but defeating the Islamic ideology that fuels it. Israel, who has the most experience in fighting terrorism and the best intelligence, will be of great help and a willing partner. All the more reason, she must be normalized.
Finally, strengthening cyber security has become a national imperative. Once again Israel is one of the leading experts.
With these challenges in mind, Trump has surrounded himself with the right people.
First there is the team at CSP who are dedicated to defeating the radical Islamic ideology who will support Gen Michael T Flynn in this endeavor. This is of particular importance if the State Department is not cooperative. It will lessen dependence on it.
He has embraced strong Zionists, including ZOA, Friedman and Kushner who can help and direct him in how best to normalize Israel.
Finally he has nominated Rex Tillerson to be his Secretary of State. Who better to find a way to bring Russia on board.
ADDENDUM
Since this article was written, Obama again stabbed Israel in the back by permitting and encouraging a UNSC resolution which freezes Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria and fixes the “auschwitz borders” as the final borders. Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle are up in arms vowing to punish the UN and the PA for pushing it through. It will be up to Trump to back a solution in defiance of this resolution. His team is well suited to the task.
@ yamit82:
Doesn’t explain political correctness and no-go zones, though. Probably a bit of both. Arab birth rate dropping too. But not Israel’s. You recall the article I posted, Israel’s Jewish population will be bigger — and younger — than Poland or Germany by end of century. Like Joseph in Egypt. If I were religious, I might ask if they were all being punished. Hmmm?
Sebastien Zorn Said:
No not guilt but demographic necessity. Birthrate in Germany is now 1.3 and 2.1 is needed to maintain population growth. Germany has an aging population and a heavy burden of social welfare obligations so they need to increase population with young immigrants. The same can be said for all of Europe not one country today has a birthrate over 1.6-1.9..
The new Adm. must be on a kind of “War Footing” from day ONE! Numerous complex and grave issues and many enemies!!! And Europe is NOT on the side of the US! Far from that.
Trump Picks Ex-Bush Aide Thomas Bossert to Be Top Counterterrorism Adviser
Correction: indochina not indonesia.
In the long run, however it is done, politically incorrect and unpalatable as it is today, Kahane was right. The only solution is to fulfill the conditions of the San Remo Convention restoring all of Israel from the river to the sea to Jewish sovereignty and complete the process of population transfer begun in 1948 but hopefully without the violence of that other population transfer of 1949 between the predominantly Hindu India and predominantly Muslim Pakistan. Kahane didn’t believe it would require a violent uprooting. Once they saw it was a done deal, they would happily go. They already are leaving, even without incentives. Probably save a lot of lives, too. It’s often like that. Have to see the forest not just the trees. A lot fewer people died as a result of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, than were projected to die as a result of the ground invasion that didn’t happen. Japanese and Americans, especially Americans. Turns out their projections were too modest. Conversely, way more people died in Indonesia as a result of our leaving than died in the war, and our people wound up dying for nothing. Other than the honor of the thing.
I just read that there is talk that Kerry will officially announce American recognition of Pal statehood a week before Jan. 20, effectively tying Trump’s hands. Would that tie Trump’s hands? How could he nullify that? Is such a declaration binding? Does this conflict with the clause in the Constitution that says only the Senate can ratify treaties, like the Iran deal does? Or can it be nullified by reinterpreting the language to mean something other than what it says, as the U.N. is so fond of doing, e.g., resolutions 242 and 338, as well as article 4 of the Geneva Convention? It’s very religious of them, come to think of it. That’s how civilized religions modernize and survive. I could just kill myself to death laughing. Or crying. Gosh, I’m a lucky guy — you know; I feel just like a kid in a candy store. So many choices. I’m veritably having what I call a “Moscow On the Hudson Moment.”
Moscow On The Hudson Coffee Coffee Coffee
https://youtu.be/VHIcmoY3_lE
Moscow On The Hudson (1984) Robin Williams
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087747/
Ted Belman Said:
LOL, what he has in mind is giving the land to the pals and the settlements remaining under pal rule… in that way he is “true” to his statement that he will not repeat gaza by uprooting jews. he will leave them there and the pals will say they can have dual citizenship… nudge nudge wink wink
looks like you still beleive BB wants Israel to have YS, he will just take the major blocks and leave the pals the bulk of the vacant land and keep some military outposts. I wrote of this scenario put out years ago this is why there are no new settlements and he has removed all discussion of NEW jewish settlements outside the major blocks. Perhaps even BB is part of this resolution drama…. if he intends to give them the land then he must get Israelis accustomed to want to give them the land… and in fact.. everything that BB has done is to get Israelis accustomed to a limited specific area.. within the major blocks.
So, if we have hordes of “brainwashed homicidal maniacs” running around free, annexing alone will not solve the problem. We need a solution where the local government will be held to account for any misdeeds, something like the statements that come up every so often about Hamas in the Gaza strip. We need rules in place that will cause the so called leaders to suffer if any of their constituents commit terror.
An all out economic and ideological war on Iran is needed to force her to spit out her “indispensable Nuke tech”. Nuke capacity is her only way to assure the survival of the fanatical mullah’s ideology!
Suspending the Boeing & Airbus deals could be a starting point.
Russia economy can be significantly more damaged if Putin does not see where his interests lie. Putin & Trump can achieve great deals together. But I wouldn’t trust Putin for a picosecond, therefore the US must keep leverage on Putin at all times.
This is just a beginning (appetizer).
No need for boots on the ground, no need for Bush kind of war, no need to give up on allies like the Obama did with the Iranian people and Israel.
@ Ted Belman:
So long as autonomy does not confer two sets of laws and ban Jews from buying land from willing Arab sellers and living where they choose. And how to protect Israel’s Jewish population from the potential terrorists who will have free access to the rest of Israel? No more road blocks. No martial law for Arabs. Glick’s plan gave them only residency and a path to citizenship, at least. It’s not about demographics. This is about tens of thousands of additional brainwashed homicidal maniacs having unfettered access. And Israel has no death penalty. If necessary, better than nothing as a start just so Jewish title to the whole land is established. But, I prefer martial law for Arabs with some conditional representation perhaps from the traditional clan leadership in a modified version of McCarthur’s handling of post-war Japan. In the debate between Dershowitz and Kahane on youtube, which I posted earlier, Kahane points out that in the early years of the state, the Arabs in Israel lived under martial law. This is a population in serious need of de-nazification, as Stephen Plaut pointed out. That could take generations. Those that stay. It took generations in Germany. But now, just over seventy years later, the Germans have become so liberal, so tolerant, that, out of pity and a mis-placed sense of White, European, Liberal guilt they took in massive numbers of third world Muslim migrants, Hitler’s former proteges, who, in their turn, are bringing eliminationist anti-semitism and fascism back. Oy. Such irony.
@ WoolyMammoth:
How is the Glick book obsolete?
@ WoolyMammoth:
I fully expect a Ch 7 resolution before Jan 20.
As for the Palestinians, Bibi made reference to a solution where nobody has to be evacuated, Jews or Arabs. So if what he has in mind is that Israel annexes all the land and then gives the Arabs permanent autonomy. So the PA must be removed from power and then Israel and the US figure out just how this will work and then impose it.
Obama is not finished yet. Expect more resolutions in The UNSC prior to January 20.
What will Israel do with the so called “Palestinians, Ted. Not the obsolete Glick Book?