A Wolfowitz in Sheep’s Clothing

Paul Wolfowitz, the chief architect of the Iraq War, now wants the United States to help refugees. No, not the estimated 4.8 million Iraqis forced to flee their homes in a war he and other pro-Israeli neoconservatives planned as far back as 1992. Instead, the unlikely humanitarian, having brought “democracy” to the Iraqi people in 2003, has turned his attention this year to “the plight of North Korean refugees in China.”

In a June 16 Wall Street Journal op-ed entitled “How to Help North Korea’s Refugees,”¹ the visiting scholar at the neoconservative American Enterprise Institute expresses his hope that President Obama and South Korean President Lee, who were meeting that day, would find the time to address “this purely humanitarian issue.”

While it’s hard to imagine any U.S. administration taking anything Wolfowitz says seriously after the Iraq debacle, Americans should still take note. Whenever a Zionist poses as a humanitarian, it can be taken as axiomatic that Israel stands to benefit somehow – often, if not always, at the expense of U.S. interests.

But how, it may be reasonably asked, could Israel possibly gain from Wolfowitz’s championing of North Korean refugees?

One obvious benefit is that it diverts the spotlight from Israeli crimes in Palestine. The best known example of this strategy is the Save Darfur coalition, which, as the Jerusalem Post once bragged, “was actually begun exclusively as an initiative of the American Jewish community.” Eliot Engel’s attempt to deflect international criticism of Israel’s apartheid wall exemplifies this ploy. “Now millions of African people face genocide,” the Democrat Congressman from New York protested, “and the UN’s top priority is condemning the Israeli security fence that saves lives on both sides of the security barrier.”²

Not surprisingly, we also find that those in the forefront of advocacy for North Korean refugees are pro-Israelis. In his op-ed, Wolfowitz specifically commends Senators Sam Brownback and Dianne Feinstein and Representatives Ed Royce and Gary Ackerman for “pressing the issue.” While it would be difficult to find more than a handful of members of Congress who do not at least publicly support Israel, those singled out for praise are among its staunchest apologists on Capitol Hill. So, unless Zionists actually care more about the world’s refugees (provided they are not Palestinian), something is amiss here.

Weaponizing Human Rights

In explaining the reasons for “inaction” on the North Korean refugee issue, Wolfowitz provides a hint as to a less transparent benefit for Israel. “Unfortunately,” he writes, “many U.S. government officials seem … reluctant to do anything that might jeopardize negotiations with North Korea.”

This oblique criticism refers to the intense struggle between the State Department and the neocons for control of Korean policy, which was particularly pronounced during the Bush administration. While the career diplomats at Foggy Bottom had, in the words of chief U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill, “no interest in weaponizing human rights,” this was precisely the approach taken by the neocons.

The controversial North Korea Human Rights Act of 2004, sponsored by Christian Zionist Sam Brownback, created the post of special envoy for human rights. Jay Lefkowitz, the Orthodox Jewish appointee, couldn’t have been more provocative in his dealings with Pyongyang. As Suzy Kim and John Feffer wrote in Foreign Policy in Focus, “Lefkowitz deliberately overstepped his bounds to undermine the nuclear talks by linking them to human rights.”³

Predictably, the end result of this and other neocon provocations⁴ was a nuclear-armed North Korea.

A diplomatic disaster for Washington, a nuclear Pyongyang is a geostrategic boon to Tel Aviv, however. In their relentless campaign to induce the United States to attack Iran,

pro-Israelis invariably hype the North Korean nuclear threat. It serves as an associative warning⁵ of the danger of not preventing the “mad Mullahs” in Tehran from also acquiring nuclear weapons.

But what about Wolfowitz’s professed concern for the “probably between 100,000 to 400,000” North Korean refugees?

In addition to the nearly 5 million Iraqis displaced by Wolfowitz’s War for Israel, some 3.9 million Palestinian refugees have been generated by that state’s expansionist ideology.

If Paul Wolfowitz really gave a damn about refugees, he would renounce Zionism.

1. Paul Wolfowitz, “How to Help North Korea’s Refugees,” Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2009. [↩]
2. Ned Goldstein, “Save Darfur: Zionist Conspiracy?” World War 4 Report, October 1, 2006. [↩]
3. Suzy Kim and John Feffer, “Hardliners Target Détente with North Korea,” Foreign Policy in Focus, February 11, 2008. [↩]
4. Maidhc Ó Cathail, “The Crisis Provocateurs,” Dissident Voice, September 1, 2009. [↩]
5. Jeff Gates, “Crisis in North Korea – What a Surprise…” Criminal State, June 30, 2009. [↩]

by Maidhc Ó Cathail

Source: Dissident Voice

Obama Issues Signing Statement On War Spending BIll

On Friday, President Obama signed a new war spending bill into law, but "not without taking a page from his predecessor and ignoring a few elements in the legislation," the Hill reports.

Obama included a five-paragraph signing statement with the bill, including a final paragraph that outlined his objections to at least four areas of the bill.

President George W. Bush was heavily criticized for his use of signing statements, declaring he'd ignore some elements of legislation by invoking presidential prerogative.

The Obama administration announced in the statement it would disregard provisions of the legislation that, among other things, would compel the Obama administration to pressure the World Bank to strengthen labor and environmental standards and require the Treasury department to report to Congress on the activities of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The full text of Obama's statement is below, and available on the White House website here.

* * * * *

Today I have signed into law H.R. 2346, the "Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009." This Act provides the necessary resources for our troops while supporting ongoing diplomatic and development efforts around the world.

We face a security situation abroad that demands urgent attention. The Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda is increasing its attacks from its safe haven along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. The funding provided in this Act will ensure that the full force of the United States is engaged in an overall effort to defeat al Qaeda and uproot this safe haven.

At the same time, funding contained in this Act will provide resources to help create political and economic stability in post-conflict areas. These funds will assist Afghans and Iraqis in protecting and sustaining their infrastructure and building their capacity for more responsive and transparent governance. The Act also provides critical support for continued U.S. diplomatic and development activity in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

In addition, this Act includes funding for other domestic and international issues, including nearly $8 billion to enhance our Nation's capability to respond to the potential spread of the H1N1 flu outbreak. It also expands the resources available to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by allowing it to boost its lending ability. Many developing countries are experiencing severe economic decline and a massive withdrawal of capital, and the IMF needs to make sure it has the resources necessary to effectively respond to the current financial crisis.

However, provisions of this bill within sections 1110 to 1112 of title XI, and sections 1403 and 1404 of title XIV, would interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions. I will not treat these provisions as limiting my ability to engage in foreign diplomacy or negotiations.

Source: The Huffington Post