Chas Freeman Out as National Intelligence Council Chief

Story here. I for one would be perfectly happy if another foreign policy "realist" was nominated in his stead. Just not one so in thrall to the rancid, liberty-quashing worldviews of Riyadh and Beijing. Certainly was a weird week for enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-frienditis.

UPDATE: Freeman speaks! You will never guess who he blames….

The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful  lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East.  The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth.  The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors.

There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel.

And etc. You stay classy, Chas.