Everything You Wanted to Know About the Signers of the Petition
but were afraid to ask. Here is a list of the signers of the "letter" condeming the Bush policy in Iraq; demanding the impeachment of the president. I have put the LAT descriptions in parenthesis at the beginning of each entry. They fall into three categories. The first would be supporters of Kerry and outright Left Democrats; the second would be stand up guys who see the policy as a failed one (I have put these in bold), by far the largest are the people who don't like seeing what they have built up over thirty to forty years destroyed. They built the UN alliances (now revealed as almost totally corrupt), the alliances with France, Germany, most of Africa, and the Arab states. They mourn for the good old days. The LA Times and other media won't dig into who these people really are. The signers:
Alexander Watson----(LAT:assistant secretary of State for Inter-American affairs, 1993-96; deputy permanent representative to the U.N., 1989-1993. )Truth: not mentioned in most places, he is part of the Charity Daisy Chain with Teresa Heinz Kerry. A big time member of The Nature Conservancy" an outfit outed in a book called: "Undue Influence: Wealthy Foundations, Grant Driven Environmental Groups and Zealous Bureaucrats That Control Your Future" by Ron Arnold. An eco extremist org. Think this guy isn't a Kerry guy?
Retired Adm. Stansfield Turner, the CIA Director under Carter (let's all remember that fiasco) who is pissed that Tenet was fired. This unbiased guy is a member John Kerry's Senior Military Advisory Group, now advising John Kerry. Late add He was also a guy who stripped the CIA.
Retired Air Force Gen. William Y. Smith; (LAT:deputy commander in chief, U.S. European Command, 1981-83. )Amplified: this guy goes all the way back to the Cuban missile crisis. He's close to 80 years old (West Point ‘48) and has been associated with Democrats all his active life. Could be one of the sincere ones, then again...
John E. Reinhardt; (LAT:professor of political science, University of Vermont, 1987-91; ambassador to Nigeria, 1971-75. ) Amplified: this guy goes all the way back to Edward R Murrow. An associate of virtually every Democrat since the 50s
Michael Sterner---(LAT:deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East affairs, 1977-1981; ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, 1974-76) Truth: a long time predictor of Arab "Moderates" being our friends. Member of Columbia University Middle East Institute which is funded in part by PLO, Saudi interests; imports pro terrorist speakers. This guy is hard core left
Ronald I. Spiers---(LAT:undersecretary-general of the United Nations for Political Affairs, 1989-1992; ambassador to Pakistan, 1981-83. ) Truth: has joined with plenty of Arabs and Palestinians in denouncing Bush II endorsement of Arial Sharon and all the latest efforts in the Israel-Palestine area. He's against the wall, the lack of PLO participation, and on and on. He is pro-PLO to a huge degree. He's also against Tony Blair.
James Daniel Phillips---(LAT: ambassador to the Republic of Congo, 1990-93; ambassador to Burundi, 1986-1990.) Truth: this guy really was an ambassador to almost everywhere at one time or another. Bush I appointed him and Clinton appointed him. Cut the guy some slack, he probably signed without any ties to the Left or Kerry.
Phyllis E. Oakley: (LAT: assistant secretary of State for intelligence and research, 1997-99.) A classic of leaving things out. Let's see, she serves on the U.N. Population Fund with such luminaries as Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Jean Rather, Gail Sheehy, Mrs. Cyrus Vance, and a ton of other lefties; she has spoken out against interventions (Somalia etc) with her associates Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, Alcee Hastings (as a Judge impeached and now a big time Democratic congressman); she has spoken out against discrimination against Arabs with a string of Lefties, and so. This may be just a natural function of who she is. But impartial? No way.
David D. Newsom (LAT:acting secretary of State, 1980; undersecretary of State for political affairs, 1978-1981; ambassador to Indonesia, 1973-77) He's a liberal, has spoken out against the "clumsiness" of the Bush foreign policy and is opposed to the Iraq War. Nothing wrong with the guy but he ain't unbiased.
George E. Moose (LAT:assistant secretary of State for African affairs, 1993-97; ambassador to Senegal, 1988-91). Another of the doctrinaire liberals in the foreign service. Nothing dangerous about him. His name is another in the Daisy Chain of Charities sacking the tax system and Atlantic Council of the United States, his deal is ranked very low by Charity Navigator. Unbiased? Ho ho.
Retired Air Force Gen. Merrill A. McPeak (LAT:chief of staff, U.S. Air Force, 1990-94) Truth: he is much more than that and has a long record of heroic and honorable service. Fought Clinton tooth and nail about military cutbacks and thinks Bush is totally wrong. Good guy.
Donald F. McHenry (LAT:ambassador to the United Nations, 1979-1981) Truth:.Long history of accomplishment and is an academic. He was appointed to UN by Carter. He voted for a viciously anti-Israel resolution in the UN but he may have been acting under Carter's direction; he is another "by the numbers" liberal. Believes what he signed.
Jack F. Matlock Jr. (LAT: ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1987-1991; director for European and Soviet Affairs, National Security Council, 1983-86; ambassador to Czechoslovakia, 1981-83) Truth: This is a serious player. He has written books on the collapse of the Soviet, called Reagan more than correctly in books; also called Gorbachev. If he details his opinions, read them.
Princeton N. Lyman (LAT: assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, 1995-98; ambassador to South Africa, 1992-95). This is a guy who has spent most of his life focusing on Africa. He is very angry at the Bush Administration's lack of focus on what he sees is a most serious terrorist threat in Africa, and as of this writing al Qaeda could take over the Nigerian oil fields. He thinks Bush hasn't focused on the right terrorists around the world.
Samuel W. Lewis (LAT: director of State Department policy and planning, 1993-94; ambassador to Israel, 1977-1985). Truth: this guy is a legit expert on Israel and he thinks Bush has completely screwed up policy over there. Long before this "letter" he was interviewed in the Washington Post and he blasted Bush to pieces over his bad policies in Israel. Narrow focus but a serious guy.
Robert V. Keeley (LAT: ambassador to Greece, 1985-89; ambassador to Zimbabwe, 1980-84) Truth:.This is a serious guy who is very pro Palestinian. He is one of those guys who knows history and thinks the thug down the street is acting because of a similar understanding of history. Again, a very narrow focus on one area only. Not a whack job and not a hater.
H. Allen Holmes (LAT: assistant secretary of Defense for special operations, 1993-99; assistant secretary of State for politico-military affairs, 1986-89) Truth:.this was Clinton's guy who was supposed to be in charge of counter terrorism regarding WMDs. He said Clinton was doing all that could be done and so on. He also claimed that agencies were working together. Now he signs something about Bush. ???? You've got to read his testimony before the Armed Services committee to know that this guy is a total incompetent. He should have been called before the Gorelick Committee. He thinks Bush stinks? Wow.
Retired Marine Gen. Joseph P. Hoar (LAT: Commander in chief of U.S. Central Command, overseeing forces in the Middle East, 1991-94; deputy chief of staff, Marine Corps, 1990-94.) A serious player who was opposed to the war long before it started, for most of the reasons stated by many other Generals. He just signed what he has been saying all along. He called Chalabi a fraud quite a while back.
Arthur A. Hartman (LAT: ambassador to the Soviet Union, 1981-87; ambassador to France, 1977-1981)Truth: this could be the most serious of the serious signers. A Reagan appointee and no liberal lap dog. He has a huge reputation. His Google runs for pages. He is widely quoted.
William C. Harrop (LAT: ambassador to Israel, 1991-93; ambassador to Zaire, 1987-1991) Truth:
a persistent critic of the State Department going back to Clinton. Nobody paid any attention to him. He is just one more former State Department guy who has seen a lifetime of building alliances with dictators, Sheiks, and corrupt UN members come falling down. He feels he has wasted his life.
Charles W. Freeman Jr (LAT: assistant secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs, 1993-94; ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1989-1992) Truth: this guy is on a crusade against the American Empire through something called "Committee for the Republic." He serves with a ton of Arabs on Middle East Policy Council, He doesn't want us to win anywhere. He writes about it. Of course he opposes Bush.
Donald B. Easum (LAT: ambassador to Nigeria, 1975-79) Truth: this guy has been ambassador to everywhere, a career State Department apparatchik. He has also done a world of good for a million or so people through his involvement in the River Blindness Foundation which is NOT one of the Daisy Chain charities. One of the people who doesn't like to see everything he's spent his life working for destroyed. Wants the old system back.
William A. DePree (LAT: ambassador to Bangladesh, 1987-1990) Truth: the only "ghost" of the bunch. Just a guy who was an ambassador and that is it.
Jeffrey S. Davidow (LAT: ambassador to Mexico, 1998-2002; assistant secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, 1996) Truth: that's what he is. Another State Department guy passing the time as well as he can.
Retired Adm. William J. Crowe Jr. (LAT: chairman, President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Committee, 1993-94; ambassador to Britain, 1993-97; chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1985-89.) Truth: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (as did Wesley Clark, Jessie Jackson, and a ton of others). This is a scandal ridden guy, part of the group that sold Anthrax to Saddam. Crowe now owns 13% of the company that is selling anthrax vaccine to the DoD. A sub has been paid more than $4 million and the company hasn't delivered a drop. Where's the money??? Oh, when the company was inspected it was so contaminated they were forbidden to ship anything. The funding from the Pentagon from his pals at the Joint Chiefs stinks. He has also stated that there is a 100% chance of a bio attack on the U.S. Not a trustworthy person.
Avis T. Bohlen (LAT: assistant secretary of State for arms control, 1999-2002; deputy assistant secretary of State for European affairs 1989-1991) Truth: one of those pedigreed people; her grandfather was the semi-legendary Charles "Chip" Bohlen who was ambassador to Russia when Stalin died; her mother (also named Avis) was a big shot. She is a missile hawk wants a credible defense. Another serious but lesser known player.
William C. Harrop,(LAT: ambassador to Israel, 1991-93; ambassador to Zaire, 1987-1991.) Truth: 39 years in service. Another guy who is probably pissed that all he worked for is being destroyed. Been everywhere done it all. Former ambassador to Israel and Arabia and knows the area. Is adamant about alliances, that is his history, and he will do all in his considerable power to topple Bush and return things to the U.N. France, Germany etc.
4 comments:
It would be interesting to know under which President dissenting admirals and generals were promoted to their rank. It is my belief that particularly, under the Clintons, a strong liberal bias, or "no opinion on anything" was a requirement for promotion. In conservative Arizona, we now have very liberal governor. Thanks to the Clinton's ability to use every appointment to their advantage.
I might be wrong, but I think you have William C. Harrop listed twice.
What is the deal with Nature Conservancy? I thought they were some of the good guys in so far as they would buy property outright instead of just advocating for gov't. regulation.
I thought I'd do a little fact checking of my own. So I took the first guy on the list.
Alexander Watson----(LAT:assistant secretary of State for Inter-American affairs, 1993-96; deputy permanent representative to the U.N., 1989-1993). A big time member of "The Nature Conservancy" an outfit outed in a book called: "Undue Influence: Wealthy Foundations, Grant Driven Environmental Groups and Zealous Bureaucrats That Control Your Future" by Ron Arnold.You then go on to conclude that this guy must be a "Kerry guy".
Editorializations aside, the Nature Conservancy thing is true (well, mostly -- see below). Glossed over or omitted was the fact that Watson was deputy representative to the U.N. during the Bush Administration, and appointed Ambassador to Peru by Ronald Reagan (1986-1989). (Source)
This is a "Kerry guy"? How can you be so sure?
Oh, and by the way, the Nature Conservancy is hardly "eco extremist". The Ron Arnold book that Oraculations mentions? It exposes the Nature Conservancy for acting in collusion and taking money from large corporate interests. (Link). In other words, it is HARDLY "eco extremist" in the sense that most people think.
So you are being DELIBERATELY misleading here.
I also like how some people on the list are characterized like this:
John E. Reinhardt; (LAT:professor of political science, University of Vermont, 1987-91; ambassador to Nigeria, 1971-75. ) Amplified: this guy goes all the way back to Edward R Murrow. An associate of virtually every Democrat since the 50s"Goes all the way back to Edward R. Murrow"? WTF does that mean? Doesn't that ALSO mean he "goes all the way back" to, oh, Sen. Joe McCarthy?
We don't know what that phrase means. You don't provide links or sources (a sure sign of spin).
Nor do we know what the phrase "an associate of virtually every Democrat since the 50s" means either. In fact, I don't know what "an associate" means in this context. But whatever it means, I'm going to go out a limb and guess that, whoever he was, he wasn't an "associate" of "virtually every Democrat" since the 50's though, because that's, you know, a LOT of Democrats.
But perhaps the BIGGEST problem with your whole silly "analysis" are ones like this:
Princeton N. Lyman (LAT: assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, 1995-98; ambassador to South Africa, 1992-95). This is a guy who has spent most of his life focusing on Africa. He is very angry at the Bush Administration's lack of focus on what he sees is a most serious terrorist threat in Africa, and as of this writing al Qaeda could take over the Nigerian oil fields. He thinks Bush hasn't focused on the right terrorists around the world.In other words, "This dislikes Bush's foreign policy. Therefore, when he signs the petition condemning Bush's foreign policy, we should discount him, because he is obviously biased against Bush."
Pathetic. Really pathetic.
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