Apocalyptic Neocons Fear That Hagel As Chief of Pentagon Will Mark End of Israel's Special Status

Apocalyptic neoconservatives who aggressively pushed the United States into war in Iraq following the false flag September 11 events are fighting President Obama’s nomination of Vietnam veteran and former Senator Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense.

Appointing Hagel as Pentagon chief would be a total renouncement of the neoconservative ideology. Hagel’s ascendancy signals the end of Israel’s special status in Washington’s schizophrenic foreign policy establishment, and sets the stage for the official coming out party of the new world order.

But the foreign policy direction of the United States in a second Obama term is still an open question. The administration is currently stuck in Syria, having unwisely committed itself to backing Islamic extremist groups that have no love for Americans. The situation there could explode beyond control and lead to a wider war in the Middle East. The biggest flashpoint is the Syrian-Turkish border.

Even more importantly, what path is the White House going to take vis-à-vis Iran? There are serious foreign policy experts who believe that an American-Iranian rapprochement is very doable and would both benefit both countries as well as the region as a whole.

Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett, two former senior members of the National Security Council, have consistently argued that President Obama should follow in the courageous footsteps of Nixon and establish ties with the regime in Iran. They say the change in policy will be in America’s own best interests.

In a recent interview with Scott Horton, Leverett said that he is not optimistic that the Obama administration will take the path of diplomacy. Read quotes from the interview in, “America’s “War Party” and the Myth of Iranian “Irrationality”.” Also, read the article, “The Mad Mullah Myth: The Dangers of Misunderstanding Iran’s Strategy.”

Will Secretary of Defense Hagel reinforce the “Mad Mullah” myth, or will he break long-standing stereotypes and taboos? Will he take serious steps towards reforming America’s image in the Middle East? Would his presence in the Pentagon mean the end of the world for the neocons?

It is hard to predict the future, but based on past actions and statements we can see that Hagel will champion a new pragmatism and rationality in America’s policy towards the Middle East.

Unlike most of his former colleagues, Hagel does not have the fear of talking to Islamist groups. He says America should talk to Hamas for Israel’s sake and he’s right. Mark Perry, an author and former co-director of Conflicts Forum, said the following about Hamas in an interview with Paul Woodward of the website ‘War in Context’:

Hamas has made its choice. It had to choose between Assad and the Syrian people, and it chose the Syrian people. It had to choose Iran’s money or its own principles, and it chose its principles. It did this long before Qatar came to its aid. This is not the hallmark of a radical group bent on violence and terror. It is the sign of a mature political movement that represents the best interests of the Palestinian people.

We need to recognize what has happened in the Arab world — both within Arab governments as well as inside its most important political movements. The Arab Spring has taken hold, top to bottom, through all of these societies. Hamas’s leadership, to their credit, has responded to these changes by adopting policies in line with the views of the vast majority of their people: for accountability and transparency. This is not a perfect organization led by charm school graduates, but it is capable of making rational and politically mature decisions.

Hamas’s pragmatism may expire if America does not put a check on Israel’s irrational behaviour. Israel’s leaders have not hid their intention to start a catastrophic third world war and carve out a Greater Israel.

Can the United States muster the willpower to say no to the extremist, right-wing government in Israel? If President Obama is courageous enough to nominate Hagel, and defend him during the confirmation process against the haters, then the answer is yes.

The anti-American smear machine that labels American patriots and veterans “anti-Semites” has reached the limits of tolerance. Paul R. Pillar writes in an article called, “Stand Up to the Intimidators”:

It is hard to imagine any future issues offering a conspicuously better place to draw a line in the sand and to start pushing back than this one. Based on what has already been said, there is reason to hope that the tawdriness—as James Fallows puts it in an insightful piece on this subject—“has finally gone so far that it will impeach itself.” It impeaches itself with arguments such as that a United States senator or cabinet member putting U.S. interests ahead of the interests of a foreign country or the wishes of a foreign government is somehow a bad thing.

There is a petition on the White House website to nominate Hagel for Secretary of Defense. So far, there are 855 signatures. AntiWar.com editor Justin Raimondo writes:

So get over to that White House petition, and bring your friends – because we can’t let those neoconservative Orcs have to the field all to themselves. To heck with the “Emergency Committee for Israel.” What we need – and must have – is an Emergency Committee for America.

I’m declaring my support for the Emergency Committee for America and for Chuck Hagel as Pentagon Chief. Here’s why. We live in an imperfect world of bad options. This world is so dark and insane that a former Republican senator being appointed to head the Pentagon represents the breakthrough of light and reason. It’s gotten that bad and depressing.

I usually don’t write pro-U.S. government articles because I would much rather spend my time excavating dark truths and exposing crimes against humanity. Supporting the next potential leader of the Pentagon is not comfortable intellectual territory for me. But if a Secretary of Defense Hagel means the end of the world for the neocons then that’s a good enough reason for me to swallow my pride and use my intellect and energy to support Hagel.