Neocons in Washington


 Ariel Sharon and Dick Cheney
 at a press briefing

After moving into the White House, George Bush placed a number of founding members of 'The Project for the New American Century' (PNAC) also known as 'Neocons' in important positions from which they have been exerting maximum pressure on U.S. domestic and foreign policies. The main thrust of these policies has been to implement PNAC's white paper on "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for the New Century" issued in September 2000. The results of these policies have so far been negative. The national debt is projected to reach $11 trillion by 2010. The U.S. relationship with France and Germany is at its lowest ebb in history. The German Marshall Fund statistics recently released shows that the "gap between American and European attitudes is widening and that Europeans increasingly disapprove of the American position as the sole superpower. "The quagmire in Afghanistan and Iraq shows no sign of abatement. The draconian measures of the Patriot Act (drafted before 9/11 and subsequently rushed through Congress) are slowly usurping hard-earned civil liberties. American strategic interests in the Muslim world have once again been sucker-punched by Israel in the Palestine-Israeli conflict and much of the U.S. body politic remains oblivious to its corrosive effect upon American society. The spotlight being directed on Syria and Iran by the Neocons is showing unmistakable similarities with parallels to the row over Saddam Hussain's phantom WMDs and Al Qaeda's presence in Iraq. 

Since America has not enhanced its long-term interests through these policies the question is 'who is the real beneficiary?' Is President George W. Bush his own man or is there someone else pulling his strings? Is it puppeteers Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld? Karl Rove and Condoleezza Rice? Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle? Big Oil or old-time religion? Do they all have a common worldview, philosophy or a common agenda to promote? What is the common thread between them? 

One common factor among the Neocons that seems to stands out is Leo Strauss, a Jewish political philosopher-king who taught the works of Plato, Nietzsche and Hobbes for two decades at the University of Chicago. According to his profile published in the Executive Intelligence Review in March 2003 Strauss is seen as the "Fascist Godfather of the Neo-Cons." In its September/October 2003 issue, Adbuster Magazine notes of Leo Strauss that he believed in the efficacy and usefulness of "noble lies" in politics to keep the uncomprehending masses in line; that the strong are fit to rule; the weak ought, in turn, to be ruled; that it is important and necessary for political entities to use force and fraud to prosper; and that "nationalism requires an external threat - and if one cannot be found, it must be manufactured." Strauss, the article notes, "produced a small army of devoted pupils who have greatly influenced the thinking of neo-conservatives."

Many of the major players who have ascended to the pinnacle of power under the presidency of George Bush are admirers of Leo Strauss and as such they have brought Straussian ideals with them. Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense tops the list. Other Straussians in or around the administration include Abram Shulsky, director of the Pentagon's Office of Special Plans, Bill Kristol (son of Irving Kristol, one of the first neo-cons) the editor of Rupert Murdoch's the weekly Standard. Other powerful "insiders" of PNAC who have a lock on policy making in the Bush administration include Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Eliot Abrams, Dov Zakheim, John Bolton, Richard Perle, and James Woolsey, former CIA director. Adbuster Magazine further notes that many of the major players who are occupying the White House are also descendants of the Jewish-American New York intellectuals who veered from the radical left (anti-Stalinist Trotskyism of the 1920s and '30s) to the radical right (hence the "neo"). In between, they were allies of McCarthy in the fight against communism, and later joined the Reagan administration. 

These ideologues and power-politicians have enshrined the central tenets of Straussian creed in the "National Security Strategy of the United States of America," the official policy of the U.S. administration published in September 2002. It is virtually identical to various white papers of the PNAC and to the 1981 policy proposal of Ariel Sharon to reorganize the balance of power in the Middle East through change of regimes. 

In April 2003, writing in Ha'aretz Israel's leading daily newspaper about the war against Iraq, Ari Shavit, noted: "that ardent faith was disseminated by a small group of 25 or 30 neo-conservatives, almost all of them Jewish, almost all of them intellectuals... People who are mutual friends and cultivate one another and are convinced that political ideas are a major driving force of history." Joining in this observation, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman noted that "This is a war of an elite." Laughing: "I could give you the names of 25 people - all of whom are at this moment within a five-block radius of this office - who, if you had exiled them to a desert island a year and a half ago, the Iraq war would not have happened.

Here we see uncanny similarities between Straussian thought and the decision to go to war in Iraq by the neo-conservative pro-Israeli nexus of the Bush administration. Following in the footsteps of "philosopher kings" Mr. Wolfowitz and his fellow Straussians were obviously telling 'noble lies' to justify invading Iraq when it was no threat to the United States. In whose interest, then, were they lying? Could it be that they were lying to use America's might -- against its own interests -- to secure Israeli hegemony in the Arab world. Let's explore further.

We know that barely one week after September 11 2001, the hawks around Donald Rumsfeld urged the president to tackle Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and go after Hizbollah, Syria and Iran. As the Financial Times in its issue of November 4, 2003 reports they defined "a threat to Israel is a threat to the United States. Under the guise of the war on terror, their argument went, America should identify its interests with those of Israel - or, to be more precise, with the way the current leadership in Israel defines those interests." 

In his book The Samson Option, Seymour Hersh spells out Sharon's master plan for changing regimes in the Arab world. He notes that, "in the early fall of 1981 Sharon called for Israel to broaden its national security interest 'to include beyond Middle East and Red Sea, states like Turkey, Iran and Pakistan, and regions such as the Persian Gulf and central and northern Africa.' Sharon was telling his nation that Israel's national security now depends on its ability to influence events in a huge area that stretches from Kenya in the south to Turkey, and from Mauritania in the west to Pakistan." Who is better suited to bring about these changes than the United States?

It seems that the tragic events of 9/11 gave a context and a permit to these neo-cons a free rein to unleash their foreign/military campaigns as outlined in one of PNAC's major reports, written in 2000. In unleashing these campaigns the Neocons have taken the first step in the most radical reshaping of the Middle East since the First World War. In doing so they knew that, "the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event -- like a new Pearl Harbor." To sustain their campaigns the neocons continue to utilize fear and hyped patriotism and a permanent war on terrorism as the basis for their policy agenda. The main objective of this policy, at this juncture, has uncanny resemblance to the Israeli agenda as spelled out in Sharon's master plan - regime change in Arab world and de-fang Pakistan and Iran. After bringing about regime changes in Afghanistan and Iraq, and cornering Pakistan, the next critical move of the Bush administration for reorganizing the balance of power in the Middle East seems to be directed against Iran and Syria. Syria and Iran are the two remaining countries that stand in the way of Israeli hegemony in the area. 

In its May 9, 2003 issue, the Financial Times notes that Douglas Feith, a Straussian pro-Israeli "neo-con" and number three at the Pentagon as under secretary of defense for policy, and his fellow neocons "are working hard on the Bush agenda." The same article notes that, Douglas Feith is working closely with Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's late Muhammad Reza Shah Pahalvi, to restore monarchy in Iran. To bring Reza Pehlavi under the protection of American forces in Iran would be like bringing Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan and Ahmad Chalabi in Iraq. In this eerie replay of the Iraqi campaign, Israel has cranked up a formidable array of pro-Israeli "neo-cons" to "run interference for it in Washington and to blacken the current government in Tehran."

As for Syria, an unrelenting Washington-sponsored campaign of vilification and demonization is already under way. The Syria Accountability Act, approved 33 to 2 by a House committee on October 8 seems to be the replaying of opening scene to the buildup of war in Iraq. 

To properly understand the Syria Accountability Act, one has to go back to a 1996 document, "A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm," drafted by a team of advisers to Benjamin Netanyahu in his run for Prime Minister of Israel. The authors included current Bush advisers Richard Perle and Douglas Feith. "Syria challenges Israel on Lebanese soil," he wrote, calling for "striking Syrian military targets in Lebanon, and should that prove insufficient, striking at select targets in Syria proper." Commenting on the recent Israeli air strike in Syria, Perle told the Washington Post that "it will help the peace process, adding that the United States itself might have to attack Syria." Only months ago we were told that the "road to peace in Jerusalem runs through Baghdad." Perhaps because the resistance to the US occupation in Iraq is getting tougher every day, we are now told that the twisted road to peace runs through Damascus. Another "noble lie" we presume.

It is not only the blatant lies that can be misled; doctored facts can be more misleading in worse manner than any lie ever could. For example all regional conflicts and freedom struggles by Chechens, Colombians, Palestinians, Moros, Kashmiris, and Iraqi resistance against US occupation have now been painted with the same brush and conveniently labeled as "terrorism." Prior to 9/11 these people were considered as "insurgents, rebels, guerillas, separatists, mujahadeens, freedom fighters, etc." By labeling these people as "terrorists" are we not using doctored facts to demonize them and mislead the world public opinion against their struggle? 

Manufacturing "noble lies" can be seen also in the 'Joint Declaration of the Jerusalem Summit' (Oct. 10-12, 2003) of international Zionists. It was attended, among others, by Richard Perle, Daniel Pipes, Ambassador Alan Keyes and hundreds of Evangelical Christians from the United States, representatives from Sweden, the EU Parliament, India, France, Slovenia, and Serbia. US Senator Sam Brownback spoke to the Summit by satellite emphasizing that Christian and Jewish synergy could accomplish much in the political realm, and that the Biblical road map would be the one that would emerge triumphant. In its declaration the Jerusalem Summit proclaimed that it is "the ideology of radical Islam which represents the third major totalitarian threat to civilization following Fascism and Communism." 

This declaration has a familiar echo of Straussian philosophy - "nationalism requires an external threat - and if one cannot be found, it must be manufactured." Using the efficacy and usefulness of lies in politics, Islam and Muslims are being portrayed as the new enemy. By repeating this lie long enough these Neocons hope to convince the Americans and the world that it is in the interest of the United States to support the master plan as spelled out by Sharon. The majority of the Europeans are not buying this lie. As published on AFP's website on November 3, according to the latest "Eurobarometer" poll requested by European Union, some 59% of Europeans replied "yes" when asked whether or not Israel presents a threat to peace in the world. 

America should not let Israel define its interests. It is neither logical nor strategic. The expanding Israel/India/Evangelical Christians nexus supported by the Neocons in Washington is likely to prove catastrophic for America, the European Union, Muslim countries and the world at large. Once Israel achieves its uncontested hegemony in the Middle East; it may even pose a challenge to EU and American interests in the Muslim world and Africa. At a minimum, it would unmistakably fuel more resentment in the Muslim world against America, further strain transatlantic relations and could even paralyze the United Nations. Warning against the Washington Neocons and the PNAC agenda, Bernard Weiner has correctly noted that "the PNAC boys are dangerous ideologues playing with matches, and the U.S. is going to get burned even more in years to come, unless their hold on power is broken. The only way to accomplish this, given the present circumstances, is to defeat their boss at the polls in 2004, thus breaking the Hard Right momentum that has done, and is doing, such great damage to our reputation abroad and to our country internally, especially to our Constitution." 

Marghoob A. Quraishi is a geopolitics analyst and the Executive Director of Strategic Research Foundation, located in Palo Alto, CA. He can be reached at [email protected]


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Older Comments:
FURQAN AHMAD FROM MALAYSIA said:
This article only touches the depths and resurfaces the brazen reality, that of Zionist influence in this American enterprise.
We all know and Malaysia's Tun Dr Mahatir Mohammad, also echoed this, that Jews control the world by proxy, a fact, a prophecy that has finally come to reality. It was foretold by Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) that one of the signs of Qiyamah is the Power of the Jews in this world, that they would be controlling the world despite their small numbers.
2003-11-17

J8 FROM USA said:
I believe beyond all doubt with the idea that there are hidden hands at work with respect to every action taken by the administration. Anyone who resorts to labeling the author anti-semitic(as it always happens) please take the time to write a rebuttal, which responds to the article point by point,and every answer must be logical, objective and free of any attacks that is based on zealotry, dislike, or any other personal issue. And provide historical reffrences which support you. Aside from that "you jew hating idiot, your full of lies" is a waste of everyones time.
2003-11-17

SHAFQAT MALIK FROM USA said:
I know one thing that "Lord knows best". Instead of blaming other for our misery, we should look onto ourself and try to understand why is it that we muslim are in this plight. Remember when we point one finger four are point to your self. I believe Lord will not put His believers in misery, but will surly punish people with two faces. When we don't practice Islam and call our self muslim we are two face people. Just observe the # of people participating in Eid Factivites and people comimg for prayers at least one time.
2003-11-16

HASEM FROM USA said:
Well written!!
2003-11-16

SAIF HASAAN FROM U.S.A said:
It is an excellent article. Anyone who has eyes
to see should understand this. We are living
in dangerous times and these are the people
who really threaten stability in the world.
2003-11-16

SAULIH A.R. FROM USA said:
Although I am not a fan of conspiracy theories, there is apparently something to the concept and reality of a cabal that is at work skillfully manipulating the setting and execution of U.S.foreign and domestic policy. We are alerted to the reality of these type of plots hatched and perpetrated by those in the earth who are in the heated, blind, and passionate pursuit of the things of the world who necessarily, then, have to simultaneously aggressively attack and attempt to subdue or vanquish the peoples who are Guided by Allah since they represent the only conclusive threat to the injustices, oppression, and exploitation of people and the resources for their own exclusive selfish gains.

I would hasten to caution that as we are to remain confident in Allah's Absolute Power above all things, that we recognize the 'Test' nature of plots such as these that seem to disadvantage those Guided by Allah's Deen and its principles. They can never harm us to any extent except to that which Allah allows. We can't allow ourselves to fall into a state of panic or depression, or paralysis over these challenges by attributing more power to them then they, merely people, truly have. Yes we are to be informed about the nature and particulars of the threats and seeming advantages of those who would/are try to harm us or the try to frustrate the evidently inevitable spread of Islam and growth and diversity of the people who are embracing this Deen of Allah's. But we stay proactive, instead of being manipulated into skirmishes over side issues and fears and maintain focus on our collective responsibility to participate in the establishment and perpetuation of the Deen of Islam in ways that cannot be stopped. That is to see to it that the benefits and rejuvenative outcomes that the Way/Deen of Islam delivers to its people be made obvious (such the it outshines all other [inferior] ways or corrupted religions).
2003-11-15

BILAL FROM USA said:
Assalaamu Alaikum brothers and sisters,

Sadly, the truth of the current situation is well hidden by the news media. When the UN rescinded, in 1991, the resolution fo 1975 that had declared Zionism to be a racist ideology, it became apparent that the Zionists and their allies had begun to move forward with the plans now unfolding. The average American has been so saturated with the myths of Zionism and the images of the holocaust, that the plight of our Muslim brothers and sisters around the world is see, if seen at all in the news media, to be minor. I believe that the average American, if show the images we are familiar with, of the plight of Muslims around the world and especially in Palestine, will begin to question, and even reject the myths and the "road map" to domination and displacement being pursued by the Zionists and their allies. The allies of Zionism may have their own agendas, and in fact many may hate Jews and see the Zionist entity as a necessary step to the second coming of their god. An excellent book for those who are interested in this facet of the Zionists and their allies is Forcing God's Hand by Grace Halsell. Our task is to bring the images of the suffering of Muslims to the eye of the world, especially in America, and turn the tide of sympathy away from the oppressors to the oppressed.

Assalaamu Alaikum




2003-11-15

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
A lie travels half way around the world before the truth has a chance to get it's shoes on.
2003-11-15

MUSLIM FROM USA said:
Salaam Alaikum-

Here's a flip side:

NeoCons are simply greedy people that will commit whatever evil to fill their pockets. While in this process ensuring their people are top dog on the food chain for years to come, ie, the West and White America.

Zionism - a movement to find the Jews a homeland by capitalizing on Christian Theology.

Muslims need to WAKE UP and stop looking for GRAND CONSPIRICIES in the world around them.

If we take a good hard look at our Ummah, we'll see that progress, knowledge, and the betterment of muslim souls throught the world are being held back by our FELLOW MUSLIMS.

Islam has taken on the face of the Arab and his politics, his greedy backwards ruler and his twisted adgenda.

The goal is to keep the masses in the dark with sensorship, no political voice, and no fair judical treatment so the fruits of the dau of Prophet Muhammad (saw) as he asked ALLAH to fill the desert with something for his people to live off of...is STOLEN and put in Swiss bank accounts.

Muslims are the greatest opressors of Muslims.
Muslims are the greatest murders of fellow Muslims....

And it's all being done in the name of the Almighty DOLLAR!

Wake up...the only consipricy is the criminals that run Muslim countries convincing us that the West and Christians and Jews want our blood...when it's our fellow brothers who are selling our fruits and our tomorrow for their own self gain.

Islam has been Hijacked by political thieves.
Muslims are being robbed of progress by backwards greedy leaders who feed the very monster they tell us is trying to kill us.

Wake up...
Wake up...
Wake up...

They sell their soul for a miserable price...and we sit idly by and watch them sell our tomorrow.
2003-11-14

OSMANLI FROM CANADA said:
Every decent minded person, especially muslims need to read this article and understand it. It briliantly summarizes the REAL source of their world's problem at this time. There is no doubt that the real conspiracy is against muslims and all other decent minded people, that all this talk of "muslim terrorism" is fabricated, pre-planned statagy for those real evil people at the helm of the current "superpower". The only REAL superpower is ALLAH (s.a) and inshallah. Allah will disgrace, expose and apply justice against the evil ones creating mischief and deception.


2003-11-14

SAM GANAM FROM USA said:

Asalamu Alaikim brothers and sisters,

To tell you the truth, I am for the plan of the neocons all the way because it is most of the Arab leaders who have brought this upon the Muslim masses. We definitely need change. Whatever change happens, I am sure it will not be as bad as it is in most Arab states in particular and all Muslim states in general. We are fed up with the laziness and the obscurantism those leaders have cursed us with. Until when are they going to stay put in their world of backwardness, hate, manipulation?? They care less about the interests of their nave masses. All they care about is their personal interests. They are not interested in the real Islam, the one which ordains hard work, transparency, the rule of law, concord, the elimination of tribalism and selfishness, and the pursuit of science to be able to compete with other nations. Our Prophet Mohammed would have been ashamed of today's majority of Muslims.

May Allah find us an imminent solution to our predicament! Ameen.
2003-11-14

H.A. FROM CIVILIZED COUNTY, USA said:
THE NEOCONS AND ZIONISTS WILL DESTROY AMERICA, NOT THE STUDENTS OF ISLAMS. SO WAKE UP!!!

THE NECONS AND ZIONIST WILL DEGRADE AMERICA, NOT AL-QAIDA. SO SHAPE UP!!!

THE NECONS, ZIONISTS AND RANCHBOYS WILL FILL EVERY COUNTIES OF AMERICA WITH DISGRACE, NOT BY PUPILS OF MADRASHAS. SO GROW UP!!! STOP BEING VICITMS OF EMOTIONAL and "RANCHY" PROPAGANDA.
2003-11-14

T.J. FROM U.S.A. said:
it's funny, for as much as the united states doesn't understand the rest of the world, i think the rest of the world understands the united states far less.
2003-11-14

TIM BRENT FROM USA said:
This article does show the truth about the neocons IMO. We as Americans do need to remember Washington's comments about permanent foreign alliances,not to be entangled in them.
All this War on "terror" will do is make the USA a pariah for decades to come.
There can be no peace in hegemongy, only in accepting all for who they are.
2003-11-14

ASADULLAH FROM CANADA said:
Abu Nadhrah says: "We were sitting in the company of Jabir bin Abdullah radhiyallahu anhu when he said: 'Soon the people of IRAQ will neither receive any food (grain) nor any money.'" We asked, "Why would such a thing happen?" He replied, "Because of the non-Arabs." (i.e they will prevent food from going into Iraq, in the form of "sanctions" to this day.) He then said: "Soon the people of Shaam (SYRIA) will neither receive any money nor grain." We asked as to why this would happen. He replied: "Because of the Romans (christians)."
2003-11-14

AKBAR KHAN FROM CANADA said:
Excellent analysis, it was very, VERY well researched. I must commend you on touching on so many great points, all the while forming a total and formulated organization and connection between them all by naming these Zionist culprits by name and identifying their disgustingly pro-Israeli, anti-Arab schemes within the UNITED STATES!

This is a wake up call to you, Americans...look at Jonathan Pollard, a Jewish Zionist who is on trial in the USA b/c he was CAUGHT, I repeat caught spying for Israel. I think it is about time that Americans realize that there ZIONIST sleeper cells within the good ol' US of A are what they should be worrying about right now...b/c people, they are taking over your country. SO, this is what you do, reach out to Muslims, and comfort them, instead of picking on us all time and saying stupid things like, 'we should be able to put up with some discrimination considering what happened in NYC on 9/11'....I DON'T THINK SO...stop pretending to be the judge, the jury, and the prosecution, take your heads out of your asses, and LOOK, I repeat LOOK at the truth that is hitting you right smack in the face. Then..know that people like Daniel Pipes who has openly called Muslims ANIMALS was honoured and personally greeted on CNN and Fox News and all other American media outlets by GW Bush himself, inviting him and welcoming him with so much "love" as a new member of his administration.

Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others.

Charity starts at home...root out Zionists and stop being afraid of being labeled Anti-Semitic. An Arab is a Semite, do Arab's call journalists and CNN and FOX and ABC and CBS AND NBC, and Americans themselves anti-semitic when they say the word "ISLAMIC-FUNDAMENTALISTS" when they refer to an individual Muslim who they say committed a crime b/c of Islam? Islam is not the problem, maybe the person who happens to be a Muslim is the problem, in the same way a Christian or Jew of anyone could
2003-11-14