This interesting exchange between the proprietor of a Palestinian blog, Haitham Sabbah, who runs Sabbah’s Blog, and a member of the US Department of State implicates our foreign services in surveillance activity on Palestinian advocacy groups and information sources such as pro-Palestinian blogs around the world. Sabbah’s Blog is based in the Middle East. Since State’s representative had no qualms about identifying him self as being from the US State Department, openly using a State Department email address, it is hard not to argue that that the State representative was acting in an official capacity.
Haitham Sabbah relates this encounter with this State Department representative in a recent report on his blog.
Following my previous post today, I was expecting to get some rants and hate emails from Zionists and pro-Zionists, as always. However, this time the surprise came from U.S. Department of State.
The following email is self-explanatory:From: Blaschke, Brent E [BlaschkeBE@state.gov]
To: [haitham .sabbah@gmail.com]
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007, 8:34:18 PM
Subject: allegation
You state that the pictures you posted February 1 depict victims of terrorism by the United States. The U.S. does not use terror. You have no evidence to support your claim and are intellectually dishonest in doing so. If you are truly concerned about the plight of the Palestinian people you will lend your support to the “Roadmap” – which represents the fastest path to an independent Palestine – rather than making baseless and inflammatory charges.
Brent Blaschke
U.S. Department of StateMy reply was the following:
No I’m not!
If you read well, you can see that text below the photo album posted there is of “Beit Hanoun” massacre, committed by Zionist of Israel.
As for evidences of U.S. terror acts, I’m not going to argue with you about this. Just watch your Fox or CNN and you will get the details of latest war crimes committed by your country soldiers in Iraq. And if you missed the news, here are some links to refresh your memory:Unless you call the above a “bachelor party”, I find no name other than terror acts by U.S. Army!
Last but not least, you ask me to support the legend “Roadmap”, I ask you first to stop your government support to the “terror state” called Israel, then only peace will be reached by default.
PS. Your email and my reply will be published in my blog.
Haitham Sabbah
An Uprooted Palestinian Blogger!
http://sabbah.biz/
http://palestineblogs.org/This is what we call “ignorance and denial!”
Anyway, at least now I can confirm that Sabbah’s Blog is in the watch-list (black-list) of the U.S. Department of State, which proves the power of blogging and Graphic images!!!
Update 1: A friend of mine send me more info about Brent Blaschke. According to U.S. Department of State records, Blaschke, Brent E. (202) 647-5267, SCA/AR – Office of Afghanistan Affairs, United States Department of State. Go ahead… give him a call.
Update 2: Confirmed from the RFC-822 headers of the original email that it came from vance.state.gov. I hold the full details in safe!
Update 3: Ok, this is going to be interesting. Part two – A follow up email from the same person:
From: Blaschke, Brent E [BlaschkeBE@state.gov]
To: [haitham.sabbah@gmail.com]
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2007, 11:41:17 PMSubject: allegation – part two
Sir: you are quick to use terms like ignorance and denial but let us review your own words.
“Graphic images of crimes present disturbing, yet factual documentation of what terrorism is, and here, I’m not talking about Al Qaeda terrorist acts only, but terrorist acts such as those committed by Zionists in Palestine and US and its allies in Iraq.” Any reasonable reader of that passage would believe that at least some of pictures relate to the United States.
The links you offer refer to cases in which individual U.S. soldiers were charged with crimes. An important point to note is that these soldiers were held accountable by U.S. authorities and were punished for their reprehensible acts. If any thing, it proves the opposite of what you allege.
And you failed to truly address my point on the “Roadmap”. It is the best option available to achieve a permanent state of peace and the creation of a Palestine state. Do you favor a two-state solution or permanent conflict?
Brent Blaschke
U.S. Department of StateSir: Terrorism is a crime. Any crime against humanity is a form of terrorism. Occupation is terrorism. Torture is terrorism. Sanctions against civilians is terrorism. Boycotting a democratically elected government is a terrorism.
Haitham Sabbah’s response goes on to quote various definitions of terrorism, which were reviewed in his report (link above).
What is perhaps the most significant thing about the State Department’s role on behalf of Israel in defining terrorism for Americans is that it has taken to broadening the concept enough to bring Palestinian organizations like Hamas and possibly the militant wings of Fatah and other groups under the concept of terrorism, UNLIKE EVERY OTHER COUNTRY WESTERN COUNTRY WHICH VIEWS THESE GROUPS AS MILITANTS FIGHTING A MILITARY OCCUPATION.
The State Department has also been complicit in cooperating with Israel’s foreign and official hasbara (propaganda) services to push the meme of terrorism onto Hamas, in particular. This is how the distortion and reframing of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict goes: Israel occupies the Palestinian territories, not because it is using the military occupation to colonize or steal Palestinian lands, but rather to fight terrorism, of which Israel is now the victim. Remember the suicide bombings after the start of the second Intifada.
The sad detail left out of the State Department collusion is the obvious facts that 1) West Bank and Gaza have been under military occupation for 40 years (by siege in the latter case) and 2) Hamas developed in response to the First Intifada in the late 1980s in order to fight the occupation. That any reasonable person could buy this propaganda, in spite of its coming in the wake of 9/11, is unbelievable, but Israel, in conjunction with State, are making quite a success story out of it.
If you have not seen Peace, Propaganda, & The Promised Land, you may have been taken in by this propaganda effort. This documentary, because it can be verified by the personal experience of any individual American with a TV tuned into mainstream media, should not be missed.
Haitham Sabbah ends his report with his position on the settlement of the conflict:
So, here you go. Call them whatever you want. Crimes, War Crimes, whatever… equal to terrorism! How can this be denied now?
As for your question about two states solutions, the answer is, NO! I don’t believe that two states solution will ever solve the conflict. Only one state for all will be the solutions. Other than that, Roadmaps are just a waste of time, especially that you are asking only Palestinians to implement their part.
On the other hand, can you please explain the roadmap, and what it means in terms of the ending of the occupation, leaving the settlements (ALL the settlements), the borders of 1967, the right of return, etc. U.S. is the superpower and is asking us, the Palestinians, to implement the Roadmap while the U.S. can’t convince Israel to even stop the Wall, or building new settlements on new stolen lands!!!
The link to Haitham Sabbah blog is: http://www.sabbah.biz/mt/
I thank Haitham Sabbah for his permission to crosspost his article here.
Surely you’re not so naive as to be suprised.
Surprised that a State rep would admit it. This is State by the way and not CIA or FBI, which undoubtedly have tabs on these blogs.
Good luck in Wisconsin.
According to the latest review of EU’s terrorist blacklist from 2005 the military wing of Hamas, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, are indeed blacklisted as a terrorist group.
Thanks for getting the information. A 2003 report indicated that there was some intention for it to be dropped, considering Israel’s deadly attacks in the West Bank and Gaza as a military occupier. That is what makes this all very unusual: a group developed for the purpose of fighting an illegal military occupation is dubbed terrorist, but not the occupier.
That Israeli forces killed four times as many civilians in the West Bank and Gaza is not considered terrorism, but self-defense, even though it is occupying the people implicated in attacking Israeli civilians, innocents as well. But they are terrorists; Israel not.
I wrote a diary called Mind of the Palestinian Suicide Bomber (archives) that argues through evidence that the suicide bombings during the second Intifada were retaliatory and unfitting of the common definition of terrorism. It renders Israel culpable if not just as culpable for instigating those attacks. Israel appears to be a victim until you look at the death tolls for the Palestinian civilians.
Whatever the case, neither Israel nor the Palestinians come out of it looking innocent. The only proviso is that Israel has not been living under a decades long occupation.
Occupation is the source of all ills in this conflict. There would be none without it.
PS. the three groups: the al-Aqsa brigades, a faction within Fatah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and PLFP, a Palestinian group that is a member of the PLO umbrella organization, are also on EU’s blacklist.
Having worked at the State Department in technical support I can tell you that many of the people who work there drool on their keyboards. The help desk gets at least two or three calls a month to fix the broken cup holder attached to the PC. Many are not God’s most intelligent children, as you have documented so well here.
You might imagine the Department of State attracts only the best and brightest, which is true for the diplomatic types, but they are a small percentage of “the team” and they require many support services which are usually performed by the equivalent of Quasimodo. Most of the people who work for the State are not diplomats, but you already knew that.
Unfortunately these same people have an internet connection through the same fire wall as the secretary of state. So I wouldn’t make too much out of it. The guy probably works in the motor pool.
It does make a good story though and makes one wonder if lightening bolts have reached this moron’s office yet from the real public affairs (propaganda) people.
~~~
New topic. I’m a fan of yours over at DailyKos Joe. Really appreciate the fine work you do. You’re totally MIA over there these days. Miss you. Can’t say that I blame you. I gave up blogging there long ago because the swarm is so thick. But I noticed you posted at Benjamin Heine’s blog the other day so I googled you up and I find you in this backwater blog 😛 j/k. what’s up wid dat? I had to create yet another ID to get in touch with you here.
Anyway thank you for visiting Ben’s blog and thanks for recognizing the work of the rest of the family of Palestine bloggers. I’m sure you realize the Palstine blogging community is huge outside of DailyKos. Your leadership is much appreciated.
While I’m advertising other people’s blogs, also checkout Reclaiming Space. The professor from Down Under there does an excellent job of documenting the efforts of the radical justice community, and she’s another friend of Benjamin Heine.
You should get Ben to do your caricature as he has for so many in the blogs for Palestine community.
I called Mr. Blaschke. He no longer works in that office. His new number is (202) 453-8398.
Three times he refused to answer when I asked him if his official role is to represent the United States government. He just wanted to know what I thought he said that isn’t factual. I didn’t want to kibitz with him about his statements, I wanted to know if it’s his job. Three times he refused to answer.
Does the U.S. government pay people to interact with bloggers? He said yes. And he also claims to work for public affairs (PR). I think that’s a lie because he refused to answer my first question about his role before I asked him whether there is an official program. A good PR person wouldn’t start a rhetorical war with a U.S. citizen in the opening round – you’d hope. Maybe they’re scraping the bottom.
He said his comments to Sabbah were not “cleared” which means he’s just some asshole with an opinion and not an official government spokesperson.
I think he’s lying about his offical role and he may also be lying about whether the government funds (on the books) “public diplomacy” in the blog-os-fear.
If he was official he wouldn’t have been so evasive.
BTW I do think they monitor the blogs, but they’d never admit it. By law the State Department cannot fund public information efforts (propoganda) for use on the people of the United States. They can tell all the lies they want overseas, but they’re not supposed to play 1984 here.
So if this guy really is being paid to “correct” the blogosfear then there’s a major scoop here.
If he’s just some guy with an opinion then the real Department of State needs to know about it.
Sabbah responded to your comments, and I put his diary about them up today.
http://www.boomantribune.com/?op=displaystory;sid=2007/3/29/115440/850
Thanks for them.
Thanks for your kind words. Actually, I work with a group of bloggers with a common interest: a balanced foreign policy in the Middle East. That’s a round about way to say that we against the centrists who espouse the DLC/AIPAC line. We are also supportive of the Israeli Left, the peace movement, and a fair and just solution to the conflict. That would also put us in conflict with Israeli right wing government policy and goals, and organizations that support them.
We are listed as contributors of Evenhanded Democrats. Don’t have the URL handy but it should Google right up. It is a pretty dead place, but most, minus three of us who were banned at Daily Kos, still spent time there and diary from time to time.
You perspective about the surveillance may very well be correct. More logically, it is our intelligence agencies who would have interest.
Thanks again for your kind words.
PS: I will pass your post onto Sabbah and maybe even post it on his Blog.
Haithem published a followup.
Second PS: regarding Benjamin Heine, his cartoons sometimes tell the whole story by themselves. I have crossposted some of his material here, at least one diary. I hope that he gets more widely known. The talent is obvious.
Well ain’t that a fine howdy do. That’s a badge of honor, Joe. I salute you!
I just got back from a long sanity break away from blogging, so I had no idea about the banning. Ignorance is no excuse, but I seem to be unable to live without it.
Don’t ask me, I just lurk here!
Yes – Ben is a great community builder and his art work is hard to kibitz with. Plus he knows Mary Rizzo and nobody wants her showing up at their house! She’ll kick your butt man. 😛
I’m going to google your new outfit and start reading there.
Keep up the good work!