Two lobbies battling for influence with the US Congress is nothing to lose sleep over. Run of the mill stuff surely. Still when one of those lobbies is the mighty AIPAC …
Now is that a first? I wouldn’t know. It is interesting though.
The adversarial lobby is ALIES (American-Lebanon Institute for Enlightened Studies), the registered foreign lobby of the Lebanese government. AIPAC by the way is not registered as a foreign lobby. Very strange but that’s the way it is apparently.
Here’s what is happening:
US Representatives, Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Tom Lantos (D-CA), and Republicans Mike Pence, Darrell Issa and Charles Boustany met in a secret session last night upon receiving word that ALIES (American-Lebanon Institute for Enlightened Studies) had appended an amendment to their resolution affirming the continued US readiness to provide material and economic assistance to help protect Lebanese sovereignty and independence. The counter-resolution, provided by the registered foreign lobby of the Lebanese government, attacks the AIPAC […] drafted resolution introduced by Ackerman and co-“authored” by Lantos, the principal voice of AIPAC in the House, as one more example of AIPAC control of the US Congress which successfully writes on average of 100 resolutions and pieces of legislation per year for our illiterate representatives to sign, all favorably disposed to Israel. The caustic language of the resolution slams the hypocrisy of the Ackerman and Lantos resolution that indicts Syria and Hezbollah as enemies of Lebanon and not the state of Israel that, only one year ago, razed Lebanon to the ground in its most recent effort to demonstrate its friendship with the Lebanese people. – More
got any analysis on this issue. I feel like you’re giving me homework. No offense…just saying.
Extremely sorry, Booman! I am looking for some feedback on this myself since I don’t know much more than what I read in that article.
I checked Clemons’ website thinking he would have something on this. This is his department and he usually has the goods on what goes on in Washington. Nothing. Which makes me think that this may not be such a big thing. On the other hand, it might be indicative of some kind of movement against AIPAC’s control (if any) of Congress.
May I suggest to just let the diary lie around for a bit? I wouldn’t want you to be working on a weekend.
don’t be sorry, I’m just giving my feedback.
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Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
Gary L. Ackerman (D-NY), Chairman
You are respectfully requested to attend the following OPEN hearing of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building .
Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 Time: 2:30 PM
Subject: Next Steps in Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process
Witnesses: Mr. David Makovsky
Director
Project on the Middle East Peace Process
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
The Honorable Martin S. Indyk – [1999]
Director
Saban Center for Middle East Policy
The Brookings Institution
The Honorable Daniel Pipes
Director
Middle East Forum
Link
● Projects working for peace among Israelis and Arabs
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."