tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6281476.post-50660410292158093612009-01-12T12:30:00.000-05:002009-01-12T12:32:11.009-05:00Around three days ago, CNN reported that Dennis Ross was likely to be appointed "ambassador at large" to the Middle East. While some insiders in DC are reporting that the Ross appointment as ambassador at Large/special envoy to Iran is not yet a 100% done deal, the fact that he appears to be the top candidate is very telling.<br /><br />For those who may not know Ross, I am including below a list of relevant facts. Ross (along with Martin Indyk) are well-known for their <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Camp-David-Collapse/dp/1560256230/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226625753&sr=8-1">disastrous impact on Palestine-Israel issues</a>, but I am going to limit most of my points here to facts which will highlight why Ross will also be a huge disaster for Iran:<br /><br />- Ross (again with Martin Indyk) co-founded the self-described "America's Pro-Israel Lobby", AIPAC, as well as its "think-tank" arm, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.<br /><br />-Ross was the director for policy planning in the State Department under President George H.W. Bush. <br /><br />-In a November 2008 piece in <span style="font-style:italic;">Newsweek</span>, Ross, after repeating all of the familiar--and baseless-- accusations about an Iranian nuclear weapon, insisted that <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/171256">"the more Washington shows it's willing to engage Iran directly, the more these other parties, will feel comfortable ratcheting up the pressure."</a> This stance against straightforward negotiations , of course, in direct contradiction to Obama's campaign-time statements about his plans to hold unconditional talks with Iran. <br /><br />-<a href="http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/html/pdf/RossSenateTestimony20080424.pdf">In a April 2008 testimony to Congress</a>, Ross' options for "diplomacy" include suggestions to "tighten the noose" on Iran (meaning more devastating sanctions on the people of Iran). Although he says that he is for talks with "pressure", it seems to be a smokescreen so that they can say they tried diplomacy. Ross directly reveals this cunning strategy when he says: "Tougher policies—either military or meaningful containment—will be easier to sell internationally and domestically if we have diplomatically tried to resolve our differences with Iran in a serious and credible fashion."<br /><br />For further reading on Ross and further proof (as if one needed it) for why Obama's-change-is-a-joke, you can see the following links:<br /><br />-<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nathan-gardels/dennis-ross-18-months-to_b_55056.html">Dennis Ross interview with Nathan Gardels</a> on the <span style="font-style:italic;">Huffington Post</span><br /><br />-<span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/orig/flynn.php?articleid=13710">Top Obama Adviser Has Long Ties to Neocons</a></span> by Michael Flynn.<br /><br />-<span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/orig/giraldi.php?articleid=13712">Obama's Neocon in Residence</a></span> by Philip Giraldi<br /><br />-<span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=14019">The Same Old Change:Obama's Middle East 'czar' signals the Lobby's still in charge</a></span> by Justin Raimondo<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6281476-5066041029215809361?l=benevis-dige.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Nikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03740828571945291678noreply@blogger.com0