Israel Has No Right to Exist, Says Ex-CIA Analyst

'No country has a right to exist,' he says, but it CAN defend itself...

Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer, a veritable rock star among anti-war types during the Bush years, has weighed in on the current Israeli-Palestinian conflagration, reports Raw Story. His controversial takeaway: Israel has no right to exist.

But Israel does have the right to defend itself, he claims, in what may appear to many to be a distinction without a difference. Speaking to Fox's Brian Kilmeade, Scheuer said that "no country has a right to exist." He apparently aimed to remove at least that particular talking point from the debate over the current conflict, which has prompted American lawmakers to take sides (in Israel's favor).

Scheuer also downplayed the idea of Iranian involvement in Gaza, saying that Hamas has "alienated" itself from Iran, and that its "reliance on the Iranians is much less than it used to be." This would be at odds with the view taken by the neoconservative Commentary's Michael Rubin, who claims that Iran is going to "great lengths" to arm the party currently governing the Gaza strip.

Via Raw Story and Commentary.

Do you believe that Israel has a "right to exist"?

[CanisCanemEdit]

Gotta love the headline spin on this one.

[ASmith]

Who writes such crap? Why lie and pretend the man said Israel "has no right"? Or is topix a FOX Nuisance brand that engages in propaganda and quote mining?

[RobertJHarsh]

If you take away Scheuer's remark's literally, NO country has the "right" to exist. But of course, we're all about twisting words and packaging people into certain camps. But my point still stands, I don't care, just stop using my taxpayer dollars.

[DARSB]

Discussions about "rights" are usually hermetically sealed off from the world. Israel exists - talk about whether it has a "right" to do so seems beside the point.

Speaking of beside the point, Michael Scheuer still gets on TV?

[SmedleyButler]

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[kirbstomp1]

The Israelis are no better than their enemy. Let them blow each other up over there and lets pull out our lawnchairs and watch like the rest of the world have watched us for the past 70 years

[RobertJHarsh]

Lawn Chair? Don't forget your six pack. I'll be honest, when Tel Aviv burns to get ground, first I'll be laughing, but next I'll be writing my representatives a letter asking about that ROI on US taxpayer dollars invested in that dump and possibly deducting it as losses on my tax return. Israel appears to be a BAD investment choice, but if the Palestinians are wiped out then it might be GOOD? But either way I get nothing out of it.

[RobertJHarsh]

@RobertJHarsh I meant burns to the ground. Sorry. Site needs a "edit for 5 mins after posting" button.

[kirbstomp1]

@RobertJHarsh - yea were sending money to that country while we got poor people starving here. I don't get the whole 'lets help other countries before we help our citizens'. What a government we have.

[ctc]

People don't live forever.....neither do countries.

[DerivePI]

Such nuanced genius! This adds so much to his imaginary discussion.

[lochlomond]

Does a country founded on revolution and expanded by conquest and eminent domain have the right to exist? Who determines what country should exist and which should be dismantled and absorbed by others? Once established, a nation can not be arbitrarily negated because it is an inconvenient reality for others. I try not to make value statements but this former CIA agent is master of the senseless oxymoron. Israel has no right to be but as an illegitimate nation,has the right to defend its illegal existence. He must have gone to Harvard.

[Denizen_Kate]

Actually, the CIA recruits most of its analysts from Yale, hence the nickname "The Fool Factory."

[lochlomond]

@Denizen_Kate Thank you for sharing that. I naturally assumed that he was from Harvard because of his contradictory assessment of the current crisis in the Middle East. There are so many nitwits in the federal government, elected and otherwise who are Harvard graduates that I assumed that he was one as well. I will have to broaden my disdain to include Yalies. There are a number of them who are out of touch with reality as well

[Denizen_Kate]

@lochlomond - I'm an equal opportunity disdainer. BS, MS, PHD - bullsh!t, more sh!t, and pile it higher and deeper. Hope you get a chuckle out of that before the mods delete it. ;-)

[lochlomond]

@Denizen_Kate I did indeed. I have concluded that the quality of a college education has diminished considerably. When No Child Left Behind was introduced we skeptical subject area teachers could not be convinced that special ed kids arbitrarily dropped into regular classes would, given the modified tests that were read to them by teacher's aides and the alternatives suggested for writing assignments really didn't matter.uch students would not be going to college even though they had more than acceptable grades, thanks to the coaching they received. I wasn't convinced. Since then, colleges have introduced programs such as Pennsylvania's Act 101, which provide the same as well enhanced services to students who read on the fifth grade level. Theoretically, a special ed student could become class valedictorian based upon his grades alone. On standardized tests, they have "coaches" and are given extra time whereas the other students must hand the exam papers in after time is up, whether they are finished or not.

I tell you this because the quality of education is going down. Students who are totally dependent upon coaches, special education aides and tests that are so watered down as to be laughable are going to college, and with the advantages they have been given on every level, are moving out into the professions. I had a student teacher who knew nothing about the great American writers, Poe, Fitzgerald, Hemingway. The emphasis in the program she was in was "global" writers. The problem here is that we read foreign writers in translation and miss the nuances and style of the individual writer. Unless one can read the work in the author's own language, we miss so much that it is an effort to keep track of the story line. Not only is the curriculum being dumbed down, but the colleges have many students who would never have beeen accepted in 1995.

A few years ago, the valedictorian of a small college near here was a parapalegic. He spoke through a tube. His mother received a special award because she transported him to school every day, took notes for him, helped him with his school work and read the tests to him. I do not deny him a chance to matriculate, but considering the level of intervention required, granting him a college degree,much less making him the valediictorian was way over the top.

Hope you get to read this before it gets deleted. Happy Thanksgiving!

[Denizen_Kate]

@lochlomond - Looks like the thought police have given us a hall pass. Thank you for sharing your thoughtful perspective on the dumbing down of America. I'm gratified to know I'm not alone in my assessment. Stupid is currently without cure, and the epidemic is spreading. I blame Mr. Rogers. Kids watched that wanker every day and listened to him tell them over and over how "special" they were. When I was a schoolkid you had to achieve something extraordinary to earn a gold star, but they give them to everyone now and like so many symbols of my youth, they've lost their meaning.

[Rocker]

Exist?- Yes

If I want Europe and Mid-East news I usually check Reuters and BBC, who recently reported that the larger rockets hitting Israel had Iranian markings on them.

[Real4WheelDrv]

I may be overanalyzing what was said, but I believe he meant that no country has a predetermined mandate to exist. Most people who are interested see Israel as having a right to exist because of the bible, but taking religion away it would be "just another collection of people who live together within manmade borders". So, Israel has no more right to be a nation than any other nation. I think he was mainly trying to take religion away from Israel's significance.

I realize I rambled there but...to put it another way...the New World was not mentioned in the bible, does that mean we have less of a right to be a nation than Israel does...this guy says no.

[bsking]

yeah the trouble with headlines this deceiving, is that the Moron portion of our population believe it as fact.

[jessejaymes]

You'd like that those from the Bush Presidency would have more pride than to show their faces in public. FOREVER. Guess not.

[vws]

No country that cannot defend itself or its borders will continue to exist.

[RoyFloyd]

“no country has a right to exist.” That's what he said, and what Faux Nooz applied it's usual spin to, coming up with a screaming lying headline "Israel has no right to exits". Coulda just as well replaced Israel with Palestine, Cuba, or North Korea. Lying liars and the idiots that gobble up their horsecrap. That's the real story.

[martydotcom]

Either you agree with historical rights confirmed by UN in 1947 and on the field of battle or not, there is no middle ground

[MRMacrum]

No right to exist and right to defend itself? Hmm. This is taking the war of words deep into a philosophical discussion. I feel Israel will do what it thinks is necessary for it's own survival. Rights have nothing to do with it.

[mimi57]

Seeing as Israel has less than eight million people and the entire country would fit into the State of Florida eight times, besides the fact they are surrounded by 350 million
enemies that want to wipe them off the map...Yes, they do have the right to exist and
defend themselves at all costs, there is a Biblical warning about those who turn their backs on Israel; Gen.-12:3--- "I, God, will bless you (Israel) and curse those who curse
you".

[Mbjhug]

It has the right to exist because they defined their borders, and are protecting it from intrusion, same any other country. As long as they "own" the land, they have the right.