|
Possible Bush Security Appointee Opposed By U.S. Muslims
WASHINGTON, March 18 (IslamOnline) - The possible appointment of a prominent pro-Israeli advocate, Robert Satloff, as a special assistant to President George W. Bush and senior director of the National Security Council's (NSC) Near East division, has caused sharp criticism by Arab and Muslim American organizations.
Some news media have tipped that Satloff will be appointed to the post even though the Bush administration has not announced any official plans of doing so.
Satloff currently serves as the executive director of a right wing conservative think tank, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), known for its strong pro-Israeli stance.
In a letter sent to National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice, the American Muslim Council (AMC) said, "Mr. Satloff must be regarded as one of the foremost professional advocates of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States.
"He is therefore not suited, in our view, to bring to the Bush administration a balanced analysis of Middle Eastern affairs."
Hala Maksoud, President of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), and Aly R. Abuzaakouk, Executive Director of the American Muslim Council (AMC), signed the letter.
The letter described WINEP as a spin-off of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the principal arm of the pro-Israel lobby in Washington.
It said that Satloff's predecessor at the institute, Martin Indyk, was also appointed to the same position and said that the post of WINEP's executive director should not become a conduit to the NSC.
"The appearance that the National Security Council staff position on Middle East affairs is reserved for former executive directors of WINEP would send an extremely damaging signal to the Arab and Muslim world and almost certainly harm United States diplomacy in the region," the letter said.
It added that that the impression of a "revolving door" between NSC and WINEP is further reinforced by the fact that Dennis Ross, former president Bill Clinton's special Middle East coordinator, has now joined the institute.
The letter advised Condoleeza Rice, "to look for a candidate whose career reflects a balanced understanding of the issues at stake rather than an advocate for one of the regional powers."
|
