Obama's Intelligence Chairman Nominee Withdraws Name
Jim Kouri, CPP
March 10, 2009
The controversy over President Barack Obama's nominee for a top intelligence position came to an end today when Charles Freeman removed his name from consideration.
U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra, (R-MI), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement after Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair informed the committee of the decision by Mr. Freeman to turn down his nomination to the post of Chairman of the National Intelligence Council:
"The Director of National Intelligence has informed the committee that Charles Freeman has decided to withdraw his name from further consideration as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. The decision by Mr. Freeman to withdraw his name is the right decision under the circumstances."
"Mr. Freeman´s selection as chairman of the council was a poor choice from the beginning. Given his financial dealings with a Chinese state-run oil company and the backing of his think tank by the government of Saudi Arabia, it raises serious questions about the vetting that was done by the administration, stated Hoekstra,
"Mr. Freeman´s extensive record of questionable public statements, including those that seemed to defend the Tiananmen Square massacre and raise questions about the American character following the 9/11 attacks, should have been more than enough to give the [Obama] administration pause," he said.
"This is yet another breakdown in the Obama administration vetting process—one more in a long series of missteps. More fundamentally, on an intelligence matter, it calls into question the essential judgments being made. As with Guantanamo Bay and interrogation, the administration seemingly reached a decision before thinking through all the issues. I hope the administration will show greater consideration in the future," Rep. Hoekstra stated.
Freeman, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is best known within the Washington Beltway for his work as president of the Middle East Policy Council and a fellowship at the Institute for National Security Studies.
Besides those positions, Freeman also served with the Saudi-Arabian funded Middle East Policy Council, succeeding liberal-left icon and former presidential candidate George McGovern.
Meanwhile, in light of the flurry of media reports regarding Iran and North Korea´s missile programs, members of Congress on the Bi-partisan Missile Defense Caucus have sent a letter to President Obama asking him to maintain robust levels of funding for the U.S. strategic missile defense system.
The most recent account of belligerence has come out of North Korea in which a spokesman warned they will counterstrike if any country should move to intercept what Pyongyang is calling a "peaceful satellite launch." Iran recently successfully put into orbit their own satellite. As the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. James Cartwright, recently noted, space launch technologies "are compatible with an intercontinental ballistic missile-type capability."
U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra, (R-MI), the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, issued the following statement after Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair informed the committee of the decision by Mr. Freeman to turn down his nomination to the post of Chairman of the National Intelligence Council:
"The Director of National Intelligence has informed the committee that Charles Freeman has decided to withdraw his name from further consideration as chairman of the National Intelligence Council. The decision by Mr. Freeman to withdraw his name is the right decision under the circumstances."
"Mr. Freeman´s selection as chairman of the council was a poor choice from the beginning. Given his financial dealings with a Chinese state-run oil company and the backing of his think tank by the government of Saudi Arabia, it raises serious questions about the vetting that was done by the administration, stated Hoekstra,
"Mr. Freeman´s extensive record of questionable public statements, including those that seemed to defend the Tiananmen Square massacre and raise questions about the American character following the 9/11 attacks, should have been more than enough to give the [Obama] administration pause," he said.
"This is yet another breakdown in the Obama administration vetting process—one more in a long series of missteps. More fundamentally, on an intelligence matter, it calls into question the essential judgments being made. As with Guantanamo Bay and interrogation, the administration seemingly reached a decision before thinking through all the issues. I hope the administration will show greater consideration in the future," Rep. Hoekstra stated.
Freeman, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, is best known within the Washington Beltway for his work as president of the Middle East Policy Council and a fellowship at the Institute for National Security Studies.
Besides those positions, Freeman also served with the Saudi-Arabian funded Middle East Policy Council, succeeding liberal-left icon and former presidential candidate George McGovern.
Meanwhile, in light of the flurry of media reports regarding Iran and North Korea´s missile programs, members of Congress on the Bi-partisan Missile Defense Caucus have sent a letter to President Obama asking him to maintain robust levels of funding for the U.S. strategic missile defense system.
The most recent account of belligerence has come out of North Korea in which a spokesman warned they will counterstrike if any country should move to intercept what Pyongyang is calling a "peaceful satellite launch." Iran recently successfully put into orbit their own satellite. As the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. James Cartwright, recently noted, space launch technologies "are compatible with an intercontinental ballistic missile-type capability."
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