W.H. Israelophile scrambles to keep lid on

White House ramrod Rahm Emanuel is the White House force behind the deal to deny civilian trial to the al Qaeda prisoners accused of 9/11 crimes, reports
Jason Leopold of Consortium News.

It is rather disconcerting that yet another fervent supporter of Israel is involved in maneuvering to keep the lid on the 9/11 facts. It has been clear that a number of prominent Israelophiles have attacked 9/11 skeptics as generally anti-Semitic. This particularly holds for the AIPAC crowd, though that position is publicly muted.

While it is true that a military tribunal would not accept advance guilty pleas, it is clear that such a tribunal would be much easier to control with different standards of evidence and career judge advocates who, despite best efforts, are going to feel Pentagon pressure for pro-forma show trials.

Once it became apparent that it was quite possible that a federal judge, considering the problem of enhanced interrogation, would forbid the planned advance guilty pleas, the pressure began to block such trials. Imagine a tough defense team challenging the government's 9/11 fairy tale at point after point. Even if the AIPAC-fearing press failed to cover the trials objectively, the public record would be available to many in alternative media.

MARCH 15, 2010. White House honcho David Axelrod yesterday said that no decision had been made on the trial venue for the 9/11 accused. Axelrod, who is Jewish, also blasted the Israeli govt. for its housing decision in the midst of Biden's visiit. Axelrod said Obama was right behind him. Clinton had taken the decision's timing as a calaculated insult of the Obama administration, which is trying to broker a peace deal.

OK, we can accept that the White House is not dominated by  AIPAC allies. Nevertheless, Rahm's maneuvering on the trial venue is disturbing.