From The NewYorker: As President-Elect, Obama and his transition team helped persuade Israel to end the bombing of Gaza and to withdraw its ground troops before the Inauguration, Dick Cheney was busy undermining Obama’s efforts.

According to the former senior intelligence official, who has access to sensitive information, “Cheney began getting messages from the Israelis about pressure from Obama.“.

Cheney, who worked closely with the Israeli leadership in the lead-up to the Gaza war, portrayed Obama to the Israelis as a “pro-Palestinian,” who would not support their efforts (and, in private, disparaged Obama, referring to him at one point as someone who would “never make it in the major leagues“).

But the Obama team let it be known that it would not object to the planned resupply of “smart bombs” and other high-tech ordnance that was already flowing to Israel.

“It was Jones“-retired Marine General James Jones, at the time designated to be the President’s national-security adviser-”who came up with the solution and told Obama, ‘You just can’t tell the Israelis to get out.’ ” — [ READ MORE ]

The Failings of Torture

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