Anne Neuberger - zio-Joe's national security advisor from AIPAC

[yankeedoodle]

Biden's top cyber adviser donated a lot to Israeli lobby AIPAC, say leftist reporters – and get accused of anti-Semitism
https://www.rt.com/usa/513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac/?utm_source=browser&utm_medium=aplication_chrome&utm_campaign=chrome

An investigative report about ties between President Joe Biden's pick for cyberwar adviser Anne Neuberger and AIPAC has unexpectedly landed two Democrat-friendly journalists in hot water with the Washington establishment.

Neuberger is supposed to become Biden's deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology on the National Security Council. A "rising" star at the NSA, Neuberger got promoted to cybersecurity chief in 2019, after overseeing "a preemptive strike" on Russia during the 2018 election, reveals an investigative piece by David Corn of Mother Jones and Ken Dilanian of NBC News, published on Wednesday.

However, Corn and Dilanian also revealed that Neuberger used her family foundation to channel substantial donations to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1354487222809067523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354487222809067523%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac%2F

The Anne and Yehuda Neuberger Foundation has donated "hundreds of thousands of dollars" to AIPAC in recent years, according to Dilanian and Corn. The donations increased starting in 2015, when the foundation received a $93 million gift from the Chesed Foundation of America, a charity run by George Karfunkel – described as a "billionaire investor," who also happens to be Anne Neuberger's father.

Meanwhile, her husband Yehuda Neuberger chairs AIPAC's Baltimore executive council, and lobbied against the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran in 2015. The latter point may be the reason behind the piece, as Corn specifically argues that "AIPAC has been widely seen as a supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right and hardline policies," incompatible with the Obama administration line that Biden has been busy trying to restore over the past week.

"While Israel is a close American ally, it operates in its own interest and aggressively spies on the US, including using cyber capabilities, current and former officials say," Dilanian wrote.

Meanwhile, Corn lets former CIA official John Sipher phrase it instead, saying that "in her world, when people think of cyber-threats, Israel is always there, even if it's an ally. It is surprising that someone in cyber who understands Israeli capabilities would not want to steer clear of these politics."

Sipher characterizes Neuberger's donations to AIPAC as "unwise at best." Corn and Dilanian cite unnamed intelligence officials as saying that while the donations are "probably" not disqualifying, they're "not good."

Even so, the duo spent much of Wednesday defending themselves from accusations of anti-Semitism from groups and individuals. For example, the American Jewish Committee insisted that Neuberger is owed an apology, because "questioning the loyalty of a public servant for supporting [AIPAC] is not just offensive, it reeks of bigotry."

https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1354524997084196865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354524997084196865%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac%2F

Rabbi Michael Adam Latz said Corn was "intimating dual loyalty & claiming AIPAC is foreign-implying that Jews are foreign," to which Corn replied that he never said either.

"It's about policy," Corn said, citing Barack Obama's recent book saying that AIPAC is "aligned with the Israeli right" and sided with Israel when it "took actions that were contrary to US policy."

https://twitter.com/DavidCornDC/status/1354531334224572419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354531334224572419%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac%2F

Some of the arguments used in the back-and-forth were by themselves revealing, such as Defense One executive editor Kevin Barron saying that the US "officially is 100 percent biased toward Israel" and the Pentagon maintains a policy of backing Israeli "qualitative military edge," presumably in cyberspace as well.

"No argument on that. This is complicated,"replied Dilanian.

https://twitter.com/DefenseBaron/status/1354492299988840451?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1354492299988840451%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac%2F

Corn was one of the first reporters to publicize British spy Christopher Steele's claims about "ties" between then-candidate Donald Trump and Russia, which were put together on behalf of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 US presidential election.

Dilanian also took part in the 'Russiagate' reporting, and has a reputation of getting his stories vetted by the CIA – something that became part of the court record in the UK trial of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange.

https://twitter.com/kgosztola/status/1318654854982754305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1318654854982754305%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rt.com%2Fusa%2F513838-biden-cyber-adviser-aipac%2F

Late on Wednesday, NBC News retracted and archived the story, saying it "should have also included more views from those who believe that donations to AIPAC do not represent a conflict." It remains up, unchanged, on the Mother Jones website.

[yankeedoodle]

From Phil Giraldi:
Another Zionist Joins the Biden Team
Neuberger will make our cyber secure?
https://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/another-zionist-joins-the-biden-team/

It does not require any particularly perspicacity to realize that the President Joe Biden Administration has been loaded with Zionists who not only believe in their own vision for Greater Israel but also in some cases have strong and enduring ties to the Israeli government itself. The new Secretary of State Tony Blinken comes from an American Jewish family that has well established ties to Israel. Blinken's paternal grandfather was one of the founders of an organization that eventually evolved into the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Blinken said at his Senate confirmation hearing that the new administration would "consult with Israel" before any possible return to the 2015 nuclear deal and he also made clear that there will be "additional conditions for Iran," an odd position to take since it was the U.S. that withdrew from the agreement and introduced a harsh sanctions regime even though Iran was in compliance. More recently, Blinken claimed that Iran is weeks away from having the enriched uranium needed to make a nuclear weapon. Strangely enough, or perhaps not, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been making the same claim since the 1980s.

Joe Biden himself proclaims proudly that he is a Zionist and Vice President Kamala Harris has spoken at AIPAC gatherings, pledging her unconditional support for the Jewish state. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer has proclaimed himself "shomer" or protector of Israel in the Senate while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that the "If this Capitol crumbled to the ground, the one thing that would remain would be our commitment to our aid, I don't even call it our aid, our cooperation with Israel. That's fundamental to who we are." The House Majority Leader, the second ranking Democrat, Steny Hoyer has proudly led numerous Congressional delegations to Israel.

One has to suspect that many White House and Congressional friends of Israel are opportunists, knowledgeable of the fact that Zionism is career enhancing and equally aware that getting on the wrong side of "The Lobby" is a political death wish. Many politically astute senior officials meanwhile wind up by design in positions in the Department of State, CIA and National Security Council where they will be able to narrow foreign policy options in favor of the Jewish state. Under George W. Bush, folks like Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, Doug Feith and Scooter Libby worked hard to infiltrate the Pentagon and White House and, having succeeded, the disastrous Iraq War was the result.

One might also recall the concurrent purge of the so-called "Arabists" in the State Department in the 1950s which has led to a domination of key foreign and national security positions relating to the Middle East by American Jews ever since. Indeed, the shift in priorities at State Department has been dramatic, with Foggy Bottom now housing an office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, allegedly because anti-Semitism is surging worldwide, apparently having nothing to do with how Israel and its supporters behave. The incumbent, Elan Carr, has recently been elevated to the rank of Ambassador-at-large and his office, as well as the Biden Administration, now insists that criticism of Israel is ipso facto anti-Semitism. So much for free speech in the new world order.

Once upon a time it was considered unwise to appoint senior officials who had personal ties to other countries lest it create a conflict of interest that would not ultimately be beneficial to either nation. In his often-cited Farewell Address of 1796, George Washington famously warned that "...permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others should be excluded; and that in place of them just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest."

If Washington were to see the foreign policy ruined by the Israel-centric federal government that has prevailed since the time of Ronald Reagan he would surely be at a loss to understand how that could possibly have developed. Donald Trump even intensified the pander by giving the Israelis gifts that they had not asked for and Joe Biden looks like he will do more of the same. When it comes to Israel, no concession or gift is ever enough.

The FBI, in the past, routinely denied security clearances to appointed officials who had close and enduring ties to other countries that were not part of NATO. Under Donald Trump, it was reported that his son-in-law Jared Kushner had been denied a top-level clearance in part due to his family's close personal connection with Israel, to include its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is regarded as a family friend. Donald Trump ignored the recommendation and used his own authority to grant Kushner the clearance anyway.

The latest friend of Israel to rise to the top as Biden completes his appointments is one Anne Neuberger, who recently was named senior director for cyber policy on the National Security Council. Neuberger has spent the last decade at the National Security Agency, the Pentagon's cyber spying arm, where she was recently appointed head of the newly created cybersecurity directorate. Her husband Yehuda meanwhile is chair of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Baltimore executive council. He reportedly lobbied ardent Zionist Senator Ben Cardin to oppose the 2015 Iran nuclear deal the Obama White House had negotiated. Cardin did vote against it in spite of it being strongly supported by his party leader President Barack Obama.

There is, not surprisingly, an additional back story to the tale. It goes something like this: NBC news published on January 27th an article claiming that a family foundation connected to Neuberger has donated $500,000 to AIPAC, which is the largest of the hundreds of Jewish organizations that are dedicated to advancing Israeli interests in the United States. AIPAC had in 2019 an annual budget of $133 million, assets of $157 million and 476 employees. It lobbies Congress heavily and is successful to the point where it actually writes legislation favorable to the Jewish State.

The NBC article stated that: "The daughter of billionaire investor George Karfunkel, Neuberger is an officer of a foundation named for her and her husband, the Yehuda and Anne Neuberger Foundation. The foundation was created 12 years ago to 'carry out the charitable and religious purposes of the Associated Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore,' according to its tax records... From 2012 through 2018 — the last year for which tax records for the foundation are available — the Neuberger foundation donated $559,000 to AIPAC, tax record show. In a separate part of the forms, the foundation reports spending that exact amounts of its AIPAC donations under the category of spending for lobbying 'to influence a legislative body' or 'to influence public opinion...'"

The article also observes that "[Israel] operates in its own interest and aggressively spies on the U.S., including using cyber capabilities." It also cites "A cross section of current and former intelligence officials and foreign policy experts — none of whom were willing to be named — [who] said the donations created an appearance problem. They noted that Israel, whose companies build and sell spying gear to regimes abroad and whose intelligence agencies hack foreign governments around the world, has a big stake in American cyber policy."

The Neuberger foundation also contributes money to the neocon dominated Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), which, like AIPAC, colludes directly with the Israeli Embassy in Washington. FDD should be registered as a foreign agent, but no Israel connected entity has ever been forced to comply. To be sure, Neuberger's involvement with the foundation and her participation in the money contribution to AIPAC should have been an element in her security clearance process, but that process may have been either modified for political reasons or the information was not made available. The NBC report observes that "A spokeswoman for the National Security Council declined to answer detailed questions about the matter, saying, 'As a senior NSC employee, Ms. Neuberger will abide by the Executive Order on Ethics Commitments By Executive Branch Personnel.' It's not clear Neuberger would have been required to disclose contributions by her family foundation as part of her ethics or security clearance reviews — so it's not known whether the Biden team vetted the donations. Although the donations are listed in public tax filings available on the web, some effort is required to find them."

The supporters of Neuberger are incorrect in that the contributions made in her name to AIPAC, which most in Washington regard as a front for the Israeli government, would have most definitely been relevant to her clearance process. Under normal rules, it would disqualify her from having a top level clearance, but, as should be noted, we are dealing here with Israel. Neuberger's appointment as head of U.S. cybersecurity while donating hundreds of thousands to the lobbying arm of a foreign government that recently welcomed to great fanfare a citizen of theirs, Jonathan Pollard, who spied on the U.S., as a hero is unacceptable. One might also add that Israel is regarded as the most active "friendly" government in respect to its spying on the United States, often using sayanim American Jews as their "agents," and its well documented history of stealing U.S. high technology is extensive. It also has highly developed cyber capabilities of its own which it has recently used against American government targets, to include the White House.

The final twist to the Neuberger story is that complaints from Jewish groups and individuals began to pour into NBC after it released the story, some concerned that a wonderful organization like AIPAC was being impugned. AIPAC denounced the piece directly, claiming that its "Charges of dual loyalty are anti-Semitic and insult millions of Americans—Jewish & non-Jewish—who stand by our ally Israel." The news network then surrendered, pulling and archiving the story after claiming that it had not met its usual standards due to its use of anonymous sources and failure to give Neuberger adequate time to respond. NBC did not contest the AIPAC claim that Israel is an actual American ally, which is itself a lie, nor to the compelling evidence that some American Jews certainly do demonstrate either dual or singular loyalty that favors Israel.

But my favorite contribution in support of Neuberger comes from President Barack Obama's U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who appears to be in line for a Biden senior foreign policy appointment. He tweeted: "I don't know Anne Neuberger, but the 'charge' against her — that she's not fit for national security work because her family foundation supported political work that is fully protected under the Constitution — is offensive and belied by her stellar career. Glad she is serving."

Shapiro's claim that a senior national security official's supporting a lobby that exists to obtain favors for a foreign country is a "free speech" issue is curious. One also wonders about Shapiro's ultimate loyalty, recalling how he left his ambassadorial post to live in Israel, where he presumably now holds dual-citizenship. He subsequently told an American Jewish audience that Israel is "this miracle, this gift, this jewel" and worked as a senior officer in an Israeli national security think tank, representing it in testimony before Congress, which should have required him to register as a foreign agent. But he didn't do so and got away with it because it was Israel, of course. And now he is giving advice on a critical United States national security issue in which he is dead wrong. That is the fundamental problem. We Americans are, at our peril, never allowed to challenge the extent of someone's devotion to a foreign country if that country just happens to be Israel.