John Bolton REJOINS JINSA

While we here constantly about AIPAC, as we should, with their pro-Israel lobbying power in the US, rarely is JINSA mentioned. Remember Bolton's blocking of the cease fire during Israel's invasion of Lebanon? Remember all those munitions the US shipped to Israel in the closing days of that conflict, the four million cluster bombs which were dropped on Lebanon which are still killing innocent Lebanese?


Yesterday this news item occurred: (so he RETURNED as a member after his brief stint at the UN)

John Bolton re-joined the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs.

Bolton, the former U.S.ambassador to the United Nations, returned as a member of JINSA's board of advisers.

"We are thrilled to have John Bolton back with us," Tom Neumann, JINSA's executive director, said in a statement. "We appreciate him personally and we appreciate the strength and soundness of his ideas. John represents the very best of national security thinking in the country."

JINSA joined in efforts to nominate Bolton for a Nobel Peace Prize last year, for his work uncovering Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. JINSA, which promotes security ties between Israel and the United States and other U.S. allies, shares Bolton's outspoken criticism of Bush administration overtures to North Korea and what he says is the slow pace of U.S. efforts to confront Iran.

Bolton left the U.N. post a year ago, after it became clear that the U.S. Senate would not confirm his recess appointment by President George W. Bush. A number of Jewish groups broke with their policy of not commenting on presidential nominees to endorse Bolton for the U.N. job, noting his critical role as a top State Department official in the first George Bush administration in getting the United Nations to roll back its notorious "Zionism is racism" resolution.

Prior to starting his U.N. job in August 2005, Bolton had been Bush's top arms-control negotiator. He was last involved with JINSA during the Clinton administration, when Bolton was out of government.

A portion of their mission statement reads:

Strategic Cooperation with Israel

• U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation is a vital component in the global security equation for the United States, and has been at the heart of JINSA’s mission since its inception in 1976.

  The Middle East remains the focal point of American security policy because of the confluence of energy, money, weapons and ideology. The inherent instability in the region caused primarily by inter-Arab rivalries and the secular/religious split in many Muslim societies leaves the future of the region in doubt. Israel, with its technological capabilities and shared system of values, has a key role to play as a U.S. ally in the region.

  Israel’s role has changed and increased with the advent of increased American requirements for homeland security. JINSA has met the new American interest in Israeli tactics and technology in the field of homeland security with new, cooperative programs including our Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP) and discussions with the Transportation Security Agency.

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While AIPAC is the lobbying power, JINSA is the POLICY power with strategic members in place in the US government. It is of upmost importance to know WHO these members of JINSA are.

JINSA plays a unique role in the pro-Israel lobby. Whereas other more traditional lobbying groups, like the highly influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee, focus on influencing congressional figures' votes on legislation critical to U.S. support of Israel, JINSA works on military-to-military ties between the countries and pays special attention to weapons issues—especially missile defense—while maintaining close ties to the military-industrial complex. (source) READ in full the source for other connections of JINSA as well as some of their current and past members and advisers. Mersheimer and Walt name JINSA as the MOST powerful pro-Israeli force in the US.
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