Israel Matzav: Hagel to chair Intelligence Advisory Board

Hagel to chair Intelligence Advisory Board

A month ago, I reported on the possibility that former Senator Chuck Hagel would replace Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense. Hagel is a longtime opponent of Israel. Now, there's even worse news. Hagel is to chair President Obumbler's Intelligence Advisory Board.

During his two terms in the Senate, which ended earlier this year, Hagel directed sweeping criticisms against Jewish supporters of Israel, while at the same time making comments defending Yasser Arafat. He also opposed economic sanctions on Iran in a bill sponsored by then-Senator Barack Obama.

In a statement, the White House said the Intelligence Board’s role is to “provide the president with an independent source of advice on intelligence matters,” including the “quality, quantity and adequacy of intelligence activities,” the “effectiveness of organization structure, management and personnel” and the performance of all federal agencies involved in intelligence collection or policy.

The Republican Jewish Coalition criticized the appointment as “a matter for serious concern.” RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks (who is a subscriber to this email list) said: “A review of Hagel’s record over the years on these issues reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the Middle East and of the nature of the threats to U.S. interests in the region. Placing him in a sensitive role in the intelligence community, where he will advise the president on the effectiveness of intelligence community assessments of global issues, is very troubling.”

What could go wrong?

Israel Matzav: Hagel to chair Intelligence Advisory Board