Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, called on Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blairto withdraw his nominationof Chas Freeman as head of the National Intelligence Council. Aaron Klein of the WorldNet Daily has a piece with interesting details about Freeman’s connection to a sanctions-busting Chinese firm doing questionable business in Myanmar and Iran. Jake Tapper of ABC News askedWhite House spokesman Robert Gibbs whether the White House was aware of the concerns about “Mr. Freeman, both in terms of his ties to the government of Saudi Arabia, and also because of his association and statement of views that some consider to be anti-Israel, as well as the Middle East Policy Journal’s publishing of a very controversial essay called ‘The Israel Lobby.” Gibbs answered, “I’ve not read those.” A National Review Online editorial called for Freeman’s name to be withdrawn.
