This is worth tracking.
Chicago Sun-Times:
"Last week Schakowsky, along with Rep. Dan Burton, an Indiana Republican, circulated among their colleagues a letter to Bush asking him to denounce Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani after he accused Jews of masterminding killings in Iraq carried out by Sunni or Shiite insurgents."
"A July 13 Associated Press story quoted al-Mashhadani stating 'These acts are not the work of Iraqis. I am sure that he who does this is a Jew and the son of a Jew."
OK, this is antisemitic conspiracism. But it is from al-Mashhadani. How does it attach to Maliki?
This is like saying that Bush is a socialist because U.S. Congressman Bernie Sanders is a socialist.
But by demanding that Maliki denounce al-Mashhadani, then you can set up a situation where it can appear to be credible to suggest Maliki is an antisemite for not denouncing al-Mashhadani.
This is an old trick.
>From there, we slide into the suggestion that any criticism by Maliki of Israeli policies or military actions is based on the (alleged) underlying antisemitism.
This is degrading the term antisemitism for crass political gain. Dean should be ashamed.
-Chip Berlet
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