-Caveat Lector- Israeli: U.S. Meddled in Election By DAFNA LINZER .c The Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) -- The Clinton administration worked against outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his reelection bid in an effort to aid his downfall, a senior Netanyahu adviser said today. David Bar-Illan, who served as Netanyahu's communications director, said the State Department ran its own campaign of disinformation against the premier while the White House encouraged financial contributions to Netanyahu's main opponent -- and eventual successor -- Ehud Barak. Michael Hammer, a spokesman for Clinton's National Security Council said Monday that ``the Clinton administration in no way became involved in the internal politics of the Israeli election.'' Netanyahu, a hard-liner who slowed down the peace process with the Palestinians after his 1996 election, had a rocky relationship with the United States which wanted to see the process advanced quickly. In an article written for the June 14 issue of the National Review magazine, Bar-Illan wrote that the Clinton administration ran an ``unremitting, smoothly orchestrated campaign aimed at causing Netanyahu's defeat at the polls.'' ``Instead of an outright endorsement of Barak, the administration preferred active measures to discredit Netanyahu. In the four months preceding the election, hardly a day passed without a Washington story about Netanyahu failing to keep his word.'' While several officials privately backed Netanyahu's demands for reciprocity with the Palestinians, Bar-Illan said, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright insisted that Netanyahu was holding up peace. ``Thus was the anti-Israel tilt complete,'' Bar-Illan wrote. Bar-Illan told The Associated Press that the White House encouraged contributors to the Democratic Party to make donations to Barak's campaign. He cited a New York Times story which quoted James Carville, campaign strategist for both Barak and President Clinton, as saying that he regularly briefed Clinton on the progress of Barak's campaign. Clinton was widely seen by Israelis as supporting Barak's predecessor, Shimon Peres, who narrowly lost to Netanyahu. The administration was largely silent during the latest campaign and repeatedly said it was not taking sides. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
