Iran War: Big Coffers and a Rising Voice Lift a New Conservative Group

[133724]

Freedom’s Watch, a deep-pocketed conservative group led by two former senior White House officials, made an audacious debut in late August when it began a $15 million advertising campaign designed to maintain Congressional support for President Bush’s troop increase in Iraq.

...

Next month, Freedom’s Watch will sponsor a private forum of 20 experts on radical Islam that is expected to make the case that Iran poses a direct threat to the security of the United States, according to several benefactors of the group.

Although the group declined to identify the experts, several were invited from the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington research group with close ties to the White House. Some institute scholars have advocated a more confrontational policy to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, including keeping military action as an option.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/30/us/politics/30watch.html?ex=1348804800&en=99584dd6163c334b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[liberalmuse]

1. "Freedom"

The conservatives have abused that word so thoroughly it has a negative connotation whenever they use it. Freedom Watch are your basic Facist War Pigs. Should they meet their aim, I look forward to seeing all their members punished for war crimes a few years from now.

on edit: deleted unfortunate use of word in the news these days. Sorry.

[kineneb]

5. "freedom"="corporate takeover opportunity"

fascist= government+corporations

[provis99]

2. is Richard Mellon Scaife involved in this?

As the most evil man in America, it would be typical if he donated to a group like this. He seems to fund every other reactionary absurdity.

Also, not the use of weasel words "radical Islam". Why isn't it called "reactionary Islam", which is accurate in denoting the right-wing characteristic of its extremism, rather than "radical", which is usually associated with left-wing extremists? Looks to me like a subtle way to blame Islamic fundamentalism on lefties.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Another Swift Boat Group huh....bet their "hit" ads

aren't condemned by the senate...wanta bet.

[tyedyeto]

4. Who are the major contributors to this group? n/t

Edit for typo