Chas Freeman withdraws

By Thomas Lifson

Chas Freeman has withdrawn from consideration for office, reports Jake Tapper, star reporter on the story of the appointment of the Saudi-funded retired diplomat to the sensitive position of National Intelligence Council chairman.

A statement from Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair:

"Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair announced today that Ambassador Charles W. Freeman Jr. has requested that his selection to be Chairman of the National Intelligence Council not proceed. Director Blair accepted Ambassador Freeman's decision with regret."

The press has largely ignored the story of Freeman's financial dealings, and the extreme anti-Israel positions he has associated himself with. So the information uncovered in the vetting process must have been decisive.

Jennifer Rubin of Commentary's Contentions blog called Chas Freeman "the John Edwards story on steroids -- a virtual conspiracy of silence with little if any journalistic justification." Rubin contacted a couple of newspapers to ask about their ignoring of the story and got nowhere.

The withdrawal comes at the end of a busy day on the story. Jake Tapper reported earlier today that Senator Lieberman questioned DNI Dennis Blair, the man who appointed Freeman, and Blair claimed that statements of Freeman have been taken out of context. Tapper reports Blair testified:

As far as the statements of Ambassador Freeman that have appeared in the press I would say that those have all been out of context and I urge everyone to look at the full context of what he was saying.

Senator Lieberman responded: