The organization called CodePink organized a tribunal to investigate the Iraq War. I was going to be part of this, my proposal to discuss the Israel connection was approved a month ago. However, days before the event I learned that I was not to be included. I was greatly disappointed. I feel it is essential to understand the causation of this disastrous war, especially since the same parties who pushed us into Iraq are promoting similar attacks on other nations using similar misinformation. Here is what I was going to say. Israel and its American partisans played a major role, perhaps the decisive role, in pushing the U.S. to invade Iraq, because they considered Iraq a potential threat to Israel. An invasion that has resulted in the deaths of half a million Iraqis, 7,000 Americans, will cost the U.S. trillions of dollars and lead to the tragic regional chaos we see today. The rise of ISIS, the flood of desperate refugees fleeing that devastated region, to then overwhelm some European communities and begin to impact the U.S. as well. Terrorists have discussed the Israeli connection to the Iraq War in detail. There have been in-depth articles by Stephen Green, Kathleen Christensen and many others, and essential books, The Israel Lobby by John Mir Shimer and Stephen Walt, and especially the road to Iraq by Muhammad Idris Ahmad and the transparent cabal by Dr. Stephen Snagoski. The main stream Israeli media have not been shy in discussing the topic. A 2003 article in Haar Retz, one of Israel's main newspapers reported bluntly. The war in Iraq was conceived by 25 neo-conservative intellectuals, most of them Jewish, who are pushing President Bush to change the course of history. The article gave what it termed a partial list. U.S. governmental officials Richard Perole, Paul Wilphowitz, Douglas Pfeith, Elliot Ambroms, journalist William Crystal and Charles Krauthammer, describing them as mutual friends who cultivate one another. The article included an interview with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, who was quoted as saying, it's the war the neo-conservatives wanted. It's the war the neo-conservatives marketed. Those people had an idea to sell when September 11 came and they sold it. Oh boy, did they sell it. So this is not a war that the mass is demanded. This is a war of an elite. The article continued, Friedman laughs, I could give you the names of 25 people, all of whom are at this moment within a five mile block radius of this office, who if you had exiled them to a desert island a year and a half ago, the Iraq war would not have happened. Another Israeli newspaper described how some of these individuals, high American officials, gave Israeli leaders tips on how to manage American actions and influence U.S. congressmen, concluding, Perole, Pfeith and their fellow strategists are walking a fine line between their loyalty to American governments and Israeli interests. American author, peace activist and former CIA analyst Kathleen Tristason discussed the situation in a 2002 article reporting, although much has been written about the neo-cons who dot the Bush administration, their ties to Israel have generally been treated very gingerly. The Bush administration, she wrote, was peppered with people who have long records of activism on behalf of Israel in the United States of policy advocacy in Israel and of promoting an agenda for Israel often at odds with existing U.S. policy. These people she wrote, who can fairly be called Israeli loyalists, are now at all the walls of government, from desk officers at the defense department to the deputy secretary level at both state and defense, as well as on the national security council staff and in the vice president's office. Tristason described the network that Friedman mentioned. Richard Perole, head of the defense policy board, Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, one of Perole's many protegees, described by an associate as over the top crazy when it comes to Israel, named by Time Magazine as the godfather of the Iraq War. Lewis Scooter-Libby, vice presidential chief of staff, mentored by Wolfowitz. Doug was five, under secretary of defense, another Perole protege, given an award by the Zionist organization of America, citing him as a pro-Israel activist. Peter Rodman and Doug Zakhine, assistant defense secretaries. David Worms, or co-author with Perole and five of strategy papers for Israeli prime minister Netanyahu. His wife co-founder of a website run by retired Israeli military and intelligence officers. Elliott Abrams, director of Middle East affairs, Thomas Dying, head of radio liberty, formerly head of A-PAC Israel's main lobbying organization. David Frum, Bush speech writer, coined the term, axis of evil, for Bush's state of the Union address. Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy, another Perole protege. Imports from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank spun off from A-PAC. The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, Jinsa, whose high powered board is often able to place members inside conservative U.S. administrations. The list goes on and on. William Crystal. The Cagans, Michael Ladin, Stephen Bryan. Their neo-constrategy papers were dotted with concepts like redefining Iraq and redrawing the map of the Middle East. Others Stephen Green wrote a meticulously researched exposé, turned down by numerous media outlets before finally being published by counter-punch, describing how some of these individuals, including Perole and Wolfowitz, had been investigated through the years by U.S. intelligence agencies for security lapses benefiting Israel. Yet despite a pattern of highly questionable actions, suggestive of treason, they continued to procure top security clearances for themselves and pronies. Israeli leaders worked to sell the war to Americans. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and former Prime Minister Netanyahu, Perez and Barak, all told Americans that it was urgent that Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction program be stopped. And Israeli intelligence agencies fed the U.S. reports supposedly documenting these. The Israeli article I mentioned earlier reported that the goal was far more than just an invasion of Iraq. At a deeper level, the piece said it is a greater war to consolidate a new world order, to create a new Middle East. The Iraq War, the article said, is really the beginning of a gigantic historical experiment. We're now seeing the outcome. I've only scratched the surface on uncomfortable facts about the Iraq War that some wish to remain hidden, but my time is up. It's time for everyone to learn this information, the larger history behind it, and for all of us to join together to end the continuing drive for Americans to make war on Israel's perceived enemies.