Embattled Ex-diplomat Chas Freeman Gives Up Top Intelligence Analyst Post

In a dramatic conclusion to a building political fight over his selection as the U.S. intelligence community's top analyst, former U.S. Ambassador Charles "Chas" W. Freeman, Jr., asked that the appointment not proceed, the director of national intelligence, Dennis C. Blair, announced Tuesday.

Freeman, 66, is a widely experienced former State Department diplomat who gained attention in recent years for his criticism of Israeli policy toward Palestinians and Jewish settlements and for his biting analysis of the Bush administration's foreign policy.

Last week, several House Republicans asked that his financial ties to Saudi interests be probed; this week, all seven Republicans on the Senate intelligence committee vowed to step up "oversight scrutiny" on Freeman's work if he took the post.

Just hours before Freeman's withdrawal, Blair had defended him from criticism by Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

Freeman was the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the first Persian Gulf war, an assistant secretary of defense, and—early in his career—a translator during President Richard Nixon's historic first visit to China in 1972, among other jobs. Since 1997, he has been president of the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank. Freeman is fluent in Chinese, Spanish, and French and conversational in Arabic.

His selection was not subject to Senate approval, and the job as chairman of the National Intelligence Council is not a policymaking position. Yet it is a highly influential behind-the-scenes job, and the selection of Freeman touched off a furious set of rhetorical attacks among some conservative and pro-Israel bloggers who were angered by his Middle East commentaries and questioned his connections to Saudi interests.

Blair earlier said that Freeman possesses "remarkable skills" that would aid the intelligence community's analytical work. Freeman's supporters had argued that his diverse intellectual interests and background and his willingness to challenge conventional policy wisdom made him a good fit for the NIC job.

Said one Tuesday upon hearing the news on Freeman: "It's a loss for the country." 

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