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THE TROUBLING CASE OF GEORGE NADER: THE CONVICTED PEDOPHILE WHO MOVED IN POWERFUL CIRCLES
PART I
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Objectivity is disregarded by many journalists today. News coverage of individuals is shaped by partisan narratives. If someone does not fit a desired narrative, their story receives little attention, regardless of significance.
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Thus, the story of George Nader has largely faded from public attention, despite his long history of involvement in high-stakes diplomatic affairs.
I've compiled the available information, and here's his story. No holds barred.
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George Nader was born in Lebanon in 1959. He moved to Cleveland when he was 15. Not much is known about why they left, but given the political turmoil in Lebanon during that era, it's reasonable to infer that it played a significant role in the family's decision to relocate.
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In 1974, the year before the Yom Kippur War had taken place in the region, and the Lebanese Civil War broke out the following year, Lebanon was divided along sectarian lines among Christian Maronites, Sunni Muslims, Shia Muslims, and Druzes. pbs.org/wnet/wideangle…
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Nader attended Cleveland State University after graduating from high school. He dropped out, however, at the young age of 20 to start a magazine called Middle East Insight.
Finding evidence of where the funding came from has proven elusive.
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The magazine's stated mission was to “provide a spectrum of views on the Middle East, to enlighten public opinion and to promote better understanding between the American people and the peoples of the Middle East.”
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Gaining traction among policy experts, Middle East Insight published original interviews with prominent politicians: Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, Dianne Feinstein, and Joe Biden.
Source: newsweek.com/who-george-nad…
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Middle East Insight had remarkable access to prominent Middle Eastern leaders such as Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Muammar Gaddafi, Hosni Mubarak, and Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
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At only 28, Nader gained an audience with Ayatollah Khomeini and published an account of his meeting in The Washington Post.
web.archive.org/web/2018031215…
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In 1984, a postal inspector and a customs officer searched Nader's apartment. They suspected a package from the Netherlands, addressed to his Middle East Insight magazine office, contained child pornography magazines.
The case was later thrown out on a technicality.
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In 1988, Nader was once again investigated for possessing child pornography, and once again he wasn't charged despite sexually explicit material being found "in his toilet." web.archive.org/web/2018031703…
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In May 1988, George H W Bush's secretary of state thanked Nader for "discreet work" of a "humanitarian" nature at a symposium in DC.
web.archive.org/web/2018031703…
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The symposium was hosted by Nader's magazine Middle East Insight. The other speaker besides James Baker was Jonathan Kessler. Kessler is identified as the magazine's executive editor.
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From 1980-87, Kessler worked for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
In this photo taken in 1985, Kessler is the tall man to the right of Joe Biden.
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Kessler would leave AIPAC to join Joe Biden's 1988 presidential campaign as his youth director.
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After Biden's disastrous campaign ended, Kessler took the position of Executive Editor of Nader's magazine, where he remained until it folded in 2000. He then returned to AIPAC and is still working there today as the organization's Director of Strategic Initiatives.
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In July 1990, Nader was caught at Dulles Airport trying to bring child pornography from Germany to the US. He was sentenced to 6 months in federal prison, but a Newsweek investigation couldn't confirm if he served the full sentence. newsweek.com/trump-nader-ch…
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Despite his felony conviction to start the decade, the 90's prove to be a heady time for Nader. He appeared 9 times on C-SPAN speaking at various forums hosted by Middle East Insight. c-span.org/search/?search…
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Perhaps most significantly, he introduced the then newly elected Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, in a 1996 DC press conference.
Given that the goal was to introduce Netanyahu to Arab journalists, Nader was seen as the man who could make that happen.
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That same year, tribute was paid to Nader on the floor of the House by two Democratic congressmen, Eliot Engel, perhaps the most pro-Israeli representative in the House, and Nick Rahall, the most pro-Palestinian representative in the House.
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In the late 90's, Nader facilitated back-channel Syria-Israel negotiations, conveying Syrian views while cosmetic tycoon Ronald Lauder represented Israeli positions.
web.archive.org/web/2018030402…
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In May 2001, Nader and Kessler arranged a meeting at the home of political consultant Mark Penn between Arab American businessmen and then-Prime Minister of Israel, Shimon Peres. web.archive.org/web/2018030905…
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And then, seemingly at the height of his influence, George Nader disappeared. His business dissolved. His website went dark.
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Little is known about Nader's whereabouts in the early 2000s. There were rumors that he returned to Lebanon. However, what is confirmed is that he was convicted in 2003 on 10 counts of abusing underage boys and was sentenced to one year in prison in the Czech Republic.
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"He'd say, 'Oh, I'm just looking at this picture of my sweetie, my beautiful boy,' and he showed me this picture of this boy from Eastern Europe whom he had kind of adopted and educated. His parents sent him over here" middleeasteye.net/big-story/geor…
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After serving time in prison, Nader's activities in the 2000s were more low-key. He spent much time in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq post-2003 invasion, where he resumed his career as a dealmaker.
web.archive.org/web/2021041203…
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Away from the limelight of DC, Nader was quietly mediating between factions in Iraq.
web.archive.org/web/2021041203…
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In a 2010 deposition, Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, described Nader as a "business development consultant" they retained in Iraq to help secure contracts with the Iraqi government as the company sought deals there. web.archive.org/web/2018030402…
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Nader worked his way into a position of influence in the administration of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. When al-Maliki's term in office ended in 2014, Nader moved on to the UAE. web.archive.org/web/2021041203…
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After his work with the Iraqi PM ended, Nader settled in Abu Dhabi, where he became a senior political adviser to Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ), the President of the United Arab Emirates.
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In part II, we'll delve into the 2016 Presidential election and Nader's connection to the "Big Lady."
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