In 1975, horror struck. Communist leader Pol Pot, educated in France, took over Cambodia. In four years, he “transformed” it into a “classless society,” abolished private property, religion, and rights, killed 1.5 million people, and left 20,000 graves. He was overthrown in 1979. The world – liberals and conservatives – decried the horror, said we should have done something, and called it “killing fields.”
In 1979, for a period of 13 years, a brazen, brutal, horrifying civil war raged in El Salvador, which was led by Communist revolutionaries called the FMLN. What started as hundreds of deaths became 75,000 killings, 8,000 disappearances, and death squads killing protestors. The world – liberals and conservatives – decried the horror, said we should have done something, more “killing fields.”
In 1979, a radical Islamic “revolution,” a ruthless totalitarian theocracy, took over Iran. Since that date, 100,000 citizens seeking basic rights have been killed. For 37 years, the world has decried the horror – compounded by the threat that it would go nuclear. In 2025 and early 2026, as protestors decided freedom was more important than life itself, 36,000 were mowed down by the Ayatollah’s troops.
On February 28, 2026, an American President, Donald J. Trump, said enough. After watching Iran’s terrorism spread, kill hundreds of thousands, watching them butcher 36,000 innocents at home, watch them threaten nuclear war on a global scale, he eliminated their supremely evil leader.
The world – ever fickle France and liberals of all stripes – now decry the end of this evil force, as Iranians – virtually all celebrating – cry tears of joy for potential freedom, an end to executions.
Mankind is, by nature, capable of great virtue, acts that profoundly better the world. Ronald Reagan brought down the Soviet Union, freeing 300 million souls from Communism. President Trump just freed 93 million Iranians, and likely – as other regimes and terror groups fold – more.
But mankind is also capable of enormous hypocrisy. Never doubt the power of good people to upend evil and restore normalcy, but do not doubt the power of good people to do nothing either – to cower, conflate the truth with ideology, default to conformity, and indulge communism.
When all is done, when history of this time is written – as has happened in the case of Ronald Reagan’s courageous, unwavering leadership – the world will understand that President Trump’s convictions saved the Middle East, set a standard for bold action against evil, and brought Iran’s “killing fields” to an end. This is not over, but progress has been made against one of the most despicable, immoral, ruthless, and evil regimes in human history. Thank you, Mr. President.
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
Taking decisive action as the United States has done with Operation Epic Fury to put an end to the killing fields of Iran speaks well of who and what we stand for as a Nation .This article puts in perspective the sort of evil in Iran that needed to be stopped..We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. And it is a part of the National Character to help those being victimized by evil forces. There is much to do to make things right and this Nation can only,and should only, do what it can to get things started on the road to freedom and a better life. That is an important concept and President Trump addressed that matter a few days ago. That terror attack on Israel.December 7, 2023 was despicable and that sort of crime needs to be ended. To have a sense of responsibility regarding the needs of American citizens coming first is the proper outlook .And there is a combination of ideas that involves understanding foreign and domestic developments so a balance is needed in order to do the best we can .
Although the democrats have wrung their hands and said something needs to be done, now that something has been done, they bluster that it did not include them and say it was done wrong. Mostly because it was Trump that did it. I regret the loss of any American lives and hopefully it won’t be more, but those in the military know what they signed up for and they will always be revered for their sacrifice.
RBC, I do enjoy your articles, but I have to state that the Middle East “powder keg” still exists. Any treaty made with an Islamic nation is not worth the paper it is written on. An Islamic nation may appear to abide to a treaty, but they are licking their wounds and getting ready for the next round when one least expects it.
Made a mistake in the comment written earlier – the terror attack made on Israel occurred on October 7 , 2023 . The Iranian backed group that committed that crime,Hamas , committed a despicable crime then . I reckon I got distracted somehow by getting that date wrong
The left might’ve given a pro forma gasp over Cambodia or where ever but there were no gasps after 1917, that was the time to deal with the evil, so no future gasps would be necessary , and if not then the evil should have been eliminated at the same time as Nazism , we live with it now and it is trying to eliminate everything that stands in the way of the poisonous ideology. Why is communism acceptable, why is islamism acceptable, they are no different, the methods are not different than Nazism. Is Iran strong enough to kick out the ruling theology class, if that is not done, not much will change, just like the Taliban returning in Afghanistan. Those ugly old men will not resign voluntarily.
Excellent article
AMEN
Iran seeded this since 11-79
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