If you were writing a bad dystopian novel, a successor to some old horror film or Orwell’s 1984, you might have the good guys go dark and turn over the world to terrorist Iran. Well, if you can believe it, Biden just took a step that way.
Unable to secure a deal with Iran to stop them from building nuclear weapons, Iran straining under Trump-era anti-terrorist sanctions, Biden did the unthinkable.
What did he do? Ignoring federal laws outlawing payment of ransom to terrorists for hostages – and State’s declaration that Iran is a “state sponsor of terrorism” – Biden just paid out a $6,000,000,000 ransom to Iran for five US hostages.
Illegal? One would think so, but of course, White House, State, and Justice lawyers will say, “No, a well-intentioned Biden exception to the law,” nothing to see here.
The six billion dollar waiver of a longstanding freeze by allies on money to which Iran has no right will allow Iran to refocus on building nuclear weapons, suppress human rights, and effectively get around the Trump-era anti-terror sanctions.
Like ignoring Supreme Court decisions against executive loan forgiveness and against bringing politically-motivated indictments – including a 9-0 decision against the current prosecutor of Trump – and appellate decisions, like the 5th Circuit slap down of Biden for violating the 1st Amendment by colluding with high tech to suppress speech, Biden just ignores the law and his critics.
The thing is infuriating, not just because it flies in the face of expectations that the chief executive will not flout our nation’s laws, but because this latest decision on Iran is like dropping a boulder in a bathtub: it will create huge – negative – waves.
The Biden decision confirms what many have long thought, that this crowd has a wholesale misunderstanding of Iran. They do not see they are playing with fire.
Sadly, the Biden team is stunningly naïve, forgetting that violent, ideologically possessed, totalitarian regimes welcome appeasement, soak it up, then use these acts of appeasement – forgiveness and money payments – to further terrorize.
Iran is not interested in becoming part of the international community, gaining acceptance from rights-based Western nations, or abandoning medieval means for suppressing (killing) minorities, women, dissent, or those seeking Western rights.
They could care less about the West, no more than the Nazis, Soviets, historical or current fascists, communists, or one-off dictators, care what we say. Power, in their view, is all about securing advantages, preferably at our expense, not for praise.
US policy since 2001 states: “The U.S. Government will make no concessions to terrorists holding official or private U.S. citizens hostage. It will not pay ransom, release prisoners, change its policies, or agree to other acts that might encourage additional terrorism.”
Biden’s own State Department – showcasing hypocrisy – declares Iran a “State sponsor of terrorism,” saying “Iran continued…terrorist-related activity in 2021, including support for Hizballah…and various terrorist…groups in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and…throughout the Middle East,” deploying “the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to provide support to terrorist organizations, provide cover for associated covert operations, and create instability in the region.”
Moreover, they observed, “Iran has acknowledged the involvement of the IRGC-QF in the Iraq and Syria conflicts…cultivating and supporting terrorist activity abroad.”
Despite Trump’s designation of the IRGC as “a Foreign Terrorist Organization” in 2019, despite Biden’s admission that Iran is officially a terrorist state – the world’s largest – they have nevertheless decided to pay billions for hostages.
After a July 2022 Biden order meant to show he is tough on terror, released just before Biden abandoned Afghanistan, leaving 100,000 allies to die, he now gives Iran the keys to the castle. What is wrong with this man and his team? Can they be this stupid?
Think about what this decision means. It means Iran, China, and the world know Biden does not care what US law says, and they will violate it for political advantage.
It means appeasement and paying for delayed aggression – a bargain terrorists never keep – is their stock in trade, Afghanistan to Iran. Like Chamberlain pre-WWII, appeasement is Biden’s currency – a currency that, if history holds, is worthless.
It means neither our European nor Asian allies can count on us, and they know it. Biden breaks his own laws, and with the stink of corruption around him, this seals it.
It means Iran will have the money needed to accelerate nuclear weapons, suppress freedom-seeking people, circumvent Trump’s sanctions, and boldly laugh at us.
It means this administration undercuts the security of Americans for political gains, like abandoning the border, defunding police, legalizing drugs, and delegitimizing the rule of law.
Allies – and adversaries – all notice and will recalculate. China will look like an even bet, maybe a better one, all told. Biden’s word will be – as it already is – ignored.
Net-net, this was pure folly, another wild misunderstanding of global security, unnecessary, illegal, counterproductive. Purchasing hostages from patently bad actors only encourages future hostage-taking. Folly, pure folly. Sigh. What next?
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, attorney, and naval intelligence officer (USNR). He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (2018), and is National Spokesman for AMAC.
Appeasement is what most Democrat Presidents do RBC. Biden is simply the latest iteration of an extremely flawed mindset for a national leader. Appeasement is their default mode of decision making when faced with an aggressive adversary. Of course, the leaders of China and Russia see this and see it as an incentive to take advantage of a weak United States leader ill equipped to do the job.
Look at Obama with Iran and the incredibly stupid so-called Iran Nuclear Deal, that handed Iran over a $100 billion dollars for essentially doing nothing but continuing their work towards developing nuclear weapons that they constantly rant will be used against the Great Satan meaning us. The rest of the money was used by Iran to fund terrorism throughout the Middle East and Africa. For that matter, you can look at every Democrat President going back to LBJ for ample evidence of the appeasement mentality on full display and the disastrous consequences this country and other nations had to endure as a result. Do I even have to mention Carter and his gross mishandling of Iran? That a substantial part of the country can’t put 2 and 2 together to see that “peace at any cost”, which is a nice way of saying appeasement of one’s adversaries is the only option most Democrat politicians entertain and seems to still be popular with a whole lot of people says the problem goes deeper than just the individual Democrats elected or installed as POTUS.
A lot can still happen on the foreign stage between now and the 2024 elections RBC. An international “crisis” may just be the secret sauce the Democrats plan to leverage to try and get the dementia patient into the White House for a second term. Then again, the Democrats can also go with a man-made financial crisis or even stoke fear in the public with a new Covid resurgence. Nothing is off the table to ensure continued Democrat control of the federal government.
Yes, Mr. Charles they are “stupid”, and arrogant, believing they are all knowing, which makes them doubly dangerous. God help us.
A perfect example of why I always refer to Joe as a “Jackass”! . . . “The Great Unifier” strikes again! What has this Clown done that’s been “good” for America? At least Double and even Triple the costs of Gasoline, Food and Housing! Open Borders allowing Millions of ILLEGALS!
But HE is making Barack Obama PROUD!
“Like ignoring Supreme Court decisions against executive loan forgiveness and against bringing politically-motivated indictments – including a 9-0 decision against the current prosecutor of Trump – and appellate decisions, like the 5th Circuit slap down of Biden for violating the 1st Amendment by colluding with high tech to suppress speech, Biden just ignores the law and his critics.”
Why can’t Biden be tossed from office and thrown in jail for ignoring the law? Why isn’t the Justice Department prosecuting him?
The GOP House should defund all the misbehaving deep state agencies!
These people arent stupid. They’re evil. The spectre behind the scenes, our esteemed former president obama was elected by morons to fundamentally change this country. The same morons elected sniffy. The same morons bleat for more socialism. Neither obama or sniffy have power without our cretinous neighbors voting them in. Until these robots develop critical thinking its going to be one crisis after another until this country implodes.
That’s easy to understand: Brandon wishes he could get away with everything an ayatollah does. They love the idea of that much control. I am happy those poor ppl held histage are freed… now all they have to do is get used to inflation, high energy prices, supply issues, air travel issues, and all the other things that didn’t exist before Biden fuct it all up!
I wonder…6.5 billion and maybe an F-35. What would The Big Guy’s cut of that deal be?
The Biden administration isn’t naive it is anti-American.
First, Dictator Beijing biden SURRENDERED to Taliban Terrorist in Afghanistan giving them $86 BILLION in U.S. Military equipment while getting 13 U.S. Marines killed and ABANDONING AMERICANS over there with LARGEST Airport in the world and now he SURRENDERS to Terrorist Iran GIVING them $6 BILLION so they can BUILD Nuclear Weapons to use against the USA.
Robert Charles has made very serious valid points in this article.
The Biden administration may as well have just told all nations that are not so friendly to the U.S. that if they take American citizens hostage, they will get lots of money from the U.S.
How many American citizens remember how the U.S. dealt with Iran when they first took American hostages?
Oh “ronnie” just go back to your momma’s basement before you embarrass her.
Robert,you should run for President.Another great article as always,every word a jewel.
it had to have been barack yo mamma’s call he has an obsession with islam just like he does for his wife mike oops i mean michell