The terror Watch List falls victim to Obama naiveté.
The latest national Terrorist Watch List, delivered to Congress by Secretary James Clapper has two glaring omissions – Iran and Hezbollah. Long identified as terror sponsors and instigators the removal is quizzical. Unless you look at the ulterior motives of the Obama administration.
As the White House runs full speed ahead to some ill guided nuclear deal with Iran they are prepared to literally throw the baby out with the bath water. Having set his cap on what he sees as a legacy issue – a nuclear deal with Iran- Obama is incapable of seeing that the entire country has a very low expectation of being successful in dealing with a regime that is not bound by any contracts made with non-Muslims. That simple fact is ignored by Obama and his surrogates. The excuse for lifting the very effective sanctions was to get Iran to negotiate. Apparently no one in the administration has any business experience – since when do you give up a strong position and lessen your advantage. Iran’s economy was in free fall with hyperinflation, rising prices and substantial shortages. In boxing terms they were on the ropes. Lifting those sanctions allowed Iran to catch their breathe. The few pieces of information about the negotiations that have leaked out are very disturbing indeed; continued use of 6,000 centrifuges and a ten year sunset for the overall agreement. Even if those were the only worrisome items, common sense tells you that Iran will never abide by any rules. Their history with previous inspection scenarios proves the point. They interfered, blocked and downright lied to the international inspectors charged with monitoring the alleged ‘peaceful” Iranian nuclear program.
Some think that taking Iran and Hezbollah off the Terror Watch List is a giveback for Iran fighting ISIS in Iraq and Hezbollah fighting against ISIS in Syria. Neither of those situations would be necessary if the United States had taken military action against the Islamic State. However, Obama has taken a personal vow of non-commitment to the growing threat. He has said time and again that his government will not engage the enemy in any real way and that he prefers to stand on the sideline and watch the mounting barbarism. He issued a red line challenge to Syria and then stood by and watched as the Syrian people were and are being murdered in staggering numbers. In that conflict our President hid in a corner and allowed Vladimir Putin to take the world stage and broker an agreement for Syria to give up its chemical weapons. If you have forgotten that, please don’t, it is very telling. What did Putin do next? Invaded Ukraine and took possession of Crimea. Again, where was Obama?
Hezbollah and Iran have been responsible, directly or indirectly, for the killing of untold numbers of Americans and citizens of other countries around the globe that were victims of terrorist accounts. Removing them from the Terror Watch List flies in the face of human intelligence. Simple vigilance and due diligence would require that continued wariness would remain at very high levels and not lessen to any degree.
Obama can taste the nuclear deal with Iran. Right or wrong he is racing to get something done in spite of popular opinion, polls or the wishes of our citizens. Once again, he is demonstrating the he believes he is smarter than the rest of the world and is arrogant enough not to bend. Just look at how he has virtually destroyed a 60+ year relationship with our staunchest alley and friend that region of the world – Israel. Being slapped by the Congress inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak and then threatening to withhold their approval of any Iranian deal without it first coming before them Obama has resorted to threatening to use the United Nations to force compliance with whatever deal he chooses to strike. He is so determined that he is willing to throw Israel under the bus. Without our unfailing support Israel becomes vulnerable, not only to a nuclear Iran, but to the myriad of neighboring states that which to eradicate the Jewish people. You have to question why our President would record a message to the Iranian people and not speak to the our very own citizens about why he is chasing this deal so hard. Why is he spending so much political capital? Why is he making the entire Middle East nervous about the eventuality of a nuclear armed Iran? It is no surprise that other leaders of Arab countries understand what a nuclear Iran would mean to them and they are making their own moves to acquire similar deterrents. The result will be a new nuclear arms race conducted at the hands of terrorists who are focused on a global caliphate. Is this a situation of unintended consequences or patently outrageous incompetence? How can our President be so ignorant.