Iran’s influence: Obama and Biden
The Iranian mullahs came to power in 1979 and immediately revealed their true colors. Until the Obama administration, every president after that seemed to understand that it was not in our interests to give them concessions. But Obama was different, and a pillar of his foreign policy was the so-called Iran Deal.
The deal seemed either insane or traitorous or fatally naive, or some combination of those things. Obama pursued it relentlessly, and Biden went on to follow in his footsteps, either with full or partial awareness of what he was doing. And by the way, because Biden was not senile when he was VP and yet he didn’t resign in protest at the Iran Deal, I am going to assume he agreed with it and continues to agree with it with whatever part of his brain still functions these days.
I have written a great many posts on the Iran Deal and Obama, but here I’ll quote someone else who summarizes the theories around Obama’s position:
The situation unfolding in Israel is precisely the one for which Obama laid the foundation during the eight years of his presidency. The Iran deal, in whose name the administration twisted itself into a moral pretzel, was forced into policy not because Obama has any great passion for the mullahs in Tehran, but because it was predicated on a wholesale restructuring of the Middle East.
In this view, an ascendant Iran would be a counter-balance to Israel. It would force Israel’s hand in dealing the Palestinian situation in the way that Obama and his foreign policy circle believed was the only way. It would counter Saudi Arabian power as well, creating a sort of triangle of tension to maintain balance. But the key to it was to speed up Iran’s march to power by allowing the country to remain at the edge of nuclear breakout, which is what — explicitly — the Iran deal did.
There’s also Obama’s belief in his wondrous self:
Obama always fancied himself a great agent of change, a figure upon whom the presidency was virtually bestowed, who would master the world’s greatest problems with his intellect alone, and collect all the rich rewards, prizes, praise and of course the wild jubilation he knew he deserved.
Some people believe that Obama is actually a Muslim and that’s the origin of his policy. I disagree; I actually think Obama is not religious at all. He definitely was raised in a Muslim-friendly environment, and that probably factors into all of this, but he is not a Muslim IMHO. For those who quote his “my Muslim faith” statement in support of the idea that he is a Muslim, please see this for the way in which they are misinterpreting his statement.
Biden recently released to Iran six billion dollars in previously frozen assets, but that was done so recently that it’s more likely that Hamas’ barbaric massacre of Israeli civilians was financed by the 1.7 billion dollars Obama had released to Iran in 2016; see this:
The money was flown into Iran on wooden pallets stacked with Swiss francs, euros and other currencies as the first installment of a $1.7 billion settlement resolving claims at an international tribunal at The Hague over a failed arms deal under the time of the Shah.
A fifth American man was released by Iran separately.
Details of the cash delivery drew fresh condemnation of the Iran deal from Republicans. They charged that the administration had empowered a major sponsor of terrorism because the nuclear agreement enables Tehran to re-enter the international economy and gives it access long-frozen funds.
Those pesky Republicans. Of course, they were correct, because Iran is Hamas’ backer, and its sponsorship has borne horrific fruit in Saturday’s massive attack on Israelis.
And this news came out recently, about another development regarding Iran during Obama’s second term:
In the spring of 2014, senior Iranian Foreign Ministry officials initiated a quiet effort to bolster Tehran’s image and positions on global security issues — particularly its nuclear program — by building ties with a network of influential overseas academics and researchers. They called it the Iran Experts Initiative. …
The communications reveal the access Rouhani’s diplomats have had to Washington’s and Europe’s policy circles, particularly during the final years of the Obama administration, through this network.
They wouldn’t have had such influence, however, if the ground hadn’t already been prepared to receive their point of view.
And here’s Caroline Glick’s take on this aspect of things:
Although alarming, the depth and breadth of Iran’s infiltration of Washington’s foreign-policy and media establishments exposed in this week’s reports isn’t surprising. Over the past two decades, reports of Iranian infiltration of Washington policymaking circles have come out in a near continuous stream. But rather than clean house, the Washington establishment has castigated those warning of Iran’s penetration as bigoted, and not infrequently, as pro-Israel agents.
Obama certainly did fundamentally change things, just as he promised.
As of right now, Obama hasn’t tweeted or issued a public statement about the Hamas invasion.
Reposted:
A comment on Obama’s silence.
Interesting remarks…but the author, rather maddeningly, calls Obama’s grand predilection for making Iran a regional (if not world) power a “POLICY FAILURE”.
What the author doesn’t seem to want to understand is the nature of Obama’s policy of TRANSFORMATION and the GRAND SUCCESS he’s had, even if Trump was able to delay this GRAND SUCCESS for four years.
IOW, why should Obama, given the latest EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS, want—or be expected—to say anything…?
(Or at the very least, give the man some time to compose some smoothly-toned, high-sounding codswallop.)
“What’s behind Barack Obama’s silence on Israel?—
“The former president’s Middle East project laid the foundation for today’s chaos”—
https://unherd.com/thepost/whats-behind-barack-obamas-silence-on-israel/
H/T Powerline blog.
This is wholly incorrect. A fable to a purpose? I do not know. The facts in plain view, however, argue the contrary. Obama explicitly — and against Turkish pleadings! — empowered the PKK in northern Syria, an infelicitous arrangement still in effect today. So, no, Obama even in this sought to derange American foreign policy not just during his own time in office, but far into the future, as disentangling the Russo-Iranian-CommieKurdish mess in Syria left behind will require the work of decades, if it can be done at all.
Other than that, good article, I guess.
It should be obvious that essentially paying tribute to a Nation State of violent zeolots bent on the complete destruction of modern civilization and the establishment of a worldwide Caliphate is the height of stupidity. But we’re currently being lead by a pack of stupid, arrogant, greedy degenerates with no respect for sense or reason.
Well he was a great agent of change in Libya. Remind me again, how did that turn out when he helped overthrow Khadfi? (Khadfi was a dirtbag but some how I think literal anarchy with real slavery is worse.)
Long thought though Barky was raised a Muslim had like many other Leftists dropped religion to pick up Marxism. But many in his administration, allowed Muslims to infiltrate the government and all done with the administration approval.
Read Philip Haney’s See Something, Say Nothing on the subject, and he probably was murded because of it.
Silly me
Also read on this subject Barack Obama’s True Legacy
In the linked prior article neo states, “of course our jihadist terrorist enemies are Muslims whose allegiance to, and interpretation of, that religion is one of the main things that drives them.”
Jihadist terrorists do NOT have their own “interpretation” of Islam. They are devout and exacting followers of Allah and Muhammad’s specific edicts regarding the infidels.
“These descriptions are very ugly, it is offensive and an insult to our religion. There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that’s it.” Turkey P.M. Erdogan
“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (Muhammad, peace be upon him) as a judge in all disputes between them, and find no resistance against your decisions, and accept (the decisions) with full submission.” [Holy Quran 4:65]
“It is not fitting for the believing man nor for the believing woman, that whenever Allah and His Messenger have decided any matter, that they should have any other opinion.” [Holy Quran 33:36]
By definition, a devout Muslim can only have an ‘opinion’ entirely in keeping with Allah and Muhammad’s specific edicts, which includes the declaration that a failure to faithfully follow those edicts reveals them not to be a Muslim. The brutal truth is that those attacking Israel are following Allah’s commands.
Biden, or whoever is giving him his orders these days, has deployed a carrier battle group to the area, and the Administration has said it will supposedly be sending military aid to Israel.
First, if asked, does the carrier battle group have orders to come to Israel’s aid with lethal force?
Second, will any actual military aid–in the form of, say, weapons and ammunition–actually be sent to Israel in the next week or so, when it will be of maximum use?
If I remember correctly, Israel does have a couple of Patriot batteries deployed there, but I believe that each one of those Patriot missiles runs about a million a pop, so not something you would like to use if you didn’t have to.
Finally, however effective Iron Dome is, it has had to counter thousands of missiles, and I just wonder if the Israelis have enough Iron Dome missiles in stock to keep up this pace of interceptions indefinitely?
In 73, the IAF was not just taken by strategic surprise but also tactical. They didn’t expect mobile SA6 SAMs to create a nonpermissive environment and they suffered heavy losses. We rushed replacement aircraft and new advanced EMC to make up the losses.
Academics, international businessmen, and NGO leaders probably don’t meet many mullahs or revolutionary guards. The Iranians they have contact with will most likely look educated and reasonable to them, so they form a false idea of who really runs the country.
Politicians tend to overrate their own charm and persuasive skills, so they are also likely to have an unrealistic view of what Iran wants and how to deal with that country. Of course, we expect foreign policy experts to have a clear and accurate view, but as most of the experts came up through academia, they don’t.
With both politicians and diplomats it can be hard to separate out rosy illusions about human nature and uninformed views about particular countries from the egotistical belief that they can achieve an earth-shaking diplomatic revolution and maybe even win a Nobel Prize.
Iranians have also had inaccurate views of their own country. I remember all the protests against the Shah and the enthusiasm for his overthrow. What resulted probably wasn’t what those Iranians on American campuses had wanted.
Quoth Obama:
. . . and Palestinians alike
Well of course, for where would he be without his immoral equivalences?
https://www.aol.com/obama-condemns-brazen-attacks-against-214340251.html
https://nypost.com/2023/10/09/suspended-iran-special-envoy-rob-malley-under-scrutiny-for-hamas-remarks-following-israel-terror-attack/
Yes. And?
Long thought though Barky was raised a Muslim had like many other Leftists dropped religion to pick up Marxism.
==
There is no indication BO is an adherent of Islam or Marxism. He’s a perfectly banal representative of the non-profit sector bourgeoisie.
How is it that Obama’s team and Biden’s team, who are supposed to be the adults in the room — DC’s institutional memory — didn’t remember Iran-Contra back in the long ago 1980s?
Shouldn’t we have put trusting Iran on ice until the present regime was overthrown? A reminder should have been laminated and left on the president’s desk along with “The Buck Stops Here.”
Re: Obama as Muslim
Technically speaking … I think it quite likely Obama is a Muslim!
To become a Muslim all you must do is sincerely recite the Shahada once:
______________________________________
I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
______________________________________
Boom! You’re a Muslim.
You can check out, but you can never leave.
As a child Obama attended a Muslim school in Indonesia. The Shahada is part of the Five Daily Prayers in Islam. I’m sure Obama recited the Shahada regularly and at least once felt sincere about it.
Boom!
The Muslim call to prayer is one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.
— Barack Obama
Related:
Thus Spoke Notruthstra….
‘ …Update: Obama finally tweeted out condemnation of “the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians” after 5 pm Monday, even calling for US support of “our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas.” Pointedly, he finished by calling for “a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.” ‘
From:
“Barack Obama’s silent on Israel war because he paved the way for it”—
https://nypost.com/2023/10/09/barack-obamas-silent-on-israel-war-because-he-made-it-possible/
Barry Meislin,
In other words, Dr. Frankenstein has read the room and denounced his monster that has run amok.
Art Deco – Batky is a Cultural Marxists for sure
As huxley points out, once a Muslim, always a Muslim. And Islam is an ideology, NOT a religion in the conventional, normal, ordinary sense. Of course, in our Democratic stupidity, we ignore that fact. And give Islamic voices our microphones, to tell us how wonderful they are, until they pull out their knives. Why does the American Left give Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran continuous passes? Because they are cut from the same cloth is why.