UI – Part 417 – Iran is a Problem

Iran – A Threat to America

From a November 4 posting of the Middle East Forum, Clifford Smith wrote,  “Iran is arguably the gravest immediate and long-term threat to American security in the region. The Iran deal is not working to moderate the regime or end the threat posed by the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, and the price keeps getting higher. The costs now include ransom payments, allowing Iran access to ballistic missiles, and increased Iranian terror financing. Though international sanctions have been lifted and funds transferred, the U.S. can still back out of the agreement.” (read the entire post)

Obama’s Favorite

For whatever reason Iran and the Shiite government was a favorite of Obama.  He favored negotiations with them.  In doing so our relations with the Sunni Saudi’s were strained, but moreso our position in Iraq was made tenuous. Certainly Obama favored his relations with Iran and or Saudi Arabia over Israel.  Iraq was a Sunni majority, but now the Shiite minority control governance and have favored Shiites in most important oversight positions.  The mess in Syria is a confusion of Sunni, Shiite, Alawite, Kurdish, and now Russian and Turkish interests. We cannot forget the axis of evil ISIS that is metastasizing.  America seems uncertain as to what our interests should be other than peace and stability. Our options are few, and the good options even fewer.

Notably progress against ISIS in Iraq is happening.  The disastrous Iraq withdrawal under Obama was a mistake.  Now we have reorganized forces there and have succeeded in taking ground away from ISIS.  Has that helped us with Iraq?  They appreciate our assistance and military aide and dollars, but it depends. Much will depend on the new President.

Recent stories have emerged that Obama and Kerry had a strategy to overthrow Assad of Syria.  To do so they made a decision to arm ISIS as a force against the dictator.  Never did they ever expect Russia to enter the picture and stand behind Assad.  Never did they see the spread of the Caliphate under al Baghdadi (Caliph Ibrahim) that now has support in an estimated 25-28 centers in the Muslim arena.

A history lesson that needs review is the growth of the Taliban during the Carter Administration.  Support was provided by the US and Saudi’s to students from Saudi Arabia funded madrassas in the region on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan who were seen as protestors and revolutionaries that wanted the Russians expelled.  The Russians invaded in December of 1979. The students were trained, armed and became the Taliban. But in that case Russia did not prevail.  In fact Afghanistan became Russia’s Vietnam and is considered the point at which the Cold War ended as Russia could no longer maintain its strength.  But the students, radicalized in the madrassas, grew in numbers and strength and gained a foothold in Afghanistan and then took it back into the 7th century as the reforms that were visible in this country after WWII were reversed and an Islamic police state was reconstituted.

Iran Using US

Iran is taking advantage of our good nature.  Some feel they are still laughing at Obama.  He may have had an Islamic education in Indonesia but remained naive towards the goals of the Islamists that allow them to lie (takiyya), to enter into agreements they have no intention of keeping, and to maintain their agenda while deceiving others.  Obama, Hillary and Kerry were the perfect trip of goats. What now?  Iran’s nuclear program needs to halt.  We cannot abet Iran’s focused intentional quest for regional control.  Countries in the Arab region are caught in the Iran-Saudi Arabia crosshairs for which Syria, Iraq, and Yemen are paying a heavy price in lives. If it is necessary to weaken Iran’s current grip, how will that translate into America’s relationship with the Middle East?

What the Trump administration intended will be studied closely.

The Middle East Conundrum

The Middle East is a conundrum that is a dilemma for any President exhibited by the historical coups, battles, occupations, and negotiations resulting in a fondu still not ready for consuming. Messy, oily and cheesy the Arab Middle East has morphed from a westernized Iran of the 40’s and 50’s into an Islamic burka covered secret society, from a Saudi bedouin desert tribe into a wealthy Wahhabist worldwide financial support network, and placed a spotlight upon a fatwa inspired hated group, the Jews, reestablished in their biblical homeland. At times ignored and at times confronted the relationship of America, in fact any non-Muslim, especially Christian entity, with the political Islamists, can never result in a peaceful solution.  Why?  Because any non-Muslim questions Islam, the ideology, and in so doing is seen as an aggressor, raising flags, causing confusion and doubts among Muslims which in turn they proclaim as ‘persecution,’ even hatred, justifying defensive actions to enable their progress towards an All for Allah world.  They call it defense, we call it offense.

The problem is not just Iran.  The problem is understanding Islam.  Being tolerant of Islam and bending to the will of the political Islamists that have convinced many of the liberal left that Islam is a religion of peace, that Islamic Law should be a borderless legal guide, is in itself a problem. We cannot be blind to the reality of Islam as a war monger willing to die to advance Islam to be a dominant force in the world.

Grace and Peace