Iranian Blackmail:  Is the US Failing its Citizens?

Democratic governance is founded on the principle of “consent of the governed”. In essence, government has no right of existing unless the citizenry agrees to its formation. When such a government is formed, the promotion and defense of the aforementioned populace must be the only motive for the ones endowed with the power to govern. If a threat exists to a law-abiding citizen from a foreign or domestic source, the government must step in to defend the one that consented to their governance in the first place! When a government ignores threats to citizens or abuses power however, the consenters have the full right to end that government.

In recent days, Joe Biden and his handlers agreed to a prison release deal with Iran. The deal allowed five imprisoned Americans to be freed, in exchange for $6 billion to Iran and the freeing of some imprisoned Iranians in American prisons. The Biden administration claims that the money will only be allowed to be used for humanitarian purposes. This is despite a recent government report on aid being given to the Taliban-run Afghanistan, stating that they cannot guarantee that recent money designated for humanitarian purposes is not ending up in the wrong hands.

Furthermore, why would an American administration negotiate with those that have been funding terrorist organizations like Hezbollah? In the event of wrongful imprisonment like in this case, the only answer should be major sanctions from America and her allies that will destroy the Iranian economy more than it already is destroyed.  By way of argument, even if the money would be going to humanitarian needs in Iran, why should the United States spend hardworking taxpayers money to a foreign regime as blackmail, thereby emboldening future terrorist demands and therefore dangering more Americans abroad?

In 2016, Andrew Brunson, a Pennsylvanian pastor was falsely accused and indicted on charges of terrorism in Turkey. Brunson was held in a Turkish prison for two years until the American president of the time, Donald John Trump, did something unprecedented. He put sanctions on a fellow NATO ally which caused the Turkish currency to fall by 20% of its value. In response, Turkey freed the wronged pastor from detention.

This case in 2018 was a perfect demonstration of leadership that is required to those that have power. If Americans are being wrongfully detained abroad, the government must respond harshly, irrespective of economic or geopolitical consequences. America needs leadership to promote peace through strength to make it clear to her enemies that threatening and hurting Americans will never be tolerated. This is not to say that these leaders should declare another endless war as going to war should always be the last resort when legitimate American national security interests demand such. All the more so, the government in no way should be negotiating for wrongfully imprisoned Americans instead of the fight that the government should be having. Apparently though, “81 million voters” prefer promoting the interests of terrorists than having some mean tweets.

And let’s not forget a newly constructed Iran nuclear deal will not be a byproduct of handing Iran billions of dollars for the release of US citizens. The rogue regime in Iran has a definitive agenda and that includes building a fierce nuclear arsenal for the specific intention of not only becoming a nuclear power in the Middle East but to ultimately eliminate the one and only Jewish state. And as we all know, the powers that be in Iran are of the belief that the US and Israel are working together so in their minds, that calls for a possible attack on American interests in the region and  around the world.

If this sounds like an over-the-top apocalyptic scenario, consider the fact that if the Saudi deal goes through, then they too might well be in possession of nuclear weapons. Did we ever think that the country that raised and trained the bloodthirsty terrorists that carried out the 9/11 attacks on New York City’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon in Washington on that bright sunny morning of September 11, 2001  would ever end up being the recipient of such lethal weaponry.

The point here, is that in the world in which we live, anything and everything is possible. Caving in to demands of terrorists has never proven successful in the past and it never will in the future. The US needs to swallow that lesson and fully digest it to navigate the turbulent times ahead,