Iran’s clenched fist — VOICES for REASON

Obama has been sending out all kinds of feelers in hopes of bringing Iran to the negotiating table. One that generated a lot buzz was his comment, in a high-profile interview, that “if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us.” But Obama and the many other supporters of so-called diplomacy pretend–and would have us believe–that Iran’s fist is “clenched” only metaphorically.

Do you recall the controversy over Iran’s influence in post-invasion Iraq? From boosters of so-called diplomacy, we commonly heard deep skepticism and outright denials regarding Iran’s backing of insurgents who murdered Western soldiers. The line was that the reports were all hyped up–and even if true, no reason to rule out negotiations. Now comes a report from the BBC in which a senior British diplomat recounts: 

“The Iranians wanted to be able to strike a deal whereby they stopped killing our forces in Iraq in return for them being allowed to carry on with their nuclear programme: ‘We stop killing you in Iraq, stop undermining the political process there, you allow us to carry on with our nuclear programme without let or hindrance.’”

This is another aspect of Iran’s ongoing jihad against the West. And it underscores the meaning of the current push for negotiating a deal with Iran. It’s outright appeasement.