Powered by WebAds

Monday, June 15, 2009

The most cowardly, immoral non-reaction ever

I'd like to quote from Michael Ledeen's comments on Iran at Pajamas Media (Hat Tip: Instapundit). Although it's seemingly not a topic for a blog about Israel, I am reporting on it because I believe that anyone who is not affected by the reports (and especially the videos) coming out of Iran has lost all sense of decency, empathy and humanity. Yes, that apparently includes the Obama administration in Washington.

From an Israeli perspective, I believe (perhaps naively) that if the popular uprising in Iran succeeds in overthrowing the Mullahs, the resulting government will be less interested in the nuclear program, and will be disinclined to pursue nuclear weapons. Moreover, the rule in this region is "my enemy's enemy is my friend." I have seen several reports (including Ledeen's) that indicate that many of the thugs beating people in the streets of Tehran and other Iranian cities are Arabic speaking - probably mercenaries from Hezbullah in Lebanon and Syria. So I feel an especial bond to those Iranians who are demonstrating against their government. And I feel confident that if my government - the Israeli government - is in a position to help them, it will do so. Who knows? It may be doing so already.

I still agree with Daniel Pipes that Ahamdinejad winning the election was the best result for westerners in general, and for Israelis in particular, but Ahmadinejad stealing the election is an even better result, because it makes an uprising against the regime more likely. Still, the brutality with which the regime is suppressing the Iranian people cries out for a strong reaction from those countries that still pretend to take 'human rights' seriously.

Michael Ledeen takes the Obama administration to task for its indifference to the plight of the Iranians.
If ever there were a time for an American president to speak out in behalf of freedom, this is it. And Steve Hayes called upon Obama to do it:
Obama could tap into the enthusiasm and frustration of the protesters with a few well-chosen words about democracy, the rule of law, the will of the people, consent of the governed and legitimacy. He could choose a compelling story or two from inside Iran to make his points most dramatically, perhaps an anecdote about sacrifices some Iranians made to vote or an example of post-election intimidation.
Not bloody likely. As Allah knows, anything said by Obama on behalf of freedom in Iran would sabotage his utopian vision of negotiating a Grand Bargain with the mullahs, and he’s not a favorite to do that simply because seventy million people are being crushed by an evil regime that vows Death to America, and moves closer to building an arsenal of atomic bombs every day.

No, it’s up to the Iranians. Can the green revolution succeed in the face of “the dictatorship of lies”? Unlikely, to be sure. But life is full of surprises. The end of the mullahcracy is not impossible.

...

UPDATE II: Sunday night, my time.

Still silence from the White House and Foggy Bottom. This is the most cowardly, immoral non-reaction I can remember. I resigned from my job at the State Dept back in 81 when I thought we were appeasing the Soviets’ repression of Poland, but this is much worse.
Indeed.

Read the whole thing.

2 Comments:

At 1:30 PM, Blogger Ashan said...

Maybe Hussein's non-reaction is an indication of tacit approval. After all, isn't this what his regime of making over America is all about? First, he strips the people of their money and power and places it in the fraudulent hands of the regime, which he stacks with supporters, yes-men and fellow travelers. Then he appoints a fraud-ridden mega-support group like ACORN to intimidate the electorate, falsify voter registration and keep up the pressure on the people. He puts unelected "czars" (how appropriate the word!) to manage the despoiling and redistribution process. He also grabs the census by which he can falsify the statistics and virtually guarantee unending support. When the people come to their senses and start rioting... [fill in the blank]. You know very well where Hussein is leading. Absolute power. And it really does corrupt absolutely. The mullahcracy of Iran is simply an object lesson for him.

 
At 1:38 PM, Blogger NormanF said...

Obama doesn't see the mullahs as threat. He sees them as a suitor.

What could go wrong indeed

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Google