Iran is the Root of Islamic Terrorism
by Joseph Kellard
(July 5, 2003)
Following an overwhelming military victory in Iraq, the Bush administration has renewed its pursuit of creating a Palestinian terrorist state, instead of focusing on the premier sponsor of anti-American terrorism: Iran.
While the administration once again entangles itself in "peace" talks with Palestinian terrorists, freedom-loving rebels in Iran have stepped up the revolt against their Islamic fundamentalist rulers who enforce religious social decrees, impose strict censorship, and imprison or execute political opponents.
Iran remains the ideological center of the America-hatred pervading the Islamic Middle East. That theocracy began warring with America when its rulers took 52 Americans hostage in 1979. Highlights of Iran's terrorism on Americans include the bombing and murder of 241 Marines in Beirut in 1983 and the killing of 19 US servicemen bombed at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia in 1996.
More recently, intelligence sources believe Iran harbors Al Qaeda operatives who orchestrated the bombing of a Western residential compound in Saudi Arabia last month that killed nine Americans. Iran sends Islamic agitators and militants into both US-controlled Iraq and Afghanistan, and sponsors such terrorist groups as Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Lebanon, Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.
In January 2002, Israel intercepted a ship from Iran delivering 50 tons of weapons to the terrorist Palestinian Authority. A month before this, former Iranian "President" Hashemi Rafsanjani stated publicly that when the Islamic world has nuclear weapons "the strategy of the West will hit a dead end, since a single atomic bomb has the power to completely destroy Israel." Last month, an Iranian opposition group discovered another secret nuclear facility in Natanz, undoubtedly part of Iran's advanced nuclear weapons program.
Clearly, Iran is the root of Islamic terrorism, and destroying its theocracy would be a major victory in the war on terrorists. But in this war the Bush administration takes an inverted, appeasing approach. Bush not only fails to declare that the US will us force to topple Iran's regime; he's busy appeasing Palestinian terrorists that are mere heads of the Iranian hydra.
Meanwhile, the Iranian rebels fighting to establish a government that separates mosque and state and upholds free speech will stage a nationwide general strike on July 9 that they hope will spell the end for their ruling mullahs and ayatollahs.
Since September 11, 2001, these rebels consisted largely of students who demonstrated monthly in Tehran. But last week Michael Ledeen, author of "The War Against the Terror Masters," told Fox News that the rebels are now comprised of up to 90 percent families taking to the streets daily in various cities. Moreover, whereas they once demanded reforms to the regime, they now call for its overthrow and for the head of supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The regime is now "obviously desperate," Ledeen added, and distrusts its own army, since many of its commanders said they would not fire upon the protestors.
Obviously, the time is ripe for the Bush administration to topple this regime. Last week Bush gave his usual brief comment about circumstances in Iran, stating that the protestors need to know "America stands squarely by their side."
Cartoon by Cox and Forkum
"For us, what the President said…the last few days may seem relatively mild," Ledeen said, "but for [the Iranian rebels] it's lifeblood."
Yet, as one rebel aptly stated, "We hope that Mr. Bush doesn't only talk but does more."
But what has his administration been doing?
After Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told students in Germany two weeks ago that US policy was not to deal with either the unelected ruling clerics or the country's president, Mohammad Khatami, Secretary of State Colin Powell the following week said that the administration may possibly renew behind-the-scenes negotiations with Iranian officials that were canceled after the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia.
As another Iranian rebel said, as if directly addressing Bush, "Even though we wish for change without the need for war, we need your support by not negotiating with a dangerous regime."
The administration should never negotiate with terrorist regimes, but all the rebels should be calling for the US to bring its war on terrorists to Iran. Instead, the administration sends out its usual contradictory messages that led to its months-long charade with the UN Security Council before destroying Saddam Hussein's regime.
The situation in Iran, however, is much graver and urgent than it was with Iraq. In this most crucial battle of the war, it's time for Bush to back the rebels by asserting America's readiness to use force to topple the regime. If not, on July 9 Tehran could become another Tiananmen Square.
Joseph Kellard is a journalist living in New York. To read more of Mr. Kellard's commentary, visit his website The American Individualist at americanindividualist.blogspot.com.
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