THE HAGUE, Netherlands – What do you have when you host a meeting of the U.N., EU and Iran? You have a conference of liberals, lunatics and liars.
Who would have believed when Barack Obama announced he would meet with Iran without preconditions, he would actually approve an invitation to representatives for the world terror forum in The Hague? At the time, Hillary Rodham Clinton called Obama’s plan “naïve” and “irresponsible.”
What exactly should the secretary of state now say to Iran whose proxies have killed American troops in Iraq and Jews in Israel: “Let’s be friends”? How exactly can a terror state support the government of Afghanistan and shape a better future for that country and its people?
Clinton, following a “careful policy review after taking office,” announced a “comprehensive, new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.” Where exactly does Iran fit into this strategy? Clinton determined the situation in the region was “perilous” based on the past seven years of fighting and increased attacks against U.S. troops, allies and the government of Hamid Karzai. Now intelligence sources have uncovered subsequent al-Qaida plans to attack the United States, many originating in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It is unthinkable that Pakistan, already with nuclear capabilities, should fall prey to al-Qaida or the Taliban. It would become the base for terror attacks by those who wish to murder as many Americans and Jews as possible.
However, Clinton has invited the “moderate Taliban” desiring to leave their extremist ideals behind to be offered an “honorable form of reconciliation.” Said Clinton, “We must also support efforts by the government of Afghanistan to separate the extremists of al-Qaida and the Taliban from those who have joined their ranks not out of conviction, but out of desperation.”
How could Clinton, who said of the Afghan people, “… a return to Taliban rule would condemn their country to brutal governance … and the denial of basic human rights – especially to women and girls” champion what she calls “moderate Taliban”? The Afghan people were subjected to vicious brutality prior to the Taliban’s rout by U.S. and allied forces. A return to that vile domination would likely result in a nightmarish bloodbath for the Afghan people.
During a press conference Tuesday, I asked Hillary Clinton, “Have you met with the deputy prime minister of Iran?” She responded by saying that the invitation for Iran to come here was extended, and they came. She has also presented a letter to Iran, and her deputy, Richard Holbrook, met with Iran’s deputy prime minister.
When asked about her support for the “moderate Taliban” she responded that the vast majority of the Taliban in Afghanistan were moderate. She added that if they lay down their arms, the U.S. would work with them to help them become a part of the Afghan government. In essence, Secretary Clinton announced a Taliban state. The majority of the Taliban likely will take her up on the offer, knowing Afghanistan would be returned to them with Ms. Clinton’s blessing.
On the heels of the Taliban question, an Afghan woman asked, “What about the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan?” Clinton spun the tale of how committed she was to the rights of women and girls. The Taliban practiced their own version of Shariah law and oppressed women in unspeakable ways during their rule. The vast majority of the Taliban put Afghan women through a living hell.
On Tuesday evening, I met with a group of Afghani diplomats. I asked what they thought of Secretary Clinton’s statement that the vast majority of the Taliban were moderates.
They looked at me in astonishment and said, “She’s wrong. The vast majority of the Taliban are extremists. Had she said that, we would agree with her. To say the vast majority are moderate is not the truth.”
Ms. Clinton declared that 17,000 troops had been ordered into the region in fulfillment of a request from Gen. McKiernan, commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan. Clinton also expressed the need for “agricultural specialists, educators, engineers, lawyers and civilians on the ground” to help the Afghanis.
Iran is now the progenitor of terror attacks in Iraq and most certainly has its sites set on regional domination. Clinton reiterated that by working with the U.N. and “all who should have a stake in the security of the region,” a new “Contact Group” would be forged. Cue the fox and tell him to stand by; the hen house is about to become open territory.
President Obama seems determined to follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter who recognized Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic Republic with catastrophic results. In his televised attempt last week to reach out to the Islamic Republic, Obama said of Iran, “Your accomplishments have earned you the respect of the United States and the world.”
Accomplishments?! Tell that to the Iranian mothers whose children were used to clear minefields during the Iran/Iraq war. Tell that to the families of troops who have died in Iraq as a result of Iran-supplied IEDs. Iran’s fanatical leaders believe its “rightful place” is at the head of a worldwide caliphate with every individual bowing a knee to Islam.
What signal does this send to our enemies? Radical Islamic terrorists worldwide will surely interpret this as a sign of fear and weakness on the part of our new commander in chief. It could embolden them to strike America yet again.
During Jimmy Carter’s watch, “Death to America” chants were heard from crowds filling the streets of Tehran. On April 1, 1979, Khomeini declared the “first day of the government of God.” It was to become the birthday of radical Islam. That inauspicious day 30 years ago also birthed the great crisis of the 21st century. If one listens closely, those same chants can be heard in the streets of Tehran today.
The conference on Afghanistan ended just hours before the clock struck midnight and we ushered in another April Fools’ Day. Only time will tell whether or not America will again play the fool as we did the last time we attempted to appease Khomeini and his radical revolutionaries.
