Thursday, August 17, 2023

08/17 Links Pt1: The Ransom Payment to Iran Is the Tip of the Biden Administration’s Appeasement Iceberg; Glick: The Israeli Left's New 'Blood Libel' of "Jewish Terrorism"

From Ian:

Clifford D May: Israel’s Long, Hot Summer
So, Israelis face intensifying threats on multiple fronts. What are they doing in response? Quarreling among themselves.

Not since the summer of 2005, when then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon decided to withdraw every Israeli soldier, farmer, synagogue and cemetery from Gaza—testing the proposition that ceding land would bring peace—have Israelis been as disunited.

Today’s debate is over “judicial reform,” an attempt by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition—which includes far-right parties—to change how the justices on Israel’s Supreme Court are selected and to limit the power of those justices to strike down both legislation and policies passed by the Knesset, Israel’s unicameral parliament.

More broadly, most Israelis support majority rule but not majoritarianism, and want strong checks and balances as well as a separation of powers. But they vehemently disagree on how to achieve those goals.

Why haven’t Israelis tackled such issues over the 75 years since Israel’s founding? For one, they’ve been busy fighting wars against neighbors committed to their extermination.

For another, they’ve been building a free and prosperous nation-state, one in which Israel’s minority communities, Arab, Muslim, Christian, Druze and others, are guaranteed rights available nowhere else in the region—not to minorities and not even to majorities.

Also: Israel is a diverse nation. Secular Jews, religious Jews and ultra-religious Jews do not see eye-to-eye-to-eye. There are significant cultural differences between Jews from families that spent centuries in Europe before fleeing and Jews from families that spent centuries in Muslim lands before being expelled.

There are other Israeli tribes: Jews whose families somehow remained in the Holy Land despite the empires that came, conquered, enslaved and slaughtered. And there are Israel’s non-Jewish minorities, as noted above.

Mix that with the ideological differences among Israel’s many political parties and the personal feuds among Israeli politicians and you have an exceptionally combustible cocktail.

Israel’s internal discord no doubt pleases and encourages Israel’s enemies. A report released last week by FDD’s Joe Truzman cites evidence that Hezbollah is now making a “comprehensive effort to disrupt Israel’s northern border region.”
The Ransom Payment to Iran Is the Tip of the Biden Administration’s Appeasement Iceberg
To Richard Goldberg, Washington’s decision to release $6 billion in frozen funds to Tehran in exchange for the freeing of five Americans being held illegally will give the ayatollahs more money to spend on weapons and terrorism while encouraging hostage-taking by Russia, China, and other bad actors. Worse still, Goldberg writes, it is only part of a larger strategic mistake:

After more than two years of policy failure—offering Iran massive sanctions relief to return to the 2015 nuclear deal while allowing Tehran to enrich more uranium to higher levels than ever before—the Biden administration faced an increasingly likely prospect that Iran would become a recognized nuclear-threshold regime on its watch by producing weapons-grade uranium. The White House faced a choice: establish a credible military threat to deter Iran from further nuclear escalation and restore a maximalist sanctions approach, or offer to pay Tehran’s price to postpone a crisis for eighteen months. President Biden chose the latter.

In early May, Biden’s Middle East czar passed messages to Ayatollah [Ali Khamenei] through Oman, suggesting both sides agree to a temporary period of de-escalation wherein the U.S. would loosen its grip on Iran’s economy and Iran would hold off on enriching uranium to weapons-grade purity. The arrangement would not be labeled a “deal,” since a “deal” would need to be submitted to Congress for review—and possible rejection. Instead, Washington would open all relief valves it could find without triggering a 2015 law that gives Congress the right to veto such an arrangement.

To access all that and more, all Iran must do is not enrich uranium to a higher level and give the appearance of slowing its production of highly enriched uranium—even though the 60-percent-enriched uranium it produces every day is already 99 percent of the way to weapons-grade. The deal is exactly what Iran wants: maintain the stockpile and technical capacity rapidly to produce weapons-grade uranium until its advanced centrifuges are perfected and its new underground facility completed. When that day comes, the game is over and Khamenei wins.
Richard Goldberg [WSJ]: Iran's Nukes Are a Thorn for Saudi-Israeli Peace
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reportedly made a joint U.S.-Saudi nuclear-enrichment program a top condition for a peace deal with Israel. This is untenable. The U.S. can't discount the potential for a future Saudi leader to use an industrial-scale enrichment infrastructure to produce fissile material as part of a nuclear weapons program. Once Saudi Arabia builds an enrichment program, Turkey and Egypt will want one too. A race to enrich throughout one of the world's most dangerous and unstable regions is a national-security recipe for disaster.

But when any American tells a Saudi official that the U.S. can't support enrichment on Saudi soil, an obvious question comes back quickly: You're saying you can support an enrichment program in Iran, which is trying to kill Americans every day, but you can't support an enrichment program in Saudi Arabia, a close strategic partner? After all, the 2015 nuclear deal and subsequent negotiations have all but normalized illicit Iranian nuclear activity.

The results of a policy that legitimizes enrichment on Iranian soil are on full display. Iran has raced over the past two years to produce enough near-weapons-grade enriched uranium to produce several nuclear bombs in a matter of weeks.


What it Will Take to Achieve an Arab-Israeli Peace
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is one of the few Americans who understands what it takes to bring about a warm peace in the Middle East, and specifically between Arab states and Israel. In his recent book “Never Give an Inch,” he describes how when given wide berth to work with the Israelis, he sought to reverse the insulting ways President Obama treated Israel. He was one of the people involved in bringing about the Abraham Accords and is among those who recognized the old paradigm of waiting for the Palestinians to come to the negotiation table is wrong. The likelihood of Mahmoud Abbas making compromises for peace would have to wait for the ‘coming of the Messiah.’ In the meantime, Pompeo must have noticed that in the quiet rooms, the wise leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain understood clearly that their interests override the all- familiar and well-established Palestinian veto power toward any rapprochement with Israel. Clearly, the likes of Pompeo’s predecessor, Obama’s second term Secretary of State John Kerry, never understood. Kerry made endless shuttles between Ramallah and Jerusalem. For Kerry, the peace “process” between Israelis and Palestinians seemed to have more value than real peace. It was a waste of American tax-payer money, his shuttle diplomacy was a dismal failure. Abbas was never ready to make compromises for peace even if his people would be the beneficiaries of such a peace.

The historic Abraham Accords deserved far more Nobel Prize recognition for President Donald Trump and his team than the travesty of giving the Nobel Prize to Barack Hussein Obama for doing absolutely nothing to earn it. Were it not for the political correctness of the Scandinavian guilt-ridden Nobel Prize committee, such an award granted to one of the least accomplished US presidents at the very beginning of his first term in office, would have never happened. And were it not for the leftist orientation of the Nobel Peace Committee, Trump should have been given the award and the honor by right of accomplishment. The Swedes and the Norwegians disgraced themselves and the Nobel Prize by serving as an example of political bias, rather than awarding merit.

In “Never Give an Inch,” Pompeo pointed out that the Trump administration came “breathtakingly close to having a major Asian nation” sign on to the Abraham Accords. Pompeo was referring to some of the largest Muslim majority nations such as Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Pompeo stated that “Permanent peace with the Jewish homeland is in the interest of each of these nations.” Furthermore, Pompeo intimates that had the Trump administration won reelection, Saudi Arabia would have also joined the Abraham Accords.

The Obama administration treated Israel with a degree of disrespect unprecedented for US presidential administrations. Pompeo wrote: “Never before had an American commander in chief demonstrated, unequivocally, that he was unwilling to support the Zionist project and our best friend in the Middle East. Obama’s UN ambassador, Samantha Power, and national security advisor, Susan Rice, were also at the center of the (Obama) administration’s loathing of Israel. They neglected to choose the right ally (“Never Give an Inch” page 316).” The Obama administration chose instead to buddy up with Iran. Obama ignored Israel’s dilemma over the Iran Nuclear Deal. For Israel, it meant having to live with the deal that gave the Ayatollahs the wherewithal to ultimately destroy Israel, as Iran’s President Ahmadinejad and others threatened to do, or alternatively take preemptive action that might trigger WWIII.


Iran's Plan To Turn The West Bank Into A Terror Base
Palestinian terrorists... have already turned the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip into a base for firing tens of thousands of rockets towards Israel. Now, the terrorists, with the help of Iran, are trying to use the West Bank to launch rockets at Israeli civilian communities.

Even worse, US Congressional oversight, required for any deal with Iran, was nullified this week when the Biden Administration, apparently to avoid oversight, announced its plans with Iran during Congress' summer recess.

The MEMRI report... noted that the armament efforts in the West Bank are energetically assisted by the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the orders of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Judging from the statements of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leaders, the Palestinian terrorists who are now firing rockets at Israeli communities from the West Bank could not have done so without the assistance of Iran. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad do not recognize Israel's right to exist, period.

The Hamas Covenant... openly states: "There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad [holy war]. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." (Article 13)

Those Americans and Europeans who are calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank are ignoring the threats by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to continue the fight until the elimination of Israel. The rockets that are being fired from the West Bank should serve as a loud alarm bell to all those who continue to talk about the so-called two-state solution.

It is not difficult to imagine what would happen if Israel pulled out of [the West Bank]. After the Israeli pullout from the Gaza Strip in 2005, the Palestinian terror groups fired tens of thousands of rockets into Israeli cities and towns. An Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank would mean handing the area to the total control of Iran and its Palestinian terror proxies and turning it into yet another base for Jihad -- not only against Israel but the West.
US approves sale of Arrow 3 to Germany in largest-ever Israeli arms export
The United States has approved Israel's sale of the Arrow 3 missile defense system to Germany, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The $3.5 billion military contract is Jerusalem's largest ever. Berlin wants the system, which is capable of intercepting exo-atmospheric ballistic threats, to defend against the threat of Russian missiles.

"The US government's approval of the delivery… is an expression of confidence in the outstanding capabilities of Israel's defense industries. This is a significant decision, which will contribute to Israel's force buildup and economy," said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a statement Thursday. It is "particularly meaningful to every Jewish person that Germany is acquiring Israeli defense capabilities."

The Arrow 3 was jointly developed by the Israeli Missile Defense Organization and the US Missile Defense Agency, and is manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.

In June, German lawmakers approved advanced payments of up to €560 million ($606 million) for the system, which will be transferred to Israel after a letter of commitment is signed in the coming weeks.

The full contract of $3.5 billion (previously reported to be $4.3 billion) will be signed by the end of this year, subject to approvals from the Israeli and German parliaments.

The German Air Force is slated to take delivery of the Arrow 3 by the fourth quarter of 2025.


Israel to Supply German Submarines with Advanced Operator Consoles
The Israeli company Reouel Group has signed an agreement to supply Atlas Electronics, a subsidiary of Germany's ThyssenKrupp, with dozens of advanced operator consoles for various submarine systems.

Reouel's consoles, which serve as monitoring and control stations, enable submarine operators to quickly and efficiently receive significant computing solutions.
Uruguay to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem
Uruguay will open a diplomatic office for innovation in Jerusalem, Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday.

The news comes a day after the ministry confirmed that Paraguay would return its embassy to Jerusalem by the end of year, and is the latest sign of the growing ties between Israel and Latin America.

“Uruguay is one of Israel’s important friends in Latin America, and the president’s decision to open an innovation office in Jerusalem will advance the ties between our two countries ,” said Foreign Minister Eli Cohen.

Israel’s top diplomat met with President of Uruguay Luis Lacalle Pou and his Uruguayan counterpart Francisco Bustillo in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo on Wednesday, the first such visit by an Israeli foreign minister to the Latin American country in the last four decades.

Cohen invited the Uruguayan president to Jerusalem to inaugurate the new office, which will work to promote cooperation in the field of innovation, according to the ministry. The office is slated to open soon.


The Caroline Glick Show: The Israeli Left's New 'Blood Libel' of "Jewish Terrorism"
On Friday night August 4, the Israeli media reported that “Jewish terrorists” had entered the Palestinian village Borqa and murdered a Palestinian in a deliberate act of terrorist murder.

The problem with the story? It was completely false. The claim was based on the PA’s propaganda organ Wafa “news” service and then presented as fact by the IDF Spokesman, the Shin Bet and the police. What actually happened was an attempted lynch by Palestinian villagers.

In her news analysis, Caroline Glick brings all the details of what happened on August 4 and explains how this fits into the larger attempt by the political left to demonize anyone who is not like them.

As Caroline notes, getting the truth out is the most important thing anyone who wants to defend Israel and democracy in the Jewish state can do.


The Israel Guys: Japan Gives $1,000,000 to Terrorists in Israel *crazy things happening
Israel is facing heightened threats of rockets from inside the heartland, Japan makes a bad decision to send money to hotbeds of terror while Paraguay does the right thing and reopens their Jerusalem embassy. An exciting 5,500 year old archaeological find sheds new light on ancient history.




Terrorists fire on industrial park in northern Samaria
Palestinian terrorists fired on the Shahak Industrial Park in northern Samaria on Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF reported no casualties but said that the attack had caused material damage.

The vehicle used in the attack was located in Palestinian Authority territory and contained ammunition and spent cartridges. Israeli forces were searching the area for the suspected shooters.

“The shooting joins the dozens of shooting incidents over the past year which occurred in the bloc of settlements in northern Samaria, and the attempts to launch rockets toward the towns,” said Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan.

“The situation in northern Samaria cannot continue this way,” Dagan added.

“I demand that the prime minister, defense minister and all of the government ministers renew the ‘Bayit Vagan’ operation [the IDF’s 48-hour counterterror operation in Jenin in July] and eliminate the Palestinian Authority’s terror infrastructure. We will not be sitting ducks in a firing range,” he said.

“We will not accept a situation in which a person leaves for work in the morning and does not know if he will return since he is exposed to gunfire from terrorists due to the fact that we have become the Wild West,” Dagan said.
Teens at Fatah summer camp taught to assemble rifles aim,

AP Updates Jenin Fatality Was Confirmed Al Aqsa Fighter
The Associated Press today quickly and commendably updated an article and headline today following communication from CAMERA pointing out that a Palestinian killed in a Jenin gunbattle this morning was in fact a confirmed member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a designated terror organization affiliated with Fatah. AP’s coverage had reported that there was no information immediately available about membership in a terror organization.

Initially entitled “Israeli troops kill a Palestinian in a gunbattle outside a West Bank bakery,” this morning’s article had reported (8:55 am GMT):
The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man killed as Mustafa al-Kastouni, 32. It was not immediately clear if he was affiliated with a militant group. The Hamas militant group said its fighters engaged in a gunbattle with Israeli troops in Jenin and lobbed explosives at the forces.

But within a few hours two other leading news agencies, Reuters and Agence France Presse, had already reported that Palestinians confirmed that al-Kastouni was a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.


Timing is everything, as US designates Green Without Borders a terror group
The Security Council met on Tuesday with representatives from the 48 member states that contribute troops to UNIFIL. On Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lázaro, head of mission and force commander at UNIFIL, chaired a tripartite meeting with senior IDF, Lebanese Army officers at a U.N. position in Ras al-Naqoura.

Lázaro “expressed his concern over a series of incidents along the Blue Line in recent months which have increased tension” and “appealed for engagement in Blue Line talks to address outstanding issues highlighting the importance of positive signals by both parties ahead of the Security Council consideration of UNIFIL’s mandate renewal,” according to UNIFIL.

The Security Council is scheduled to hold consultations on UNIFIL next Wednesday, ahead of a planned Aug. 30 vote on a French-drafted mandate renewal. The draft could still go through multiple changes, as other members of the council negotiate.

Council observers are keeping a close watch on Russia, which has partnered with Iran in a marriage of convenience. The Islamic Republic has provided Moscow with deadly drones, which Russia used in its invasion of Ukraine. Russia may be looking to return the favor to Tehran by trying to force language into the UNIFIL renewal that is favorable to Hezbollah, which serves as an Iranian terror proxy.

U.N. leadership apparently is leaving the matter fully in the Security Council’s hands. Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, told JNS earlier this week that Guterres would not meet with the Israeli delegation visiting New York nor with a Lebanese delegation arriving to discuss the same matters.

The secretary-general is out of town, and Dujarric said no remote conversation was on the U.N. chief’s schedule.

“This doesn’t change the importance that we’ve invested in the work of UNIFIL, in the need for the mandate to be renewed as the secretary-general has recommended,” Dujarric told JNS.

“I think UNIFIL plays a critical role along the Blue Line and as a stabilizing factor between Israel and Lebanon,” Dujarric added. “Obviously, as with any peacekeeping mission, the renewal of the mandate is in the hands of the 15 members of the Security Council.”
JCPA: Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah’s Rattles Sabers Against Israel
There are no doubts that the list above, as impressive as it might be, does not cover all the infractions carried by Hizbullah. It stems from the understanding – in Nasrallah’s own words – that if Israel were today what it used to be in the past, with its formidable invincible army that could do whatever it wanted, and if Lebanon were today what it was years ago, then Israel would not have hesitated a moment to remove the tents swiftly. This is not the case today. In the eyes of Hizbullah, Israel has lost its credibility and, more importantly, its deterrence vis-a-vis its rivals – not only against Hizbullah but also the Palestinian armed factions combating Israel in Judea and Samaria.

The question is what stands behind Hizbullah’s provocations against Israel at this point? Is Nasrallah rushing into a military confrontation with Israel, and to what extent does he assess that Israel will refrain from acting against the Iran-guided militia?

One possible answer is the clue provided by one of Nasrallah’s close followers and confident, Sheikh Sadeq el-Nabulsi, who gave an interview on Al-Hadath TV on July 6, 2023. He said that if the political factions in Lebanon could not agree on a presidential candidate and a stalemate continued, then the option of waging war would change the equation of forces in Lebanon and allow the presentation of a Hizbullah candidate, an opportunity unreachable to this point in Lebanon. According to that same Sheikh, Hizbullah has reached the moment to begin a military confrontation without waiting for Israel to act first.

One cannot ignore this logic: it stands on its own two feet in the Lebanese context. However, Hizbullah is not an independent movement. Its leaders are in tune with the Supreme Leader in Tehran and in coordination with the IRGC and the Quds force. No doubt Tehran is aware of Hizbullah’s activities facing Israel and has given the green light for all provocations. Most probably, Tehran’s directives to Hizbullah will depend on its perception of other developments in the area, first and foremost in the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.

Nasrallah’s fierce rhetoric has brought the two sides closer to a military confrontation, possibly soon. Nasrallah is convinced he can challenge Israel and cross the red lines he imagined impassible in the past.


If Israel Strikes Iran over Its Nuclear Program, the U.S. Must Have Its Back
The Biden administration needs to work closely with Jerusalem to prepare for the growing likelihood that Israel will feel it has no choice but to initiate a military campaign against Iran's nuclear program. No Daylight, a new report from JINSA, explains that the U.S. guiding principle should be "no daylight with Israel," to ensure Israeli military success, mitigate Iranian retaliation, and limit the scope of the conflict.

If Israel is compelled to act, due to a failure in U.S. policy and deterrence, the extent of U.S. backing will directly impact Iranian action. The more the Iranian regime perceives strong U.S. support for Israel, and believes it risks direct confrontation with America's unmatched military power, the likelier that it will limit its response.

Because Israel is widely perceived as a close American ally, strong American support will reassure allies from Warsaw to Abu Dhabi and Taipei, while American equivocation will shred Washington's credibility and embolden adversaries from Tehran to Moscow and Beijing.
The Potential for Political Change in Iran
The excessive politicization of religion in Iran, the regime's inability to address economic and social challenges, and widespread corruption have together eroded much of the once-widespread public support for the revolutionary regime.

The key to initiating political change in Iran relies significantly on the capacity to enlist what Iranian sociologist Hamidreza Jalaeipour refers to as the "silent majority." In July 2023 he estimated that 70% of Iranians comprise this silent majority.

They are distressed by the authorities' actions and align with the civic aspirations of the youth. At the same time, they differ in their stance from radical groups that advocate the regime's overthrow through violent means.

A notable weakness within the recent wave of protests in Iran was the absence of considerable social and economic population segments, including workers from major industries and the service sectors, who refrained from participating in the predominantly teenager and university student-led demonstrations.
On 1st Saudi visit since ties restored, Iran FM touts Islamic unity, slams ‘Zionists’
Iran’s top diplomat preached unity and dialogue during a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, his first since the two Middle East rivals announced a surprise rapprochement in March.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also took the opportunity to reiterate the Islamic Republic’s support for the Palestinian cause at a time when Riyadh is in discussions with the United States about potentially normalizing ties with Israel.

Such a deal would see Saudi Arabia recognize Israel in exchange for conditions including security guarantees from the United States and concessions from Israel on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Standing next to Prince Faisal on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian described the conflict as “the most important issue in the Islamic world,” adding: “We continue to support Palestine.”

“There is no doubt that the Zionist regime will continue its efforts to create division in the Muslim world and the region. We follow the movements of the Zionist regime with insight and vigilance,” he added.

Ties between Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shiite-majority Iran “are progressing in the right direction,” Amir-Abdollahian told reporters at a press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, touting economic and security cooperation without announcing any new agreements.
MEMRI: Criticism In Saudi Press Of U.S.-Iran Prisoner Exchange Deal: It Is A Dangerous Deal Detrimental To The Region; The U.S. Is Selfish And Unreliable
It has recently been reported that the U.S. and Iran have agreed on a prisoner exchange deal, as part of which the U.S. will also release several billion dollars of Iranian funds frozen outside the country. According to the reports, the deal was brokered by Qatar and Oman, and the funds will be transferred to the central bank of Qatar, which will be tasked with ensuring that they are used only for humanitarian purposes, such as purchasing food and medicines.[1]

Articles published in the Saudi media in response to these reports bluntly criticized the agreement and the American conduct. They called the deal a dangerous move that will further harm the region and even lead to "disaster," since it improves Iran's economic situation and allows it to make headway both in its regional expansion and in its advance towards nuclear weapons. The authors accused the U.S. of selfish, manipulative, dishonest and unreliable conduct, and of lack of transparency with its allies, who were not informed about the details of this deal, many aspects of which are unknown. Some claimed that the U.S. made this deal in order to achieve peace and quiet vis-à-vis Iran, in order to focus on the upcoming electoral season in the U.S. and on helping Ukraine in its war with Russia. Others wondered why the U.S. did not suffice with a prisoner swap, but felt the need to "reward Iran's problematic conduct" by giving it access to billions of dollars.

The following are translated excerpts from these articles:
Saudi Journalist: The U.S. Kept Its Allies In The Dark About This Deal, And May Also Do So In Nuclear Deal With Iran
Saudi journalist Tariq Al-Homayed, the former editor of the Al-Sharq Al-Awsat daily and currently a columnist for this daily, attacked the deal and criticized the U.S. for failing to inform its allies about it in advance. Wondering how it will be possible to trust the U.S. to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran, he expressed fear that, if President Biden is reelected, the policy of appeasing Iran will continue, which will eventually lead to its attainment of nuclear weapons and to a disaster in the region. The following are excerpts from the English version of his column, published in the daily’s English-language edition:[2]

He wrote: "The shock [waves] of the "hostage diplomacy" between the United States and Iran, involving a $6 billion disbursement from Washington to Tehran in exchange for the release of five US hostages, continue to echo, not only within our region but also across Europe and the United States… The crux of the debate revolves around a fundamental question: Would this deal, or the ransom, encourage Iran to take more hostages and use them as bargaining chips for the released funds?

"The situation, however, is considerably more intricate. The danger of this “hostage diplomacy” lies in the timing, the approach, and the role of the allies in the nuclear agreement. This [prisoner exchange] deal is the result of a clear scenario that warns us of what awaits us in the nuclear file... Why? The reason is that Washington has entered the electoral mood, or the season of madness, as it is called there. Therefore, the US Administration has currently no intention of negotiating with Iran over the nuclear file, while Tehran has taken important steps that enable it to build nuclear weapons.


IRGC-linked activist luring UK-based scientists in attempt to boost Iranian military
An Iranian scientific network led by a regime loyalist who has links to Iran’s brutal Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is trying to engage UK-based academics with expertise in dual-use technologies.

Mohammad Hussain Ataee Dolat Abadi, director of International Conference of Research in Europe (ICRE), has persuaded leading scientists and engineers from universities including Cambridge, Birmingham, Glasgow Caledonian and University College London to share their ideas and address conferences in Tehran.

The network was personally backed by the former Iranian minister of science and supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and is an official partner of the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran, which has been subject to UK and EU sanctions due to its involvement with Iran’s nuclear weapons programme since 2012.

Abadi, a Bradford University engineering graduate, can also be linked to an official regime strategy designed to acquire Western technology for use by its military.

He told Iran’s Fars news agency the plan was to recruit “experts in scientific fields and have studied in prestigious European universities… willing to use their expertise inside the country”.

The organisation, an offshoot of Abadi’s Union of Islamic Students Associations of Europe, held a conference in Tehran in 2023, at which photographs of the late general Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC’s terrorist mastermind — killed in a US drone strike in 2020 — were displayed.

As the JC revealed two weeks ago, it was from the Union’s base in London that Abadi arranged online talks by at least eight IRGC commanders, which featured Holocaust denial and calls to kill Jews in a coming apocalyptic war.
Biden's Scandal-Plagued Iran Envoy Lands Ivy League Gigs Amid FBI Investigation
Amid an FBI investigation into his alleged mishandling of classified information, embattled U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley has been offered plum academic gigs at two Ivy League colleges.

Princeton and Yale universities both announced Tuesday that Malley will join their staff while he is on extended leave from the State Department after his security clearance was yanked under mysterious circumstances. Neither school mentioned in their announcements that Malley is currently the focus of an FBI investigation.

At Princeton, Malley will work alongside former Iranian official Seyed Mousavian, a nuclear policy specialist at the school who came under fire last year for bragging about the Islamic Republic’s efforts to assassinate former Trump administration official, Brian Hook, Malley’s predecessor at the State Department.

Malley’s entry into the Ivy League is already raising eyebrows within Congress and Washington, D.C.’s foreign policy community, particularly since the sidelined diplomat is still entangled in an unresolved FBI probe. Neither school responded to a Washington Free Beacon request for comment on whether Malley's alleged security lapses gave them pause.

Malley will lend both schools his expertise after spending the past two years in the Biden administration working to secure a revamped version of the 2015 nuclear deal, efforts that included waiving sanctions on Tehran to give it access to potentially billions in frozen funds.

In its announcement, Yale touted Malley as one of the "leading practitioners" in the field of foreign affairs. While at Yale, Malley will teach courses and mentor students as a senior fellow.

Princeton said that Malley will "teach a graduate course this fall on foreign policy decision-making, and one to two undergraduate courses in the spring focused on some combination of diplomacy, negotiation, and foreign policy."

Malley is just the latest Princeton scholar to come under fire for friendly ties to Iran’s hardline regime.


Book Reveals How Biden Admin’s Reliance on Taliban Led To Deaths of Troops
A new book details how the Biden administration's dependence on the Taliban for security during its chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal led to two missed opportunities to potentially stop the deadly Kabul airport bombing that claimed 13 American lives.

The book, titled Kabul, claims U.S. officials knew of a looming threat in the days before an ISIS-K suicide bomber killed 170 civilians and 13 U.S. service members at the Abbey Gate leading to the airport, where thousands of Afghans were trying to enter to evacuate the country.

One opportunity to prevent the attack, according to the book, was missed when the Taliban, which the United States leaned on heavily for security cooperation during the withdrawal, refused to raid a hotel where ISIS-K was known to be operating. The second was missed when the United States decided not to carry out a drone strike because of a "negative response" from Taliban officials.

The book is co-authored by Jerry Dunleavy, an investigator for the GOP committee probing the withdrawal, and James Hasson, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan.

"Our findings—tucked away in the Pentagon’s own documents and in the own words of military officers personally involved in the Afghanistan evacuation—provide more damning evidence about the dangerous stupidity of relying upon terrorists like the Taliban to provide security at Kabul airport," Dunleavy said.

Transcripts from communication channels detailed in the book show military officials knew about a coming attack,




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