Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Where I Stand: Time to clamp down on Iran

PROBLEMS WITH IRAN appear around every corner of U.S. foreign policy. Not only are terrorists funded all over the world by Iran, we find that nation's fingers in the soupy mess we have come to know as Bosnia-Herzegovina. In this situation, they can easily cause more than a little agony for American soldiers on their peace-keeping mission with NATO.

Despite all of the signs pointing to immediate and future problems with Iran, some of our trading and military friends continue to befriend that trouble-making nation. Germany has not only kept up a lukewarm diplomatic relationship, but that nation's merchants have also been busy making money by trading with Tehran.

Last month, Iran's role in funding the Islamic terrorist activities in Israel was discussed at the meeting called by President Clinton in Egypt. No longer do other Arab nations shrug off American and Israeli claims that Iran is a troublemaker. They fully understand the role that nation is playing as the banker for international terrorism. Why Germany and a few other countries continue to deny these obvious facts can only be attributed to money being more important than law or decency in foreign relations.

In the meantime, the Iranian fighters in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, are still hanging around. Their removal was approved by all parties in the Dayton agreement and, until they go, there is little hope that any American dollars will be forthcoming to develop a civilian infrastructure. It appears to observers the Iranians believe they can outlast the NATO troops that are supposed to leave by the end of 1996. Then the Middle East gunmen can resume the war that NATO has interrupted. Even during the remainder of this year, the Iranians are viewed as posing a terrorist threat to the peacekeepers led by the United States.

Back in Iran, the brutal treatment of Christians and especially Muslim converts to Christianity has drawn the attention of good people over the world. Iranian Christians International has given up trying to bring change about in that country. During a recent presentation before Congress, it became apparent what ICI now wants is the opportunity for its people to leave Iran.

Abe Ghaffari, the ICI executive director, told Rep. Chris Smith, chairman of the House International Relations human-rights subcommittee, that now only 1 percent of Iranian Evangelical Christians are able to flee. "If the Islamic Republic of Iran would provide a window of opportunity, say two years, for any Evangelical Christian to leave Iran without harm or retaliation against them or their family, we believe 50 percent of these Christians, or 10,000, would leave," Ghaffari testified.

The evidence is also clear Iran continues to train, fund and support Hezbollah, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. Even Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has fingered Iran as having ordered the most recent bloody acts of terrorism in Israel.

During a recent interview, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah made the following remarks: "We don't hide Iranian support. There is no need to deny that we receive financial and political support from Iran.

"We are not shy and they (the Iranians) are not afraid about it."

Nasrallah went on to indict Syria when telling Al Wasat magazine that country has provided the party with "a political cover, moral support and field facilities." This help from Syria, another country our State Department is courting, has resulted in dozens of deaths among Israelis in the security zone of Southern Lebanon.

The case against Iran has been made time and again, and now it's time for the United States to demand greater cooperation from our foreign "friends" such as Germany. It's time for them to take action and help squeeze Iran economically and diplomatically until its government squeals. Pretending there isn't proof that Iran is helping the terrorists is no longer acceptable in the halls of civilized governments.

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