Think, it’s a world away from us and not our business, think again! Iran’s return to hard line rule and threat to wipe Israel off the face of the earth has only just begun. The few freedoms won by reformer, President Mohammad Khatami have been garrotted by hard-liners. Radical President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is filling key posts at security agencies with hard-liners, purging 40 moderate Iranian diplomats to consolidate control.
Hard-liners were critical of Khatami’s government for agreeing to freeze much of Iran’s nuclear activities. Included in the removal of reformers is Hossein Adeli, a leader in the pragmatic foreign policy wing and the Ambassador to Britain.
Emboldened by an upsurge of Anti-American sentiment as a result of the War in Iraq, President Ahmedinejad announced to the world that Iran was ready to 'wipe Israel off the face of the earth.' His, is not an idle threat. The fates of Israel and the U.S. are inexorably tied together. Israel is the only Democracy in the middle east. Israeli’s turned scorched brown deserts into lush forests and productive farms. Over centuries, the Jewish peoples produced great inventors, scientists, intellectuals, teachers and writers. Albert Einstein was Jewish and had to remove himself from the reaches of a Nazi regime. Einstein’s, 'Theory of Relativity' is one of the most important scientific advances known to man. E=MC2 served as the basis for our space program. World scientists are building new theories based on Einstein’s discovery. Since their beginnings, Israel has endured virulent hate from a medieval form of Islam. But, a more insidious, pervasive form of anti-Semitism in cultures across the World constitutes the origins from which the Jihadists gain strength. Opportunistic evil nourishes latent seeds.
In France, Bridgitte Bardot was legally sanctioned for her book about the Islamisation of France. A major deal-maker in the 'Oil For Food' scandal, Jacques Chirac sacrificed his own country for the sake of business deals with Iraq and Iran. Now, a frightened Chirac is threatening to take Iran’s mullahs before the UN. France renewed its threat to haul the issue of Iran’s nuclear dossier before the UN Security Council if the Islamic republic did not suspend its activities in that area.
The 'Burning of Paris' by rioting Islamic youths in and outside of Paris is no longer looked at as 'spontaneous.' Ten French Police have been wounded. Experts see deep connections between the rioters and organized terrorists. In his book, 'My FBI' former FBI Director, Louis Freeh writes that Iran was behind the bombing of Khobar Towers in 1996. 'Iran,' he states, 'trained the Hezbollah agents in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Bill Clinton was pursuing rapprochement with the Iranians.
Outgoing Iranian President, Rafsanjani admitted to Saudi Prince, Abdullah that the Khobar Attack had been planned and carried out with the knowledge of ruler, Ayatollah Khamenei. I have Power of Attorney for a former Army Intelligence Officer who wrote the first 'Rear Area Threat Assessment' predicting the bombing. But his 85 page report was removed by his Superiors and disappeared. The bombing of Khobar Towers would have been mitigated or prevented.
Despite the growing dangers of the Iranian policies, many U.S. companies are trading with the enemy. Iran says they are looking for foreign companies to invest in their oil fields. It will be a tempting deal even for U.S. companies that are barred from dealing with Iran. Recent news reports indicate that subsidiaries of several American companies have been quietly trading with Iran for years. These companies include Halliburton, GE and Conoco.
Imprisoned Iranian journalist, dissident, Akbar Ganji said that Iranian Judiciary Officials have tortured him to get him to renounce his writings against the regime. Human Rights Watch has expressed grave concern for his physical well being and urged the Iranian government to release him immediately and unconditionally. Ganji has been in prison since April, 2000.
The fates of Israel and all civilized cultures, was mourned in an article appearing in a Spanish Weekly, by Sebastian Vilar Rodrigezi. 'Europe died in Auschwitz' Rodrigezi wrote. 'We replaced millions from an advanced culture with 20 million Muslims. We burned a culture, thought, creativity and talent. We destroyed 'the chosen people.'
'Under the pretext of tolerance, to prove to the world we were not 'racist,' we opened our gates to religious extremism, crime and poverty. They have turned our beautiful Spanish cities into the third world as they plan the murder and destruction of their hosts. Thus, we have exchanged culture for fanatical hatred. What a terrible mistake was made by miserable Europe,' Rodrigezi lamented.
On another front, China’s petroleum company, Sinopec, just signed an agreement withIran to help develop the 14 trillion cubic meters of natural gas reserves, the largest on earth. Proven oil reserves are about 130 billion barrels. China’s soaring growth, fueled by U.S., efforts to globalize our companies there, will result in China spending $70 Billion over the next 30 years to buy 270 millions tons of natural gas from Iran.
Chinese oil companies will spend another $100 Billion drilling amid Iran’s mammoth oil reserves. India, has also been shopping in Tehran agreeing to buy 5 million tons of gas annually for the next several years, worth about $22 billion in all. It was precisely the U.S. effort to globalize our industries that has fueled enormous growth in China and India.
In the wake of the brutal slaying of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh by a radical Islamist, threats against Dutch and Belgian politicians have intensified. Van Gogh made a film attacking violence against Muslim women. Dutch member of Parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, received multiple death threats and is in hiding. She was the screenwriter for the Van Gogh film, 'Submission.' A five page death threat was left impaled into Van Gogh’s body and accused Hirsi Ali of being an 'unbelieving fundamentalist' and 'soldier of evil.'
As Iran’s 'chomaqdaaraan' 'death to America' mark crawls up the walls of the US Embassy in Iran, moderate Muslims should fear for their own safety.
The radicalism of Europe began long before the Iraq war. But, we placed globalization and Corporate greed over security. Now, not one of us, Christian, Jew or Muslim can afford to be silent in the face of this real threat. Iran must know all of us are 'as one.'
Alene S. Ammond
Former N.J. State Senator
International Business Consultant
AleneAmmond@gmail.com
