Dem Rep Grills John Kerry About Iran’s Support for International Terrorism

Republican members of the House made headlines for grilling Secretary of State John Kerry on the Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday, but Democrat Rep. Ted Deutch landed a solid punch by noting the administration is absurdly downplaying how much damage Iran can do with all the money Obama wants to give them, long before they detonate a nuclear bomb.

Deutch criticizes the administration for refusing to admit that Iran already spends a great deal of money supporting international terrorism, and it is about to be swimming in cash as the sanctions regime crumbles. Contrary to Kerry’s assurances, terrorism is not all that expensive to sponsor.

We have already seen Syrian dictator Bashar Assad breaking a long media silence to send a not-so-subtle message to Iran that he badly needs more help. Hezbollah in Lebanon is one of the primary vehicles Iran has been using to prop up the Assad regime. In other theaters, the high-rolling mullahs will find covert support for terrorism a smart investment to further their long-term regional agenda. One of those theaters will be Israel.

Note that Kerry’s response to this point, at the end of the clip, amounts to brisk assurances that the United Nations can restrain Iran’s aggressive ambitions and terrorist methods with some more resolutions… just like the resolutions that utterly failed to stop them from developing nuclear weapons. If Obama couldn’t muster the political will or international clout to block Iran’s nuclear ambitions, what do they have to fear if they get caught pumping fresh millions into Hamas?

They do not need dirty-tricks goon squads like the Quds Force for that. We should have forced them to disband it and implemented measures that would make it harder for them to sponsor sabotage and murder beyond their borders. Rather, we are giving them billions of dollars in sanctions relief, plus a nuclear umbrella they can safely conduct all sorts of mischief beneath. We are apparently going to rely on the mullahs being inspired to straighten up and behave like the responsible statesmen Obama and Kerry have portrayed them as.

Every answer Kerry gave the House on Tuesday implied that Iran essentially defeated the United States in a war; Kerry and Obama expect congratulations for working out a good surrender agreement. The Iranians have taken every opportunity to make it clear they think their war with America, Israel, and the rest of their hated enemies is still ramping up.