-- "Hezbollah gives immediate relief to help Lebanese rebuild." An accompanying photograph shows a "Hezbollah official" dispensing $12,000 in brand new U.S. $50 and $100 bills to "victims of Israeli destruction." Another article observed that Hezbollah was handing out "dollars for Lebanese reconstruction faster than the American government can help those made homeless by hurricanes." It's remarkably effective propaganda -- apparently unchallenged by any media outlet or U.S. official. "Doesn't anyone in Washington remember that the Iranians have printed millions in high-quality counterfeit U.S. currency -- and made duplicate plates and paper for their friends in Pyongyang?" asked my friend. An inquiry to the State and Treasury Departments about whether anyone knew if the "Hezbollah reconstruction aid dollars" were counterfeit produced what amounts to a shrug of the shoulders.
-- "Iranian military unit seizes Romanian oil rig in Persian Gulf." According to this report, an Iranian Navy patrol boat "destroyed a crane aboard, strafed the legs and accommodation areas with machine-gun fire and then detained the 26-man crew aboard the rig." Though news items pointed out that this is the first time an oil rig has been "occupied by force in peacetime," no western government has charged the Iranians with piracy. An inquiry to the Department of State resulted in the observation that this is a "matter to be resolved" between the Romanian and Iranian governments. Apparently it has not occurred to the nice folks at Foggy Bottom that the Romanians don't have a naval presence in the Persian Gulf. We do.
-- "German train-bombing plot tied to Lebanese-Iranian terror network." This story, "compiled from wire service reports," states that German authorities believe that the attempt by two Lebanese men to plant "very sophisticated, highly lethal bombs aboard two trains was inspired by Hezbollah." None of the articles about the attempted train-bombing mention Hezbollah's well-established connections with Tehran. -- "Shiite militias arming for civil war in Iraq." Though this is hardly news, the lead was followed by "analysis" that prognosticated a "significant increase in Shia 'military activity' as U.S. elections near." The piece went on to suggest "the war in Iraq is likely to be the defining issue for the American electorate this November." Unmentioned by those who prepared the article is the stark parallel to another war: Vietnam. It was this piece -- viewed in the light of all the others showing Iranian complicity and intention -- that that so perturbed my aging friend here at the airport in Athens.
In 1974, "we the people" elected a majority in the U.S. Congress who decided that the Vietnam War was un-winnable. The Congress proceeded to "de-fund" U.S. military and logistics support for the South Vietnamese. By April of '75 the disaster was foregone. This time the outcome -- a nuclear-armed Iran with client-states in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon -- would be catastrophic.
Will we elect an anti-war, "get-out-now" Congress in November? It all depends on whether those who cast ballots this autumn are wise enough to understand what we are up against or are instead, as my friend put it, "stunningly naive."
Oliver North is the founder of Freedom Alliance, a Townhall.com Gold partner.