Weak administration foreign policy is causing Senators from both parties, led by Sen. Ted Cruz, to fix and lead diplomacy.
The administration has been relatively silent about Iran’s nominating a known terrorist, who hates America, to be their U.N. Ambassador. The terrorist, Hamid Aboutalebi, participated in the 1979 takeover and hostage taking at the American embassy in Tehran, Iran. The terrorist kept our people for 444 days; an atrocity that is still celebrated on the website of the takeover group.
Such behavior from Iran is typical and dangerous. The administration has been, in diplomatic and geopolitical terms, nearly silent about this latest Iranian audacity. The State Dept. sees the terrorist nomination as “separate” from the Iran Nuclear Disarmament talks. At most, an anonymous senior Obama administration official says that the nomination is “extremely troubling.” Troubling indeed.
Such words will not get through to Iran; only the willingness to use force and holding the Iranian leadership to the strictest accountability that we would force on a recovering drug addict will work. Sen. Ted Cruz has said, speaking truth, "This nomination is part of Iran's clear and consistent pattern of virulent anti-Americanism that has defined their foreign policy since 1979.”
Sen. Cruz crafted legislation, S. 2195, “To deny admission to the United States to any representative to the United Nations who has engaged in espionage activities against the United States, poses a threat to United States national security interests, or has engaged in a terrorist activity against the United States.”
This denial of admission will find its first recipient in the above named terrorist.
Even liberal Democrats came on board in support of the bill. In fact, the Cruz legislation passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent on April 7.
The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill today. The legislation will likely pass the House, but it is a shame the administration is not even working with Congress to pass the bill.
It remains to be seen if President Obama will sign this bill. If so, will he sign it willingly or with a whole bunch of caveats about how the right maneuvered into foreign policy, hijacked Congress, or any other of the proverbial yawns that lead Iran to have the audacity and hope that they could nominate a known terrorist to the United Nations and get away with it?
Mr. President, to paraphrase you, “Time is running out.” Do not let Iranian terrorists into our country.