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sanctions

Trump’s ‘Bold, Comprehensive’ Iran Sanctions

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. will apply the toughest sanctions in history in order to squeeze the life out of Iran’s nuclear and territorial ambitions and a former Clinton administration official says the Trump administration is headed in a much better direction than the one charted by the Obama administration.

During a speech Monday morning at the Heritage Foundation, Pompeo made it clear Iran’s belligerent behavior is already resulting in economic pain.

“We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime.  The leaders in Tehran will have no doubt about our seriousness.  Thanks to our colleagues at the Department of Treasury, sanctions are going back in full effect and new ones are coming.

“Last week, we imposed sanctions on Iran’s central bank and other entities that were funneling money to the [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’] Quds Force and were also providing money to Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations,” said Pompeo.

Pompeo then elaborated on what new sanctions were coming.

“The sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen to one that rejoins the league of nations,” said Pompeo.

Lawrence J. Haas served as communications director to Vice President Al Gore and was spokesman for the Clinton administration’s Office of Management and Budget.  He is now a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and was a frequent critic of the Obama administration’s approach to Iran and Israel.

While eager for more details, Haas says Pompeo’s remarks are a welcome step.

“It’s bold.  It’s comprehensive,” said Haas.  “In an extremely unpredictable presidency, we do have some consistency here.  President Trump has said for a long time that one of the main problems with the Iran nuclear deal is that it wasn’t comprehensive enough.

“That is is only addressed the nuclear program and did not address the other damaging aspects of Iranian behavior: the ballistic missile program that’s tied to the nuclear program, the terror sponsorship, the efforts in the region to destablilize other regimes, the presence in Syria and all the rest,” said Haas.

He says the Trump approach takes all Iranian threats and destructive policies into consideration.

“Here we see a policy that, at least on paper, is broader and does take in all these different aspects of Iranian behavior,” said Haas.

Haas believes Pompeo’s speech was also aimed at our former partners in the Iran nuclear deal, putting Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China on notice that their own economic fortunes could be imperiled if they keep cooperating with Iran.  He says that’s easier said than done since the U.S. does not want to ostracize those allies, whom we will need for other international priorities.

However, if Trump can convince those other nations to get on board with the sanctions, it could have a massive impact.

“This could be potentially game-changing,” said Haas.

Pompeo made it clear that Iran will need to reverse course in a host of areas to see sanctions relief.  In addition to no enriching of uranium or pre-processing of plutonium, Iran would also have to scrap its missile program, get out of Syria, stop aiding the Houtis in Yemen and end its threats towards Israel.

Haas wonders if the Iranian regime has such a sea change in its DNA, even if were to see the benefits of becoming a responsible government.

“Can this regime do all this and still be true to itself, which is a brutally hostile anti–American, anti-Israeli, expansionist, revolutionary regime?” asked Haas.

Right now, Haas wants to know what the U.S. is willing to do economically and otherwise to keep Iran in check.

“I’m curious to see the specifics of the sanctions and I’m curious to see how the administration follows through on it’s promises to constrain Iranian behavior in the region,” said Haas.

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Crippling Iran Sanctions, Gun Control vs. Facts, Blankenship Won’t Go Away

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America cheer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for inflicting punishing sanctions on Iran, making it clear the Trump administration does not think the Iranian regime can be partners on anything. They also sigh as the gun control movement tries to advance its agenda again after the Santa Fe High School shooting, even though their proposed legislation would have done nothing to prevent this horrific shooting. Jim also asks why so few are interested in finding out why teenage boys are now lashing out and killing people when they are bullied or rejected by girls. And they discuss Don Blankenship’s pathetic attempt to keep running for U.S. Senate in West Virginia despite getting thrashed in the GOP primary and a West Virginia law that prevents losers in primaries from running again in the general election.

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U.S. Hammers Russia, Carson’s Big Spending, Bowling Ball Test

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America applaud the Trump administration for slapping sanctions on Russia and salute UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for calling out Russia’s chemical weapons attack against a Kremlin critic in Great Britain.  They also chew out Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson for not keeping a better watch over the effort to spend more than $31,000 on a dining set and for possibly misleading the public about it.  And they roll their eyes as President Trump tells GOP donors that Japan engages in unfair trading practices by dropping bowling balls on the hoods of U.S. imports and deeming them unfit for sale in Japan.

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Iran Deal Stands for Now, Trump Sends Clear Message

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President Trump is giving the Iran nuclear deal another four months but also warned Congress that will not happen again without lawmakers passing major changes to the agreement, and leading Iranian dissidents urge the U.S. to stop trying to save a fatally flawed deal in the first place.

In addition, the Trump administration announced new sanctions aimed the Iranian regime in connection with its crackdown on protesters in recent days.

Officially, Trump is waiving nuclear sanctions against Iran until May.  He did not say what type of changes would meet with his approval at that time.

For the Iranian dissidents, there’s no way to salvage this deal.

“The main problem is that the entire nuclear structure of the Iran regime has remained intact, and the fact that there’s no real access to the key centers and locations that are actually engaged in weaponization, which is a critical part of building nuclear weapons.

“There’s no access for the [International Atomic Energy Agency] to the military sites where the real deal is.  Then there is a sunset clause.  At some point down the road, all of those restrictions are going to be gone and the Iranian regime will be free to continue its development of nuclear weapons,” said Alireza Jafarzadeh, deputy director of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, which is allied with the main internal resistance group in Iran, Mojahedin-e-Khalq.  The group is also known as the MEK.

Jafarzadeh says modifications to the nuclear deal will be fruitless because the regime will never abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons.  He says there’s only one effective modification for Iran.

“The Iranian regime is intent on building the bomb so the real solutions to all of the problems is to see fundamental change in Iran to change the regime,” said Jafarzadeh.

The Iranian resistance is also very pleased with the Trump administration’s actions, through the Treasury Department, to issue sanctions against 14 different Iranian individuals and entities, largely in response to the repression of protests over the past couple of weeks.

One figure targeted financially is he head of the Iranian judiciary, Sadeq Larijani.

“He’s the one who implements all the repressive measures of the Iranian regime.  He’s the one who has been prosecuting and putting people in jail. at least 8,000 demonstrators in the past two weeks.  He has already instructed the other judges to be very, very harsh against the demonstrators,” said Jafarzadeh.

“Another entity was the Rajai Shahr prison.  It is a very notorious prison that is known for torture and horrible things they have done to prisoners.  A number of people who have been detained during the demonstrations are now in Rajai Shahr prison,” said Jafarzadeh., who says the head jailer there is also named in the sanctions.

Others targeted by sanctions on Friday include elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, specifically for cutting off internet access that prevented protesters from communicating with each other and the outside world.  Individuals and entities assisting the Iranian ballistic missile program are also being targeted.

Jafarzadeh says Trump is paying attention.

“The president showed Friday that while he is so unhappy with the nuclear deal, he’s even more unhappy with the other aspects of the Iranian regime’s behavior, namely their domestic repression, their censorship and threatening their neighbors in the region,” said Jafarzadeh.

He also says the pressure is getting to the regime.  This past week, Ayatollah Ali Khameini gave a speech vowing to crackdown on the protests even more and blaming them on a “triangle” of organized resistance – namely the United States, hostile Gulf States like Saudi Arabia, and the MEK.  He also vowed a fierce crackdown on all elements of the triangle within Iran.

Jafarzadeh does not think the threats will work because they don’t change the reality of economic misery in Iran.

“No matter how much you repress them, the disconnect of the people will not go away.  The economic situation is not going to get any better.  There’s no plan for the government to resolve the issues.  There are workers who have not been paid for eleven months.

“Even doctors who used to get regular pay haven’t been paid for 9-10 months.  A lot of factories are not working,” said Jafarzadeh.

Jafarzadeh says the protests swelled to 141 different cities of all sizes.

“This is absolutely unprecedented since the ayatollahs came to power in Iran,” he said.

The bottom line, says Jafarzadeh, is that pressure from inside and outside Iran is working.

“The more pressure the United States builds against the Iranian regime, the more the regime’s forces get frightened and the more encouraged the people will get,” he said.

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Bolton Cheers Trump’s UN Performance

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Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton is cheering President Trump for a strong address to the United Nations this week and for perhaps already reaping critical results in his effort to isolate North Korea.

On Thursday, Trump announced a new round of U.S. sanctions aimed at North Korea and also reported that China is vowing to deal a major financial blow to the communist regime in Pyongyang.

“Today I’m announcing a new executive order I just signed that significantly expands our authorities to target individuals, companies, financial institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea,” said Trump.

Bolton says this could be a very significant move.

“It’s potentially significant because if we were to sanction companies or banks doing business with North Korea, that could have a knock-on effect to other countries doing the same and could effect their ability to do transactions in the United States,” said Bolton.

He says it leaves those banks and corporations with a stark choice.

“Do you want to do business with us or do you want to do business with North Korea?  Your choice entirely, but it’s going to be one or the other,” said Bolton.

Bolton likes the aggressive nature of the sanctions.

“Why didn’t we do this about eight or ten years ago?  Why is it that we’ve waited this long?  I think we have the answer.  I think President Trump is determined to do something about North Korea and Iran and their nuclear programs,” said Bolton.

Bolton served as ambassador to the United Nations for President George W. Bush.  So why didn’t these sanctions come then?

“There was a lot of discussion in the Bush administration about sanctions but (there was) a lot of opposition to really squeezing North Korea.  Ultimately, I don’t think we did really anywhere near what we could have,” said Bolton.

He says there was virtually no chance for stiff penalties in the Obama years.

“There was no appetite for sanctions against North Korea.  They were exercising what they called ‘strategic patience’ in the Obama administration.  That’s a synonym for doing nothing and the North Koreans took advantage of it,” said Bolton.

Just as importantly, Bolton says the new sanctions turn the screws on China as well.

“The vast bulk of the institutions doing business with North Korea – financial, commodities, machinery, you name it – are Chinese.  China, for 25 years, frankly, has two-timed us on their concern about the North Korean nuclear program.  So this gives the president some bite,” said Bolton.

That may have already paid off Thursday, as, Trump announced news that seemed to surprise even him, as China appears ready to play hardball with Kim Jong-Un as well.

“China, their central bank has told other banks – and it’s a massive banking system –  to immediately stop doing business with North Korea,” said Trump.

Bolton says if China is serious about taking this step it could have a huge impact on North Korea.   However, he says it is very tough to determine if China is making good on such a policy.

“I think that’s difficult from the outside.  God knows how many banks there are and how many new banks can be created that might be able to facilitate North Korean trade, for example with Iran,” said Bolton.

Trump made major headlines with his blunt talk about North Korea in his speech on Tuesday.

“The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.  Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself and for his regime.  The United States is ready, willing and able, but hopefully this will not be necessary,” said Trump.

Bolton says Trump struck exactly the right tone.

“I thought it was entirely appropriate.  Some of these people who talk about what’s becoming or unbecoming to say at the UN.  Honestly, the United Nations is not a church.  You’re not supposed to be reverential towards threats to international peace and security and innocent American civilians,” said Bolton, who thought the Trump approach was refreshing after the past eight years.

“After eight years of global governance kind of rhetoric from Obama and the weakness that he projected, maybe some people are shocked when they hear what a real American president has to say.  All in all, I think it’s the right thing for the president to do.  In America, plain speaking is a virtue and it’s important that these other countries hear it,” said Bolton.

Bolton also lauded Trump for labeling the Iran nuclear deal an “embarrassment” and “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”  He says that puts the onus on Trump to get out of the deal soon.

“If you don’t certify but stay in the deal that you’ve described already as embarrassing, I think that’s unpresidential.  It’s sort of a one shoe on, one shoe off foreign policy.  He needs to lead with moral and political clarity.  I think the way you do that is to say this deal is a disaster for the United States and its friends and allies and we’re getting out of it,” said Bolton.

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Trump’s Dizzying DACA Move, Soft on Iran Sanctions, White House vs. ESPN

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Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America react to President Trump making a deal with Democratic leaders to enact DACA into law in exchange for “massive border security” that has yet to be defined.  They also sigh as the Trump administration continues sanctions relief for Iran in conjunction with the nuclear deal it still hasn’t scrapped.  And they slam the White House for suggesting ESPN anchor Jemele Hill ought to fired for tweeting that Trump is a white supremacist while also blasting Hill and ESPN for their aggressively extreme politics.

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President Trump’s Venezuelan Crackdown

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President Trump reacted to at recent political moves by Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro on Monday. According to Hot Air.com, Venezuela is bitterly protesting their president’s plans to scrap the country’s constitution. President Trump stated that if Maduro followed through on his plans, the U.S. would crack down on Venezuela through sanctions. The sanctions would target trade between the U.S. and Venezuela, particularly their oil trade. Many are worried for the country’s lower classes, whose suffering would likely increase if the U.S. does impose sanctions. However, the amount of corruption in the country has become increasingly intolerable to the United States and other nations in the region.      ~ Sarah Schutte

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‘We Cannot Trust the Russians’

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Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., is calling for immediate aid to the displaced Syrian people at risk of being butchered by the Syrian government forces and he warns the incoming Trump administration that Russia has designs on calling the shots throughout much of the Middle East.

Reacting to Tuesday’s news that Syrian rebels have effectively lost their stronghold on Aleppo, Pascrell says that leaves a massive humanitarian crisis.

“There’s a huge humanitarian problem there for the people who remain in Aleppo and the surrounding areas.  Aid has not been able to get to them.  Food has not been able to get to them because of the cabal between the Russians and the Syrian government,” said Pascrell.

“Right now, the immediate problem is to bring aid to those people who need it.  There’s no water.  There’s no food.  And obviously, if you watch the pictures, there’s very little shelter,” said Pascrell.

He says the blame for the humanitarian nightmare belongs at the feet of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“Assad has butchered his own people.  He chooses to continue to do this.  He wants to bring the people and anybody that joins them, such as the rebels, to their knees.  While that’s happening, innocent people are dying,” said Pascrell.

Pascrell admits the crisis in Syria has no simple solutions, since trying to find and train moderate rebels has proved elusive and the U.S. is simultaneously fighting radical forces like ISIS and the Al Nusra Front.

“That’s a very difficult enterprise.  Four years ago, we did know there were a certain amount of rebels who had the exact same agenda as we had, and that is is to overthrow the Assad government.  We put that aside and allowed Assad to get stronger,” said Pascrell.

Russia is one of the key reasons for Assad;s ability to beat back the rebels, particularly in providing the air power that eroded the rebel grip in Aleppo.  Pascrell says it’s long past time to impose economic sanctions on Moscow.

“We don’t want to risk outright war with the Russians.  That’s not what we seek and I’m sure that’s not what they seek with us.  But I think if we put economic sanctions on the Russians, it’s worked before.  It could work again,” said Pascrell.

He says Americans should have no illusions about Russia.

“We cannot trust the Russians.  We can’t trust the Russians now and we’re not going to be able to trust them after January 20.  Anybody that’s foolish enough to think that we can do this is simply going to bring more misery upon the Syrian people,” said Pascrell.

But the wariness toward Russia extends far beyond Syria.  To begin, Pascrell says you just have to look at how Vladimir Putin handles criticism from his own people.

“We’re dealing with a Russian government here that has suffocated any dissent in its own country.  How many journalists have been thrown in prison?  How many journalists have been thrown the heck out that are now in the United States?” said Pascrell.

He says the Russian involvement in Syria combined with the crackdown on rights in Turkey are combining towards the creation of a troubling and growing alliance throughout the region.

“Pretty soon you’re going to have an alliance between the Russians, the Turks, the Iranians and the Syrians.  I see that developing there right now.  The Turks have their own problems internally and [Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan] is going to take it out on American foreign policy.  There’s no two ways about it,” said Pascrell.

“[The Russians] don’t want these countries to turn to the West.  They want these countries to turn to Russia.  So we’re between that rock and the rock of not getting involved where American lives are going to be lost.  Not an easy question to resolve whether it’s Obama or Trump,” said Pascrell.

In fact, the congressman would not be surprised if Russia makes our fight to eradicate ISIS more difficult than it needs to be.

“While we’re fighting ISIS and giving all we can in order to fight the extreme jihadists, we need to recognize at the same time that Russia will simply go with the flow in whatever suits their purpose,” said Pascrell.

While he encourages President-Elect Trump to study up on all the ways Russian aggression is evident today, Pascrell says he has no idea what to expect from the incoming administration.

“I don’t know what to expect.  Does anybody know what to expect?  Whether it was the campaign or whether it was after the campaign, you never know what he’s going to say or what direction he’s going to go in.  I don’t think it’s healthy for the region.  I’ll tell you that,” said Pascrell.

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