Let it be said one more time

We make a few simple points about the events transpiring over the past week in Iran. The Iranian regime is an evil tyranny. It supports terrorists and terrorism. The United States has a debt of honor to settle with it for the kidnapping and mistreatment of American hostages thirty years ago. That disgrace is not simply a matter of history. It is a disgrace in which Iran’s execrable president personally participated. We remember.

The Iranian regime is responsible for the maiming and murder of many Americans and others who have been made its victims. The overthrow of the regime would be well deserved. We support the brave protesters who have taken to the streets of Iran to express their opposition to the regime and we wish them success in their endeavors.

Referring to Churchill and Hitler, Leo Strauss observed that the contrast between the indomitable and magnanimous statesman and the insane tyrant presented a “spectacle [that] in its clear simplicity was one of the greatest lessons which men can learn, at any time.” So today we find that the contrast between the brave people of Iran standing up for their freedom from the tyranny of the Iranian regime and their oppressors is too “in its clear simplicity…one of the greatest lessons which men can learn, at any time.”

UPDATE: Kristofer Harrison fleshes out my thoughts in the comments:

I would add two more things to your original list.

1) Iraq. Iran’s direct action in Iraq has murdered and maimed thousands of American soldiers. Iran has trained and equipped multiple militias in Iraq whose goal was attacking US soldiers, as well as Iraqi Sunnis. I do not think it has sunk in yet just how much American blood they have on their hands there. When the history of Iraq is written we will see that close to half of US casualties there are attributable to Iran. So far, no American response.

2) Khobar Towers. They killed 19 American soldiers. So far, no American response.

Kevin Groenhagen (USMC, 1982-1986) adds: “And let’s not forget Beirut, October 23, 1983.” These are all of course among the points I had in mind, but Messrs. Harrison and Groenhagen rightly spell them out.

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