In a notorious passage of his disgusting speech at American University this past Wednesday, President Obama asserted:
Just because Iranian hardliners chant “Death to America” does not mean that that’s what all Iranians believe. (Applause.) In fact, it’s those hardliners who are most comfortable with the status quo. It’s those hardliners chanting “Death to America” who have been most opposed to the deal. They’re making common cause with the Republican caucus. (Laughter and applause.)
The laughter and applause noted in the White House text of the speech reflect the deep well of ignorance from which President Obama draws to elicit support of the deal with Iran. He counts on the ignorance of his audience and they rarely disappoint him.
A few obvious questions arise. Is Supreme Leader Ali Khameni a “hardliner”? He has the final say in the Islamic Republic of Iran. He even leads chants of “Death to America.” Yet he supports the deal and Obama has gone into partnership with him.
Is Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, a “hardliner”? He has a voluminous amount of American blood on his hands. He is a named beneficiary of the sanctions relief afforded under the deal. He takes his orders from Iran’s Supreme Leader and he expresses no dissent from the deal. Obama has gone into partnership with him.
Who’s making common cause with whom?
Mark Dubowitz and Jonathan Schanzer pursue related points in the New York Post column “Iran deal will unchain top ayatollah’s terror slush fund.” Hooman Bakhtiar strikes a personal note in the Wall Street Journal column “Obama’s sanctions gift to an assassin for Iran” (accessible via Google here).
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