In Israel, 14 dead Americans attest to the failure of the Biden Administration’s policies toward Iran.
Worse, as President Biden acknowledged in an address on Tuesday, four American citizens are being held hostage by Hamas. Biden’s remarks included what was expected – a declaration that America will stand with Israel, and make sure it has what it needs to respond to the attacks; an indictment of the brutality of Hamas, which he said reminds us of Isis at its worst; a nod to the empathy shared by one who has lost beloved family members; an appeal to the Congress to rise above partisanship to do what is right for the security of the world; and a warning to any and all of Israel’s adversaries contemplating a move to take advantage of Israel’s current crisis that such a move should not be undertaken.
His remarks left many important things unsaid. For instance, he never mentioned Hamas’ principal sponsor, Iran, nor did he address Iranian support for this particularly atrocious attack. And he never said what the United States government would do to hold Iran accountable for the deaths of 14 American citizens.
Americans have questions, and we’re not getting answers. Here are just some of the questions I would ask President Biden directly:
First: What is your plan to rescue American citizens held hostage? Will you consider directing U.S. special forces to launch missions to rescue kidnapped American citizens being held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza? If not, why not, and when will you do so?
Second: The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday afternoon that “Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s Saturday surprise attack in Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut last Monday.” The article cited as sources “senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, another Iran-backed militant group,” a “European official” and “an adviser to the Syrian government.” Yet U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN on Sunday that, “We have not yet seen evidence that Iran directed or was behind this particular attack.” Is The Wall Street Journal’s reporting credible? What kind of official investigation is being conducted to determine the level, if any, of Iran’s involvement? When can Congress expect to hear your findings?
Third: Again, according to The Journal, the planning for the attack began in August. August is also when U.S. and Iranian negotiators were putting the finishing touches on the deal that resulted in the return of five American citizens wrongly imprisoned by Iran in exchange for, among other things, the release of $6 billion in Iranian funds that had been frozen as a result of sanctions. Responding to press inquiries this weekend, your administration spokespeople vehemently denied any connection between the transfer of funds last month and the launch of the attack a few days ago. How do you account for the coincidence of timing?
Fourth: On September 12, at a State Department press briefing, spokesman Matthew Miller, referring to the $6 billion, said, “ … when this money arrives in these accounts in Qatar, it will be held there under strict oversight by the United States Treasury Department and the money can only be used for humanitarian purposes, and we will remain vigilant in watching the spending of those funds and have the ability to freeze them again if we need to.” Have you already ordered the $6 billion frozen again? If not, why not? When can the American people expect that those funds will be taken off the table, not to be used by the Iranian regime to support terrorism?
Fifth: Also in August, your administration relaxed enforcement of oil sanctions levied against Iran, allowing Iranian production to jump to 3 million barrels per day from just 2.6 million barrels per day in April, with a projection from the Iranian oil minister that Iran’s production would rise to 3.4 million barrels per day by the end of September. That would be the highest Iranian oil production since former President Trump imposed sanctions back in 2018. Have you allowed Iran to evade sanctions – and, in the process, earn between $30 billion and $40 billion this year that can be devoted to supporting terrorists like those of Hamas and Hezbollah – because you are running for reelection and you don’t want to be blamed for high gas prices?
Sixth: What consequences will there be for Iran’s joyful celebration of the abhorrent murders of so many Israeli civilians?
President Biden has a responsibility to answer these questions. The American people have the right to know.
Jenny Beth Martin is Honorary Chairman of Tea Party Patriots Action.