American journalist Roxana Saberi, who has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison since her arrest in January on charges she was working without proper press credentials, stood trial for espionage yesterday in Iran's Revolutionary Court. This frightening Soviet-like raising of the stakes comes just as the Obama administration is indicating its willingness to lower the bar for direct talks with the regime. The court says it will issue its verdict in the next few weeks. The terror-masters of North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, and Somalia will be watching to see what we do if their Iranian sponsor finds her guilty.
This is an inexcusable lapse of foreign policy. The Obama administration should have drawn a line in the sand and said no negotiations will commence until this lady is released into U.S. custody. There can be no clearer indication of the fact that the Obama administration has little regard for the safety of American citizens compared to political happy-happy-joy-joy with our ENEMIES.
Yes, I'll bet that North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Sudan, Somalia, and others will be watching very carefully. In less than 90 days, Obama has already been shown to be weak all over the world. He has capitulated on missile defense in Eastern Europe as President (after being lame on Russia's aggression on Georgia during the campaign). He has repeatedly called for the joining of hands with the Taliban and Iran despite repeated scorn, derision, and jeering in return. He sought additional troop support from NATO allies for the war effort in Afghanistan and got only a handful of trainers. He sought condemnation for North Korea's illegal launching of a ballistic missile and got a vanilla letter of noodle-stiff diplomacy after a week of pleading.
If Iran finds this American citizen guilty and punishes or executes her, what do we honestly expect Obama to do? He can't even get a strongly-worded letter accomplished; there's no way he'll actually do anything of substance to help this poor lady. And there's no way he'll do anything for any other American citizen, either.
Once again: the biggest danger to America -- in both economic and national security terms -- is Barack Obama.
There's my two cents.
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