Zam had been living in exile in France but was captured by Iran's Revolutionary Guard in October 2019 - possibly in Iraq. Indeed, Iran has engaged in extrajudicial kidnappings. This past July, Iran detained dissident and journalist Jamshid Sharmahd while he was in Dubai. It should be noted that Sharmahd is a permanent resident of the United States. Just like Jamal Khashoggi.
Granted Sharmahd hasn't been executed like the Saudis executed Khashoggi. But if Iran is prepared to execute Zam then why would it have any qualms about executing Sharmahd?
While I saw fit to vote for Joe Biden I did so with the reservation that he would very likely re-enter the Iran nuclear agreement. If Biden intends to re-enter the JCPOA then why reward Iran for executing journalists? Why reward Iran for holding a permanent resident of the United States in captivity? Yet I suspect it is only a matter of time before the incoming Biden Administration makes this a top foreign policy priority.
What bothers me more than anything else is how The Left treats Iran's regime as though it were benevolent and benign. Code Pink is outraged at the recent killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the architect of Iran's nuclear program but is perfectly fine with Iran executing Zam and holding Sharmahd in captivity.
Biden himself probably doesn't share Code Pink's views on the subject but numerous House Democrats are demanding Biden re-enter the Iran nuclear deal without precondition. All of which means that Jamshid Sharmahd gets to remain in Evin prison and the Iranian regime is free to execute him as they develop a nuclear bomb.
Under the circumstances, I hope Biden ignores their demands. If Biden does intend to follow through with this then I also hope he will impose conditions upon Iran - namely the release of Jamshid Sharmahd and all other journalists currently held in captivity.
No comments:
Post a Comment