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Biden gives Iran a $6 billion payday

Biden gives Iran a $6 billion payday© Provided by Washington Examiner

President Joe Biden's decision to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian oil revenues is intended to bribe the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism to release hostages. Iran has unsurprisingly hailed this deal, which will bring it substantial benefits, as one of "honorable diplomacy." But it contradicts decades of U.S. counterterrorism policy centered on the understanding that Washington should not pay terrorists.

Instead of taking all necessary measures to protect Americans, the Biden administration excuses its transfer of $6 billion in Danegeld on the grounds that it will be used only for humanitarian purposes. This is delusional and naive. Money is fungible, and so a payment in one area frees up money in another. And then, of course, there is the fact that the regime in Tehran routinely breaks its word. Biden's payment of a terrorist regime rewards terrorism and thus endangers Americans everywhere.

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Qatar, which is a nominal U.S. ally and an Iranian partner, will supposedly supervise the account holding the $6 billion to ensure funds are not diverted to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or other such organizations. But only a fool or the most willful Biden ideologue believes this safeguard will succeed.

How is Qatar to verify and police what is going on? Do we seriously expect Qatar, which does its own terrorist funding, to risk its relationship with Tehran to keep the U.S. happy? The two Middle Eastern neighbors are giving the Biden administration a pretense of deniability about the $6 billion, which is what it wants.

Iran is throwing money and arms at the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, making security in the Palestinian territory worse than it has been for decades. Israeli citizens now bear the brunt of this danger. Iran's partner, the Lebanese Hezbollah, is similarly agitating on Israel's northern border. Israel fears a revival of its 2006 war with Hezbollah.

At the same time, the IRGC's intelligence services plot the assassination of active and former U.S. officials and Iranian human rights activists. The IRGC is also plotting against U.S. military personnel in Syria and beyond. Iran's nuclear program is producing enriched uranium approaching weapons-grade purity. Iran's secret nuclear weapons research is advancing the regime's ability to build warheads and missiles. All this is only a fraction of the consequence of Biden's strategy of encouraging hostage-taking.

Russia, among others, revels in Biden's weakness toward Iran, for Russian President Vladimir Putin now knows he need only take innocent Americans hostage in order to trade for the release of his arms dealers and other thugs. The continued detention of the American Wall Street Journal  reporter Evan Gershkovich is an example of this.

What contrary lesson could Russia or any U.S. adversary take from Biden's $6 billion bonanza for Iran? The answer is, none. Taking Americans hostage doesn't risk mortal reprisal but is being made a logical business. Tyrants, like anyone else, respond to incentives and are willing to respond in ways at which decent governments would balk. Another lesson is that the Biden administration is malleable even in its most critical obligation to protect Americans.