Iran's Mullahs Love Hiding Behind Their Proxies — It Is Time to Stop Letting Them

  Gatestone Institute

The time to put a stop to Iran's runaway aggression is long overdue – before it launches nuclear weapons. 

"For nearly four decades, since the rise of Iran's Islamist regime in 1979, the West has funneled substantial political and economic resources into combating Iran's proxies. To what effect? Not enough, it would seem, to write home about.

"After all these years, the West might consider, instead, facing a crucial realization: it might consider attacking the source, not merely its symptoms. It is high time for the West to wake up.

"After nearly 40 years, it is only natural to ask whether these efforts have succeeded in even curbing Iran's proxies, terrorist groups, and militias. Unfortunately, not even a fraction of success can be claimed. On the contrary, these groups have grown stronger, more entrenched, and more lethal over the years. Their numbers and influence have multiplied, and their power has only solidified, until they are now formidable forces in the region – because no one has stopped them.

"Iran's regime and its proxies constantly launch attacks – at Sunni Gulf States, at Israel and at US troops -- with the seeming goal of eradicating the Jewish state and driving "The Big Satan" out of the region. That way, the mullahs appear to believe, Imperial Iran would be able to enjoy the run of the corral without interference from countries they allege are imperialist, and revel in an unfettered "open season."

"Iran and its proxies have attacked US troops in the region more than 150 times just since October. The US response has not exactly been a deterrent. In the meantime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism continues cheerfully to put the finishing touches on its nuclear weapons program.

"In Lebanon, for instance, Iran has meticulously cultivated the terrorist group Hezbollah, turning it into a dominant force that wields significant control over the Lebanese government. Driven by the mullahs' mission of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America," Hezbollah has become a relentless adversary of both Israel and the US.

Colorado cops crack down on migrant apartment gangs and ICE confirms they’re illegal aliens, admitted under Biden-Harris

  Olivia Murray - American Thinker   "There’s a new chapter in the saga of the Colorado apartment complexes that have been overrun, and de facto seized, by gang members who are suspected to be illegal aliens; they are in fact illegal aliens, part of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua cartel, and admitted to the United States by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, confirmed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after four of the criminals were recently arrested.

"For some of the earlier developments, see an essay I wrote on the viral video of heavily armed gang members caught on a doorbell camera, and a follow-up item I penned about Colorado governor Jared Polis’s insistence that the narrative was all just a figment of wild, conspiracy theorist, Republican “imaginations.”

"If these shady, gun-toting villains were all just in our heads, then who in the world was arrested?

"Here’s the latest, from a report out at Fox News yesterday: . . ."

Do the Cheney's really mean to side with Hamas?

 On the other hand: I'm Outta Here! 'Disgusted' Alan Dershowitz Announces He's Ditching the Democratic Party – RedState 

But even Dershowitz has come to the obvious realization: this is not the Democrat Party of old; no, the modern version is a shrill, extremist version that wants to fundamentally transform America into some weird socialist utopia that it was never meant to be.

The American Spectator

Cheney endorsement tests just how many Republican votes Harris can get

Former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of pre-Trump GOP royalty, became the latest and most prominent Republican to back Harris Wednesday. Harris also has endorsements from former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and hundreds of local Republican officials to try to puncture what her campaign views as Trump's soft underbelly with Republican voters who are uncomfortable with the former president's brash and unorthodox brand of politics.

Alan Dershowitz finally abandons the Democrat party - Andrea Widburg   "For years, Alan Dershowitz, despite parting ways with Democrats on myriad topics, has steadfastly retained his allegiance to the Democrat party. However, Dershowitz finally hit his breaking point after watching the Democrats’ convention. Even though the Democrats were very careful not to attack Israel during the convention, he noted how open antisemites and people who are viciously anti-Israel were given pride of place in the proceedings. For Dershowitz, this was finally a bridge too far:" . . .

While on that subject, do the Cheneys know they are supporting this?:  Walz praises the pro-Hamas progressives as ‘speaking out for all the right reasons’ - Olivia Murray   . . ."A group of sub-human monsters plots a massacre, invades a sovereign nation and goes after soft target civilians, like young people at a music festival and families at home on a Saturday morning, slaughters fathers shielding their sons, rapes and beheads mothers in front of their children, then takes hundreds of others hostage and retreats back into their sewers before anyone on the other side can really muster an organized defense, and, the progressive Americans who view these sorts of military campaigns as justifiable and warranted are “speaking out for all the right reasons.' ” . . .

Liz Cheney wants Kamala Harris to pick Sonia Sotomayor's replacement - Silvio Canto, Jr.  . . ."My suggestion is that Liz Cheney answer a simple question:  Do you hate Trump that much that you want a President Harris filling the courts with liberal judges?  Many are expecting Sonia Sotomayor to retire owing to ill health. A vote for Harris is a vote for Harris picking out the kind of justice Harris thinks should replace her. 

"Does Liz really want Harris to appoint the same kind of judges they hate in Wyoming?  Or the same kind of judicial activists that your father used to talk about in his own campaign?" . . .

Kamala sides against Israel and with the murderers of Israeli families.

UPDATE: Alan Dershowitz leaves Democratic Party, cites DNC: 'I was disgusted' (msn.com)

   "A lot of things pushed me in that direction," he said. Dershowitz noted Harris' failure to preside over a joint session of Congress during an address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played a big role in his decision. Some Democrats skipped Netanyahu's speech as a form of protest. 

UPDATE: "I think the thing that really pushed me is how the Democrats conducted their convention. I can not be associated with a party that features as it’s speakers, AOC, Sharpton, Liz Warren, and Bernie Sanders. That’s not my party."

Georgia School Shooter's Family Is Really... Something

  HotAir 

 The aunt of alleged Georgia school shooter Colt Gray threatened to go “full throttle” on anyone speaking ill of the 14-year-old suspect on social media just hours after the massacre unfolded.

"Ever since 14-year-old Colt Gray allegedly shot up Apalachee High School in Georgia on Wednesday killing two children, and two adults, and wounding nine others, officials have been struggling to answer the usual questions about the incident. (Just assume that I'm including the word "allegedly" throughout this article, though it's obvious that they have the correct kid in custody.) Answers are being uncovered at a rapid pace, not just about Colt Gray himself, but pretty much his entire immediate family. One thing that has already become clear is that this wasn't a case of an otherwise normal student who flew under the radar before losing it and bringing a weapon to the school. The entire family has a history of what appear to be very serious issues.

"The first, most obvious expansion of the investigation of the case came when we learned that Colt's father, Colin Gray was arrested and charged with four counts of manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and a collection of other serious offenses. It turns out that Colin purchased the rifle used in the attack as a gift for Colt last year, but the details make that decision seem even worse. (NY Post)" . . . Read more...

Biden Admits "Inflation Reduction Act" was actually the "Green New Deal" Con

  The Last Refuge (theconservativetreehouse.com)  "With pretenses being dropped, Joe Biden is now admitting the “Inflation Reduction Act” had nothing to do with inflation, but was -factually- the severe leftist “Green New Deal.” This will not come as a surprise to most here, as we discussed this ruse extensively – SEE HERE and SEE HERE.

"Allow me to say with clarity how much I appreciate YOU, the CTH members, who have long given up this insufferable game of pretending.  There is a comfort amid our association who look at the issues with intellectual honesty and pragmatic insight.  YOU make a difference, not only here on these pages of our fellowship, but also amid your family and community who have learned to value your voice.  I cherish you.

"In the fall of 2022, we accepted the named legislation “Inflation Reduction Act” (IRA) was a legislative misnomer intended to obfuscate the true construct of the bill.  The IRA was factually the ‘green new deal’ program packaged under the guise of an ‘inflation reduction’ premise.  In order to discuss the outcome of the content the American people are learning to stop the game of pretending around the purpose of the legislation.

"First, here is Joe Biden making the admission yesterday in Wisconsin. Everything from the administration behind him is a ruse, a lie and a self-serving construct. Watch

The bill itself contains absolutely nothing that will lower inflation; in fact, the bill itself will raise supply-side inflation in direct proportion to the energy production it reduces. To offset the contracted revenue caused by a much smaller economy, the Democrats have doubled the IRS tax army that will enforce personal income tax compliance.

​​​​​​​It's Spreading: America's Top Oil Field Terrorized By Armed Venezuelan Gangs |

  ZeroHedge 

Getty Images

"It's only going to get worse from here, as the Biden-Harris administration's disastrous open border policies have now come to a 'neighborhood near you' (for some of you). In the past week, we saw armed Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua members terrorize the northern Denver suburb of Aurora and other sanctuary cities run by far-left Democrats. New concerns out Thursday afternoon indicate critical infrastructure is now under threat from migrant cartel members. 

"According to Libs of TikTok, a Texas-based oil/gas company issued a memo to employees informing them that police and the FBI have warned armed Cuba and Venezuela migrant gangs are committing thefts in the Permian Basin (America's highest producing oil field). 

"Here's the memo:

Industry peers and law enforcement in West Texas (WTX) are aware of a recent increase in organized criminal activity inclusive of violent crimes, gang activity and oil field thefts in and around WTX operational areas. Specifically, regional law enforcement and the FBI advised that gang members emanating from Cuba and Venezuela are organizing and working in concert to commit thefts within the Permian Basin. These individuals and groups are armed, violent in nature and will not hesitate to use force.

Crimes associated with these groups include the theft of oil, diesel fuel, copper wire, and catalyst elements. Recent incidents have also included two assaults by water haulers who were attempting to steal oil from WTX oilfield sites. After the thieves were observed by witnesses who drove up to investigate, the thieves attempted to use their vehicles to run the witnesses off the road. In another incident, a thief, acting as a spotter and following a water hauler who had stolen oil, also attempted to run a witness off the road. There have been numerous reports of second vehicles acting as spotters for water haulers committing oil thefts.

An industry peer provided the below snapshot of a video surveillance of an armed thief checking out an area before stealing diesel from the location.. . .

 Read more...

What are my rights on campus? FIRE has the answer.

The Blogs (timesofisrael.com)

 The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (thefire.org) ..."Freedom of speech is a fundamental American freedom and a human right, and there’s no place that this right should be more valued and protected than America’s colleges and universities. A university exists to educate students and advance the frontiers of human knowledge, and does so by acting as a “marketplace of ideas” where ideas compete. The intellectual vitality of a university depends on this competition—something that cannot happen properly when students or faculty members fear punishment for expressing views that might be unpopular with the public at large or disfavored by university administrators.

"Nevertheless, free speech on campus is under continuous threat at many of America’s colleges, pushed aside in favor of politics, comfort, or simply a desire to avoid controversy. As a result, speech codes dictating what may or may not be said, “free speech zones” confining college free speech to tiny areas of campus, and administrative attempts to punish or repress campus free speech on a case-by-case basis are common today in academia.

What is the First Amendment?

"The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress from making laws “respecting an establishment of religion,” prohibiting the free exercise of religion, infringing freedom of speech, infringing freedom of the press, limiting the right to peaceably assemble, or limiting the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The protections of the First Amendment are extended to state governments and public university campuses by the Fourteenth Amendment.

What is religious liberty?

"Religious liberty is the right to follow the faith of your choice—or to follow no faith at all. Religious liberty is a cornerstone of our nation and is the very first freedom guaranteed to Americans by the Bill of Rights. Yet on many college and university campuses, the right to associate on the basis of religious belief and even the right to express those beliefs is under attack. Under the guise of “nondiscrimination” policies, religious groups are often told that they may not choose the membership or leadership of their groups using religious criteria. Other students who merely express religious beliefs in public are condemned and even punished for “hate speech” or “intolerance.” FIRE’s cases dealing with religious liberty display our commitment to defending America’s religious pluralism by protecting students’ rights to express their views and to associate around shared beliefs." . . .

Harris Campaign Is Paying Trump Judge's Daughter. Yeah, That's Happening.

 Victoria Taft – PJ Media

Rule 1: There's no shame in Democrat Land. Remember this. Nowhere is that more clear than in the courtroom of New York Judge Juan Merchan. The judge has a closet full of conflicts of interest in this case. And today, things are looking much worse for him.  

. . ." But that's not the biggest body blow against the judge's one-of-a-kind case. No, that honor goes to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) who has entered another ethics complaint against Merchan with conclusive proof that Merchan's daughter, who has made bank on her dad's case for her Democrat political consultancy, was paid directly by Trump's opponent, Kamala Harris."

Today I filed a new judicial ethics complaint with the New York State Commission because new evidence on Kamala Harris’ most recent FEC filing shows she hired and paid Acting Justice Juan Merchan’s adult daughter’s company. This is a clear violation of the New York State… pic.twitter.com/Il7PwjSXIR

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) September 6, 2024

YIKES: Tim Walz's Remarks About Gaza Just Revealed Why They Don't Want Him Answering Questions

How can America's allies and adversaries have an ounce of respect for our nation? TD

Nick Arama – RedState 

Let's review. What happened? Hamas, the government that the people in Gaza voted for, attacked Israel and killed more than 1,100 people, including killing and kidnapping Americans. Instead of condemning Hamas or saying how they should be dealt with, Walz doesn't even mention them but appears to blame Israel for the situation. Not one word about American hostages. But he's all in for the people in Gaza. 

RealityBites

"I wrote earlier about Joe Biden's cluelessness when it comes to what's going on with Gaza, Hamas, and making deals with terrorists. 

"Biden keeps leaning on Israel, and that keeps emboldening Hamas. Hamas is now demanding even more to make a deal and even threatening the hostages. That's what bending over and being weak like Biden gets you. 

"But I guess the Harris-Walz team didn't want Biden to have a corner on stupid. They doubled down on the bad takes with what Tim Walz said to WCMU on Thursday. WCMU Public Radio covers Central and Northern Michigan. No wonder there's a reluctance to let him talk. It was awful. 

"He was asked, "How would a Harris-Walz administration handle the conflict and would it break with the Biden administration in any way?"

"He said the following, and he should have stopped with what he said before the first "but." . . .

 Report on Negotiations With Hamas Reveals How Clueless Biden Is, and Now Hamas Has More Threats, Demands

. . ."But not only does Walz want to tie Israel's hands, he doesn't say anything about responding on behalf of the U.S. against Hamas for killing Americans. Instead, he insists that "leverage" be applied to Israel to "start moving in the direction of a two-state solution." Israel has already offered the Palestinians a two-state solution -- and had it rejected. Walz seems to have no idea of how many times Israel has bent over for a deal, only to have Hamas attack them or refuse deals for their trouble. If he doesn't know that, he's not qualified for the position he's seeking. Where is the "leverage" against the Hamas terrorists?" 

Iran Planned Assassinations of Trump, Biden, Haley, and Others?

 Mary Chastain (legalinsurrection.com)  "I ask again: How many other people are hunting Americans on our soil?"

"Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released FBI documents detailing the Iran-backed assassination plots against Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Nikki Haley, and others.

"Iran wanted revenge for the killing of IRGC Officer Qasem Soleimani in 2022.

"The DOJ indicted Pakistani national Asif Merchant for trying to perform the assassinations.

“Bad actors are determined to wreak havoc on our country, and American political leaders across both parties are sitting squarely in the crosshairs,” stated Grassley. “In this extraordinarily heightened threat environment, federal agencies ought to be laser focused on building up public trust and reassuring the American people of their efforts to carry out their protective missions. I won’t stop pressing for answers until Congress and the American people are afforded the transparency they deserve.” . . .

DOJ Charges Pakistani Man With Ties to Iran in Foiled Plot to Assassinate Trump, Govt. Officials

True or false? How can we believe government agencies run by Democrats anymore? TD

Idonttweet in reply to MarkS. | September 6, 2024 at 1:20 pm   

I’m not going to entirely dismiss the reporting as false, but I don’t trust the FBI. I want to see the raw intelligence data, and whatever they used to corroborate it. And I want to know who their Confidential Source is, what was his degree of access to the reported information and why they believed his reporting was reliable. (Remember that they maintained that Christopher Steele’s reporting was assessed as reliable.)

Is there any reason to believe this is not just another case of the FBI claiming information was reliable only so they could swoop in and foil some diabolical scheme at the last moment so that they could look like heroes to Congress and the public?

Again, I’m not saying it couldn’t be true, but the FBI has lied too many times in the past to get the benefit of the doubt.

Gold Star Families Defend Trump After Harris’ Criticism

  Religio-Political Talk (RPT) (religiopoliticaltalk.com)

" ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ hosts discuss Gold Star families defending former President Trump for attending a memorial for fallen service members after Vice President Harris’ criticism."

Senator Tom Cotton Shuts Down The Fake News Arlington Hoax

"Senator Tom Cotton has decisively addressed the misleading narrative surrounding the Arlington incident, clarifying that he did not engage in campaign photography at the cemetery. He emphasized that the families involved, specifically Gold Star families who have suffered the loss of their children due to the failures of the Biden administration, were the ones who extended the invitation for him to be present and to capture those poignant moments. Furthermore, he pointed out that these families also reached out to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, questioning their absence during such a significant occasion. While Biden was reportedly enjoying leisure time at a beach, Harris remained in her residence in Washington, D.C., merely a short distance away from the cemetery. "Cotton's remarks underscore a broader critique of the current administration's handling of military affairs and its engagement with the families of fallen service members. He highlighted the stark contrast between his presence at the cemetery and the lack of action from Biden and Harris, who have not only failed to honor the sacrifices made by these young men and women but have also not engaged with their families in any meaningful way. The senator attributed the tragic deaths of 13 American service members in Afghanistan to the incompetence of the Biden administration, suggesting that their absence from such a solemn event reflects a deeper disregard for the sacrifices made by the military and their families. This situation raises significant questions about the administration's commitment to honoring those who have served and the families left behind."

Kamala Caves ... And Plays 'Let Me Speak' Card Anyway

  HotAir  

“I let him talk—I’m going to let her talk,” Trump told Hannity. “There are those that say that Biden is smarter than she is. If that’s the case, we have a problem.”

via GIPHY

. . ."Well, that's more access to Kamala on the record than they've had since July 21! Harris has been on the record with the media for a staggering 26 minutes over the last 45 days, and eight minutes or so of that time got absorbed by her equally reticent running mate Tim Walz. In contrast, Trump and J.D. Vance have spent hours and hours taking questions in interviews and pressers, holding such events almost at a one-a-day pace since Harris got nominated. 

"Of course, we all know why Harris wanted the mics unmuted for this debate. She wanted to bait Trump into interrupting her and speaking over her, so that she could do what she did to Mike Pence -- embarrass him by scolding over interruptions. Harris got some mileage out of that four years ago, mainly because Pence is a genuinely courtly Midwestern man who wanted to avoid looking overbearing. 

"Trump really doesn't have that problem. If Team Kamala thinks that will work against Trump, they're about to be sorely disillusioned, especially because Trump (like everyone else) will see it coming a mile away. "If Kamala can't deal with an interruption," he'll likely proclaim, "then how can you trust her to deal with America's enemies?" And so on." . . .