Jeremy Corbyn isn’t just sympathetic to the Islamic Republic of Iran. He has repeatedly taken money from Iran.
This is noteworthy for two reasons. First, because aside from its other nice activities, Iran spent the 2003-2009 period in Iraq killing British soldiers who were striving to stabilize Iraqi democracy.
Second, because Corbyn leads Britain’s Labour Party and were an election called today (the prime minister must call elections once every five years), Labour would be the favorite to win and Corbyn to become the new prime minister.
Still, Corbyn’s relationship with Iran rose back onto the radar this weekend, when he was asked by the BBC about taking money for appearances on Iran’s Press TV propaganda channel. Corbyn was offended. He hadn’t taken money since 2009, he said, stopping after Iran’s 2009 crackdown on the so-called “green movement.”
As Tom Gross notes at the Spectator, Corbyn is lying. In fact, the Labour leader made tens of thousands of dollars making numerous appearances on Press TV following Iran’s 2009 green movement crackdown, and even after Syrian dictator Bashar Assad’s Iran-supported slaughter in Syria began in 2011.
But that’s not all.
Because looking through Corbyn’s register of interests, I found that in addition to his paid punditry, Corbyn also visited Tehran in 2014. The champagne socialist enjoyed business class flights, courtesy of a British-based Iranian businessman and the Iranian Parliament. Note that date: 2014, well into the Syrian slaughter.
This speaks to something important and unpleasant: Corbyn has no problem with Iran’s theocrats or Assad’s butchery. Indeed, Corbyn visited Syria in 2009 as a guest of Hamas front, the Palestinian Return Center.
All of this is part of a global pattern.
Where most western liberal leaders express distaste for some U.S. policies, they recognize the U.S. is a force for good — or at least a more positive force than China or Russia. In contrast, Corbyn fetishizes licking the feet of anti-American totalitarians everywhere. And I do mean everywhere.
Alongside Corbyn’s anti-NATO bona fides, the dear leader has even petitioned for the release of a despicable al Qaeda terrorist, Shaker Aamer. Corbyn’s inner elite also continue to support the RSR (the rabbit-starvation republic of Venezuela) and hold up China as a model for economic governance. Oh and if that weren’t enough, Corbyn’s cronies adorn themselves with a very thinly veiled anti-Antisemitism.
What does all this mean for the United States?
Well, put simply, that if Corbyn becomes prime minister, the special U.S.-U.K. relationship will go into hibernation.
