We have known for a long time just how much Barack Obama wants to reach out to the terrorist regime that rules Iran. After all, during the campaign, he repeatedly stuck to his stated desire to meet unconditionally with Ahamdinejad, even in the face of criticism from other Democratic candidates such as now Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Obama administration’s reaction to the crackdown was at first pathetic, and later anemic, as Iranians were gunned down, beaten and thrown in jail. But today, David Ignatius, hardly an Obama critic, reveals that the groveling by Obama before Iran’s elections actually encouraged Khamanei and his coterie to believe they had a free hand to deal with dissent, so desperate was Team Obama to deal with Iran:
You can’t question the logic of the mullahs. When a U.S. administration signals it is willing to talk at any price, they rightly thought that a little blood on the streets wouldn’t be allowed to get in the way of “realistic” diplomacy. The Iranian people continue to pay the price for Obama’s fantasy of engagement — but the bill will come due for Americans, too.
