Another ally abandoned

Thirty years ago, a staunch U.S. ally was faced with a “student uprising.” He appealed to the U.S. for political support; a weak, leftist president named Jimmy Carter mouthed platitudes about democracy and human rights and pulled the rug out from under this friend of the U.S. As a result, the shah of Iran was deposed and the ayatollahs took power.

Iran went from a progressive, secular nation to a place where human rights don’t exist. Iran is now becoming an Islamist nuclear power.

Thirty days ago, a staunch U.S. ally was faced with a “popular uprising.” He appealed to the U.S. for political support; a weak, leftist president named Barack Obama mouthed platitudes about democracy, human rights and the will of the people and pulled the rug out from under him. The result of his actions are unknown, but the Muslim Brotherhood, an ally of al-Qaida, has publicly stated that with Mubarak gone, there will be war with Israel. Egypt may go from a secular, pro-Western country to another Islamist state.

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

Jeff Hall

Colville