Clinton & Obama extend an olive branch to Iran & Al Qaeda

Earlier this week, I stated sarcastically that "if President Obama fails to reward the Iranian regime for its recent goodwill gesture" - namely, the arrest and detention of Roxana Saberi, an American freelance journalist working in Iran - "it could have broad repercussions for future US/Iranian relations."

Little did I know the Obama administration would take me so seriously!

Barack Obama's administration yesterday reached out to Iran by inviting it to an international conference on Afghanistan. In a break with US policy under former President George W. Bush, Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, told a NATO meeting in Brussels that Iran was likely to be invited to the conference, penciled in for later this month. US officials later confirmed that Iran would be invited...

"If you are going to have a regional conference with Afghanistan you have to include the country that it is on their western border," said one administration official. "Whether or not Iran is prepared to play a positive role is another question."

I've already noted on several occasions that Iran happens to be a staunch ally of Al Qaeda.

From Time Magazine:

Between eight and ten of the 14 "muscle" hijackers—that is, those involved in gaining control of the four 9/11 aircraft and subduing the crew and passengers—passed through Iran in the period from October 2000 to February 2001...

{9/11] Commission investigators found that Iran had a history of allowing al-Qaeda members to enter and exit Iran across the Afghan border. This practice dated back to October 2000, with Iranian officials issuing specific instructions to their border guards—in some cases not to put stamps in the passports of al-Qaeda personnel—and otherwise not harass them and to facilitate their travel across the frontier...

Iranian officials approached the al-Qaeda leadership after the bombing of the USS Cole and proposed a collaborative relationship in future attacks on the U.S., but the offer was turned down by bin Laden because he did not want to alienate his supporters in Saudi Arabia.

The Iran-al Qaeda contacts were discovered and presented to the Commissioners near the end of the bipartisan panel's more than year-long investigation into the sources and origins of the 9/11 attacks...

The ties run even deeper than that. You can read the rest here, if you wish.

And several weeks ago, the New York Times reported as follows:

Eleven Saudis who were released from Guantánamo Bay, and then passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists are now believed to have fled the country and joined terrorist groups abroad...Their names were on a list of 85 wanted terrorism suspects made public Tuesday by the Saudi Interior Ministry...

Saudi officials made a striking accusation: one of the men on [the list], Abdullah al-Qarawi, is a Saudi who has been operating from Iran for three years...

Known to followers as “the Star,” Mr. Qarawi is in charge of leading Al Qaeda’s operations in the Persian Gulf and Iran, and of bringing new members into Afghanistan, the official said. He is believed to have more than 100 Saudis working for him in Iran, where they move about freely, the official added....

I'm sure we can dig up additional information on the Iran/Al Qaeda connection, but it is it really necessary? The ties are pretty obvious.

Okay, so you're probably wondering why would Obama offer the Iranians a role in determining the future of Afghanistan when they are in cahoots with Al Qaeda? Beats me!

When Obama tapped Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State and conservative pundits seemed ecstatic over the pick, I noted that Clinton wasn't the "Hawk" they were making her out to be. I quoted Peter Beinart of Time magazine, who seemed to concur with my assessment:

"Jones, Gates and Clinton's foreign policy positions aren't really that much different than Obama's. It's just that their positions are perceived to be different, and more hawkish. Thus, "what distinguishes Gates, Jones and Clinton isn't their desire to shift Obama's policies to the right; it's their ability to persuade the right to give Obama's policies a chance."

"To give himself cover for a withdrawal from Iraq and a diplomatic push with Iran, he's surrounding himself with people like Gates, Clinton and Jones", who are perceived [naively] to be to the right of Obama.

Well, I can tell you one thing: I'm not sure what kind of Kool-Aid the Obama administration is drinking, but I'm sure glad I'm not drinking any of it!

Sadly, the world is crumbling before our very own eyes and all we can do is watch in horror as Obama and his zombies drag all of us over the edge of a very steep cliff.....

You know something, maybe I'll have some of that Kool-Aid, after all - if it'll make be feel a tad bit better about the future.

Sigh........

Update: Iran said on Friday that Roxana Saberi will be released within the next few days.

Ultimately, the Iranians forced Obama's hand by detaining Saberi and extracting concessions from him. That's exactly how "appeasement" works. But the question remains: can we really afford to give Iran and Al Qaeda a piece of the Afghani pie?