The Iranian Plot to Assassinate the Saudi Ambassador; What do I think?

The United States arrested a man who it says has confessed to his involvement in a plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the United States by setting off a bomb in a Washington, D.C. restaurant. The plot was allegedly initiated, directed and financed by the Iranian government. The implications of such a plot are of the gravest severity. If the attack had occurred it could have been called and act of war.

Since the announcement of the plot, reaction has been divided between those who believe it completely and are calling for the strongest possible response and those who remain skeptical that the “highest levels” of the Iranian government would sanction or approve such a drastic attack running the possibility of facing military retaliation (not only by the United States, but also by Saudi Arabia). Many of the skeptics point out that it would be out of character for the Iranians to mount such a high profile attack using an amateur to hire a Mexican drug cartel to carry it out. In the past Iran has used surrogates such as Hezbollah to do this type of dirty work.

While this skepticism it understandable, I find it lacks credible understanding of the Iranian government and its true goals. First of all, the United States government, while not yet disclosing all of it’s evidence, has presented a strong case with plenty of evidence to support the allegation. Second, such an attack, had it been successful, would have fit nicely into Iran’s agenda –giving it credibility with political groups establishing power as part of the “Arab Spring” while still allowing the Iranians enough deniability to avoid the more severe consequences. Third, the hiring of Mexican drug cartels should come as no surprise to anyone. Hezbollah (which is sponsored and directed by Iran) established offices in Mexico (in Tijuana, right on the border below San Diego) last year and has been training and selling arms to the cartels while stirring up unrest in Mexico’s Muslim population. Lastly, it should be remembered that the Iranians have been conducting assassinations and terrorist bombings in Europe and in South America since the early 1980’s -and they have been largely getting away with it. Why would they think twice about it now if they thought is suited their agenda?

Another question that is being asked is: Why choose the Saudi Ambassador, as opposed to an Israeli or an American? Well, the answer may well be found in a cable leaked by Wiki-leaks recently. That cable, sent by the Saudi Ambassador to our State Department in 2008 said that it was time for the United States to take out the Iranian nuclear weapons program sites and talked about "cutting the head off the snake". --Umm, make sense now? 

As for the question of how far up in the Iranian regime this attack was authorized, well, I do not know. But, I find it difficult to believe that an operation which costs well over $1.5 million did not need some pretty high up people, just to authorize the expenditures.

This attack is different though. It was to be an assassination of a high ranking diplomat on U.S. soil. It demands the strongest possible response. If the Iranians do not get put in their place -right now, they will simply continue to do these things and just get even more bold and aggressive about it.

And one of these days in the not too distant future, they will have nuclear weapons at their disposal –just isn’t that a thought to keep you awake at night…..

Live Long and Prosper….