Biden, Blinken Mum on Iranian Terror at Brooklyn

Four days after a would-be assassin was caught casing the Brooklyn porch of an Iranian-American journalist, Masih Alinejad, the White House and State Department are mum. The Biden administration is yet to comment on, let alone respond with forceful action to, the Iranian regime’s terror attempt on American soil, even after a thug with a loaded AK-47 was picked up near her home.We don’t mind saying we’re big fans of Ms. Alinejad, whose tireless battle on behalf of women and other liberty-loving citizens of her homeland, as well as her defiance of the Tehran regime, is no less than heroic. For her activism and for exposing the Islamic Republic for its true self, the regime attempted to kidnap her from her home last year. The event four days ago was but the latest. A Tajik man, Khalid Mehdiyev, was arrested Thursday in a car where a suitcase was found, containing not only a loaded AK-47 assault rifle, but two magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition. Footage from Ms. Alinejad’s home security camera shows the heavy-set man walking around on her porch, apparently seeking points of entry for a possible attack. It is noteworthy that a recent joint Turkish-Israeli investigation exposed a ring of Tehran-hired assassins of Tajik descent that planned to kill a former Israeli diplomat and his family while in Turkey. Hiring proxies from Tajikistan and elsewhere is part of the Islamic Republic’s modus operandi. It is not unreasonable to think that Mr. Mehdiyev is part of a team of assassins yet to be fully uncovered. In 2011, an Iranian team attempted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador, Adel al-Jubeir, at Washington. The Obama administration, which at the time was yet to start a drive to engage Tehran diplomatically, made clear at the time that the assasination attempt was part of an Iranian terror plot, which could have killed many innocents at the restaurant where Mr. al-Jubeir dined. Speaking with CNN this morning, Ms. Alinejad noted that her stepchildren often stay with her and her husband at their Brooklyn home. They could have become innocent victims had the assault against her succeeded. So would her Brooklyn neighbors, whom she described as “beautiful and supportive,” as is the wont of residents of Brooklyn generally.In her CNN interview Ms. Alinejad looked at the camera to address the Biden administration directly. She then called on Washington to expel Iranian diplomats that are still on American soil. “Shut down the Islamic Republic’s interest section,” she said, referring to a consular operation that Iran maintains inside the Pakistani embassy at Washington. Savvy advice, we say.“The Iranian regime twice challenged the U.S. government on U.S. soil,” Ms Alinejad said, adding, “I deserve to have freedom in the United States of America.” Yet it’s about more than Ms. Alinejad, of course. Iranian diplomats, who could well have facilitated the terrorist attempt, remain in the capital. “Kick them out,” Ms. Alinejad said. “If you don’t — believe me — they’re going to come after more American citizens.”Axios reports this morning that State Secretary Blinken is pressuring Israel to complete an investigation into the death of Palestinian-American television journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The case has endlessly been commented-on by administration officials. Ms. Alinejad is also a journalist and an American citizen. She moved here to be safe from her Tehran tormentors. Shouldn’t Washington show some concern for her safety?This morning the State Department announced the imposition of a new set of sanctions against Iran. Yet, that action had nothing to do with the Brooklyn terror plot. It seemed designed, instead, to coax Tehran into re-signing the 2015 nuclear deal. “Until Iran is ready to return to full implementation” of that deal, “we will continue to use our sanctions authorities,” Mr. Blinken blustered. Rather than using American leverage as a tool to engage the mullahs diplomatically, the logic, in the face of attempted or threatened attacks on Americans, is for Washington to react forcefully. Mr. Blinken is attending a parley at the United Nations today. He once met Ms. Alinejad. The right move is for him to hop over to her Brooklyn home and, with cameras clicking, announce the expulsion of Iranian diplomats from American soil.

Biden, Blinken Mum on Iranian Terror at Brooklyn

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