Foreign Digest: Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Greenland

Iran: The Islamic Republic of Iran killed thousands of peaceful Iranian protestors during the Internet blackout the tyrannical theocracy imposed to quell dissent to its 47-year rule. Thousands of others were injured and at least 10,000 arrested. As I have posted, the protests erupted in December of the collapse of the Iranian currency, but spread beyond merchants to the broader population and beyond a protest against the high cost-of-living to demonstrations against the dictatorship and even a return to the monarchy. The United States had threatened military action against the regime if it killed peaceful protestors, but instead only imposed economic sanctions on Iranian trading partners. Iran is the worst state sponsor of terrorism in the world. It foments Islamic Revolution, particularly among fellow Shi’ites, around the Islamic world. Syria: The U.S. struck Islamic State targets in Syria for a third time since a deadly December attack by the Sunni Islamist terrorist organization that killed American troops and a civilian worker, as I have posted. The strike killed the I.S. leader responsible for the attack. As I had posted, Jordan had participated in the first two waves of strikes and the Syrian Government has coordinated the action with the U.S. Some American troops remain present in Syria against the I.S. and al-Qaeda, as in Iraq. I.S. was formerly al-Qaeda in Iraq and Syria, but broke away from its parent organization that was responsible for the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America that were the bloodiest in world history, killing nearly 3,000 people. The U.S. has been fighting al-Qaeda in the then-named War on Terrorism ever since, removing its safe haven in Afghanistan, and taking away I.S. control over all its territory in Syria and Iraq, and killing the leaders of each organization, but the two remain a threat throughout parts of the Islamic world. Venezuela: The Socialist dictatorship of Venezuela remains in power, as it has since 2000, even after the arrest in a raid by the United States of the previous de facto dictator on federal narco-terrorism charges. The Venezuelan regime has been releasing more international political prisoners, but a change in policy is not expected. As I have posted, the center-right opposition easily won the presidential election in 2024, but the Socialists refused to give up power. The U.S., many Latin American and European States did not recognize the Socialist dictator as the President or even recognized the opposition candidate, former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez, as the de jure President, but as I have posted, the U.S. is not making any effort to empower the election winner or the opposition leader for whom he had stood in because the dictatorship had banned her from office. Greenland: After several European and fellow North Atlantic Treaty Organization members, namely France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Finland, sent troops to bolster Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland in the face of Donald Trump’s threats to seize militarily the self-governing part of the Danish Kingdom. Trump responded with tariffs against Denmark and each of the NATO allies sending troops, as well as the United Kingdom, which supported Danish sovereignty. As I have posted, Trump's threats of aggression against Greenland and Denmark not only violate international law, but threaten existentially the NATO alliance that is led by the U.S. and which has been the most successful defensive pact in world history, having prevented Soviet/Russian invasion of Western Europe and keeping America and Canada also safe from nuclear missile attack. Greenland is a strategic part of the collective defense of the NATO members, as it hosts a U.S. Air Force base half way between Moscow, Russia and Washington, D.C. that tracks Russian missiles and serves other military purposes. The U.S. has access to the base and would be permitted increase its presence, as Denmark is a loyal ally. Neither Greenland, nor Denmark accept Trump’s offer to purchase the world’s largest island that is mostly covered by ice sheets, and oppose seizure by force. Greenland is currently governed by a center-right government that is moderately pro-independence and which is strongly defendig Greenlandic self-determination. Trump’s threats have met with harsh bipartisan congressional criticism, with bipartisan legislation introduced in both chambers of Congress to thwart any military action by Trump against Greenland and Denmark, while other legislative options are being considered. One Republican U.S. Representative even threatened Trump with impeachment were he to take any military action to seize Greenland by force.

Follow-Up on the Mass Iranian Protests against the Islamic Republic

The mass protests by Iranians have continued for two weeks and have spread to all Iran’s provinces, including by major ethnic minorities, such as Kurds and Azeris. The protestors have attacked paramilitary and Islamic Republic targets. The tyrannical theocratic regime has responded by arresting thousands and with violence, as usual, with dozens to hundreds dead and thousands injured. The Islamic Republic has shut down the Internet and initiated electrical blackouts at the time called for protestors to take to the streets by exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah (King) of Iran, who was deposed in 1979 in the Iranian Revolution that brought the mullahs to power in the Islamic Republic. The Iranian people continue to call for the end of the theocratic dictatorship and for Pahlavi’s return, and are brandishing Iranian lion and sun flags, which were the flags of imperial Iran before the Revolution, and images of the House of Pahlavi. Pahlavi has been living in exile in America, while engaging with the Iranian exile community and the broader Iranian diaspora. The protests are reaching the size of those of 2022 or 2019, if they have not already, but with the Iranian regime weakened by its loss in the war with Israel last year, in which the United States joining in the targeting of Iranian nuclear sites, and especially by the collapse of Iran’s currency, which is what sparked the protests initially. There was some expression of opposition to the Crown Prince among protestors who are leftists and some members of ethnic groups who oppose the Islamic Republic, but favor separatism. But there was also some support among the latter groups for restoring the monarchy. There were also protests across the Iranian diaspora in Europe, Canada and America at the time called for by Pahlavi. As in Iran, the people are calling for the return of the monarchy under Pahlavi as Shah. The National Union for Democracy in Iran, a group of Iranian exiles in America, have drafted the Iran Prosperity Program, a detailed plan formed with governance and finance experts for a transition of Iran from a theocratic dictatorship to a constitutional monarchy with Pahlavi as Shah and an elective representative parliament, that would be secular, respect human rights for all Iranian religious and ethnic minorities, be prosperous, stop fomenting Islamic revolution and sponsoring terrorism, and be at peace with its neighbors, Israel and the West. As I have posted, Iran foments Islamic revolution throughout the Islamic world, particularly among Shi’ites, is the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, and is an ally of the Russian Federation, to which it supplies material for the Russian aggression against Ukraine, while developing a nuclear and ballistic missile program. A free Iran would thus be of great benefit to the security and peace of the region and world. There have been growing calls of support for the Iranian people from the international community, including Ukraine, the European Union and some of its member States, and the United States, which has warned the Islamic Republic not to kill protestors again. As we Americans celebrate the 25th anniversary of our own Revolution, we should stand with the Iranian people in their current counter-revolution.

Conservative Analysis of the Latest Developments in Venezuela

The United States military conducted a raid in Venezuela to facilitate the arrest by law enforcement officials of the Socialist dictator, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife and their extraction to America on federal narco-terrorism charges. There were scores of Venezuelan casualties, but only a few injuries for the American forces. De facto President Maduro and his co-defendants, who remain at large, were indicted by a federal grand jury in a superseding indictment, after he had been indicted by a federal grand jury in 2011 on drug charges. The recent charges are part of a series of charges against anti-American Socialist Venezuelan regime officials for drug trafficking for personal profit and ideological reasons and support of terrorists. The Socialist regime in the South American State had given support to Colombian Marxist narco-terrorists, namely the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, some of the factions of which are still fighting a guerilla war against Colombia, and the National Liberation Army, which is also still fighting. Both organizations or their factions that are still fighting have been designated by the U.S. as terrorist organizations. They both also derive income from drug trafficking, particularly of cocaine, of which Colombia is the world’s largest producer. As I have posted, the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship was increasingly tyrannical after having first been elected popularly in 2000, which caused human rights abuses, poverty, shortages and corruption, forcing millions of Venezuelans to seek refugee elsewhere in Latin America or in America. Venezuela had also nationalized most of the assets of the oil industry operating there, including those owned by Americans. The Socialists regime made Venezuela a part of what I refer to as the Axis of Rogues, allying itself with Russia and Iran. The influence of Iran its Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist proxy, Hezbollah, in Venezuela was significant. Socialist Venezuela was also an ally of Communist Cuba, a state sponsor of terrorism. Therefore, the Trump Administration could have made a strong case for security reasons for military action against Venezuela, beyond the raid to arrest Maduro on federal narco-terrorism charges, but instead focused especially in its messaging on Venezuela’s oil, which appears to make the U.S. seem only economically self-interested, instead of motivated by principle. Trump’s argument was undermined further by his recent pardon of the former Honduran President who had been convicted of federal charges for drug charges for using his office to facilitate the shipment of drugs into America. Moreover, Trump left the Socialist regime in place, even though the Socialist dictatorship under Maduro and his successor is not the legitimate government of Venezuela, as they were elected and re-elected in fraudulent elections not recognized by many Latin American States, the U.S., and many of its Western allies, many of which recognize the center-right opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Gonzalez was forced into exile in Spain, however. Trump expressly discouraged the conservative opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, whom the Socialist dictatorship had barred from holding public office, from taking power, or at least to facilitate Gonzalez’s return. Although the new Venezuelan de facto President freed some of the many political prisoners, particularly some with foreign citizenship, dissent is still not tolerated by the Socialist regime. It was just that Maduro and his wife were arrested and will face federal charges, but it remains unclear if any strategic change will occur, either domestically in Venezuela or internationally, while American prestige was vulnerable to question because of Trump’s poor messaging and inconsistency. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues its attacks on what it claims are suspected drug trafficking boats, which has raised legal concerns, and its blockade on sanctioned merchant ships from Venezuela, which it has been seizing. It is hoped the raid somehow would weaken the Socialists’ grip on Venezuela, or at least deter their drug dealing support for narco-terrorists. But a more concerted action by the U.S., including Congress, and its international allies, together with the opposition and the de jure President Gonzalez, would be necessary to free Venezuela from tyranny and deprive Axis of Rogues of a key ally.

Foreign Digest: Greenland, Denmark, Germany and Syria

Greenland and Denmark: Donald Trump continues his threats to take Greenland, a self-governing territory that is a realm of the Kingdom of Denmark, either by forcing a sale or military action. Demark is an ally of the U.S. as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. As such, it has long granted access to the U.S. for bases in Greenland, as the world’s largest island is strategically located in the Arctic Ocean across from the Russian Federation, which makes American acquisition of the territory unnecessary. The Danish territory also is near critical shipping lanes. Greenland, inhabited mostly by Inuit and colonized by the Danes since the 18th Century, is heavily subsidized by Denmark, but potentially has natural resources of great value, such as rare earth metals, which attracts Trump’s interest, in addition to its strategic location. Both the center-right government of Greenland and Denmark reject any takeover by the U.S. and insist on Greenland’s self-determination, including independence, which the government and other Greenlandic parties support. Trump’s threats violate international law and threaten the stability of NATO, the most successful defense pact in history, at a time of increased threat from Russian imperialism. America’s NATO allies have expressed support for Denmark and Greenland’s sovereignty. Trump has also made territorial demands against Panama, which has a pro-American center-right government, and Canada, a NATO ally. Germany: There were leftist attacks against the electrical system last week caused the worst blackout in Berlin since the early Cold War. There have been repeated attacks by leftists against Germany’s electrical system in recent months and years. The attacks jeopardize public safety. Syria: The U.S. conducted additional strikes last week against the Islamic State in Syria, with Jordanian participation and the cooperation of the Syrian Government. These were follow-up strikes to the ones conducted last month that I posted about in retaliation for a deadly attack by the Islamic State against American troops in Syria who are present to continue operations against the Suni Islamist terrorist organization that is a breakaway rival of al-Qaeda. Al-Qaeda had committed the deadliest terrorist attacks in history, killing nearly 3,000 people in the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks on America. The attacks sparked the Global War on Terrorism that the U.S. and its allies have conducted ever since, even though the name of the war has not been used since the administration of President George W. Bush. There are also American troops in Iraq as part of the mission against the two Islamist terrorist organizations. The Islamic State had declared a caliphate (a religiously authoritative government for Muslims) in Iraq and Syria in 2013. The U.S.-led international coalition of Arab and Western allies eliminated its territory and killed its leader, but like al-Qaeda, and whose safe harbor in Afghanistan had been eliminated in the War on Terrorism and whose leadership was also killed, remains a threat throughout the Islamic world.

Growing Mass Protests in Iran, Calls for the End of the Islamic Republic and Return of the King

The largest protests in Iran in three years have been taking place the last six days, growing and spreading geographically and in terms of the backgrounds of the protestors. What started as protests about hyperinflation and the historic collapse of the Iranian rial by shopkeepers at bazaars, has turned into a rebellion against oppression by the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran, as women, students and others join in scores of cities across Iran. The regime is responding with deadly force against peaceful protests, as it always does. But the Iranian people are not being intimidated this time and have even taken over some facilities operated by paramilitary security forces used by the ruling mullahs to suppress dissent violently. Demonstrators notably are calling for the end of the regime, death to the Ayatollah who is the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, and they are widely calling for the return of exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the Shah (King) and the restoration of the ancient Peacock Throne. Pahlavi’s father, Muhammad Reza Pahlavi, was overthrown in 1979 in the Islamic Revolution and he and his family fled into exile, first in America, which was the excuse Iranians gave for taking the United States Embassy staff hostage, then Panama. The Shah died the next year. The Crown Prince has led the opposition among Iran’s allies and promises to establish a constitutional monarchy and representative government. Like the Shah, who was an ally of the U.S., the Crown Prince is pro-American and also pro-Israel. Iran, which foments Islamic rebellion, particularly among fellow Shi’ites, is the world’s worst state sponsor of terrorism, backing terrorists and militants in Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and elsewhere, and launching attacks around the Islamic world and even beyond, such as against Jews in Argentina. The Islamic Republic is an ally of Russia and is part of what I refer to as the Axis of Rogues. Iran has been sending materiel to Russia durings its aggression against Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies should encourage the Iranian people to rise up against their oppressors and offer the promise of peaceful relations with a free Iran, just as they have with Syria, Iran’s and Russia’s ally whose tyrannical Assad regime was overthrown a little over a year ago, instead of letting the Iranians protest without any international encouragemen, as in 2009. The opportunity not only for a free Iran, but to reduce terrorism and increase peace in the world must not be missed.

Happy New Year, 2026!

I wish you all a good new year! As we continue to experience challenging times for equality, liberty and representative government, may we continue to have faith in our Creator and ask for His blessings for America and the world. And may we continue to be grateful for and confident in the Constitution the Founding Fathers of the United States gave us with is limited and divided government that has served as necessary checks against the centralization of power in a would-be autocrat, especially as the celebration begins for the 250th anniversary of American Independence this year. Thank you for visiting my blog. Please continue to visit regularly for news and analysis, as it is ever important to keep informed and to learn of actions to be taken to defend freedom.