Republican Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida blasted the Biden administration for not responding to attacks on American forces by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
U.S. troops shot down two drones targeting an American base in Syria, shortly after rockets hit a U.S. air base in Iraq. President Joe Biden received criticism for making concessions to Iran, including arranging for the release of $6 billion held by South Korea for humanitarian aid in exchange for Iran freeing five Americans it held prisoner.
“Since October 7th, they have been equivocating and mincing words on Iran’s direct involvement. Now we are talking about complicity,” Waltz told “America Reports” co-host Sandra Smith. “Every time we see someone come to the podium, they are lecturing the Israelis on human rights and abiding by the laws of war, which I think sends all the wrong signals. Now look, those 10 attacks on our bases are on top of 70 to 80 attacks on our bases in Iraq and Syria over the last two years. And what have we done about it? Not a damn thing. And that’s the signal that the Iranians have taken. They can get away with it.”
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Waltz, who served as a Green Beret according to his Congressional web site, ripped the Biden administration over easing sanctions on Iran.
“Their foreign currency reserves have gone from 4 billion to 70 billion, oil exports have gone from nearly nothing to 30 billion a year. They got 6 billion fungible money for taking Americans hostages,” Waltz said. “So, here we are in the House, granted we are having a lot of problems with Republicans in the House right now, but we are sitting on this massive supplemental and it’s typical Washington D.C. to not talk about the policy, but just to ask Congress to throw more money at an issue, and I for one refuse to do that.”
Waltz called for a direct response to the Iranian attacks.
“That’s my question and instead of from the Pentagon, from the State Department, from the White House saying Iran, here are the consequences you are going to suffer directly, if these attacks on U.S. forces and facilities continue, we get this kind of bland, you know, ‘well, we always reserve the rights to defend ourselves,’” Waltz said. “I think most Americans would say, ‘Obviously, but what are you going to do to stop it?’ And that’s what our enemy, that’s the message our enemies are not getting, is what will be the consequences, what will be the cost, and as long as they see this perceived weakness and opportunity, they are going to continue to take it.”
Harold Hutchison on October 24, 2023
