Janet Levy: Be very concerned. Anti-Israel is anti-American. Iran’s theocracy threatens Israel AND America.
by Con Coughlin • April 18, 2025 at 5:00 am
- The appointment, however, of several officials to key national security positions in the Trump administration, who vehemently oppose direct military action against Iran, has raised concerns that the White House might be backing away from its commitment to eliminate the threat Iran poses to global security.
- In particular, these concerns relate to the recent appointments to the Pentagon of influential figures such as John Byers for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (South and South-East Asia), and Michael DiMino, a former career CIA military analyst and counterterrorism official, for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Middle East).
- Similarly, concerns have arisen that DiMino will be able to use his position as the Pentagon’s new chief Middle East policy adviser to advance an anti-Israel stance while questioning the Trump administration’s confrontational stance towards Iran.
- As with Byers, DiMino was previously linked to the libertarian Koch brothers, having held tenure as a fellow at the Washington think tank Defense Priorities, which is funded by the Koch team.
- Special Envoy Steve Witkoff recently downgraded Trump’s professed demands by asking Iran just to lower uranium enrichment — a statement he quickly had to walk back. Iran has already stated that it could move its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to “safe and undisclosed locations,” presumably for use at a later time. Russia, in an apparent burst of generosity, has offered to host the enriched uranium. How kind of them!
- While Trump keeps offering perfect negotiating parameters, such as, “All hostages must be released by Saturday or all hell will break out,” or, “Iran issue is easy to solve, they cannot obtain nuclear weapons,” his statements always seem to be instantly undermined.
Fears that the Trump administration is back-tracking on its declared policy of seeking to dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme have deepened following the appointment of several officials to key national security positions who are reportedly opposed to launching military action against Tehran.
Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington earlier this month, US President Donald Trump was explicit about his determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the talks aren’t successful, I actually think it’ll be a very bad day for Iran,” Trump told reporters after meeting with Netanyahu.
Trump even suggested that Israel could be the “leader” for any future military action against Iran if the ayatollahs refused to give up its nuclear weapons programme.
Good thinking EvRe1, and it’s pointing out who are the main players in the Globalist game.
I understand what you say about Trump, but Israel nonetheless should make it perfectly clear who is going to make the “ultimate” decision regarding Iran and its nukes.
Let’s refresh our thinking by glancing at the statement at the top of this Israpundit page.
There isn’t a single American who really understands what the entire Middle-East is dealing with at this time, so they should stop pretending.
January 15, 2025 Newsweek article quoted Trump from his Truth Social Account as follows: “In order to save time, money, and effort, it would be helpful if you would not send, or recommend to us, people who worked with, or are endorsed by, Americans for No Prosperity (headed by Charles Koch), ‘Dumb as a Rock’ John Bolton, ‘Birdbrain’ Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, disloyal Warmongers Dick Cheney, and his Psycho daughter, Liz, Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, General(?) Mark Milley, James Mattis, Mark Yesper, or any of the other people suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome, more commonly known as TDS. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Koch Brothers have an approach that is basically globalist. They are for open borders, lax immigration enforcement, and healthcare programs that enhance their business portfolios. Apparently they are once again back in the Trump Administration focusing on business deals as a substitute for geostrategic understanding and policies that are America First. They are establishment Republicans. Kristi Noem, for example has always been supported by the Koch Brothers. Now we have members of the Trump team weighing in on Iranian nukes.
Apparently their view is that ending the nuclear program of the Nazis in Tehran is bad for Koch industries. Pete Hegseth served from 2013 to 2016 as chief executive of Concerned Veterans for America, a controversial advocacy group funded by Charles Koch and his late brother David Koch. Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination was approved by Lindsey Graham particularly because she will permit warrantless searches on US citizens’ data. She has most recently hired William Ruger for Deputy DNI who was VP at the Charles Koch Institute and who favors diplomatic approaches to Iran. Now we have two in the DoD, John Byers and Michael Dimino IV who are both Koch involved, and DiMino’s area is the Middle East.
What is one to make of all these Koch affiliated hires to the Trump Administration from Deputy DNI to Pete Hegseth for Sec’y of Defense, to two hires by Hegseth both of whom are from Koch after Trump went on the record asking for no applications from the Koch brothers?
Given that in his first term Trump had 44 Koch Brothers connected individuals, perhaps 5 that we know of so far would be an improvement. However, it still begs the question as to how some of these individuals ready to compromise on the security of Israel have gotten inside the Trump administration.
It would seem that both Hegseth and Gabbard are problematic picks, yet Pete Hegseth has not said anything yet that sounds like HE wants to back off from destroying Iran’s nukes.
I think we may have to keep all of this an open question because there are thousands of appointees to Trump’s administration, but the buck stops with Trump. It is really HIS policy that really counts in the end. I believe he is open to listening to his cabinet, but Trump, the man, was behind moving the embassy to Jerusalem, and the Abraham Accords, and he is also the same man behind saying clearly “Iran will not be able to have a nuclear weapon.”
Everything else that everyone else says is worth listening to and thinking about, but in the end, it really is Trump’s decision.
I should add that it all started out with Bibi telling Trump that he intends to finish the job with Iran and its nukes, and Trump saying no…
Then people like Bannon started telling Americans that it will be their pilots (not from the “elites” mind you) that will die… How does that happen?
Apparently lost in all of this is what will happen if despite “negotiations” Iran does make a bomb, and uses it. Bannon doesn’t want a war, but he would certainly get one if that happens; and it will be no-holds-barred… Then there’s America itself…
I have never read so much rubbish (from other sources) about a “quagmire” if Iran should be attacked… but no reasons why…
As usual, Israel will have to go it alone. Since when did Israel need permission from anyone to attack a committed enemy, one about to go nuke? These “Please Sir” days are long gone…