JAMES LYONS: Obama's Iran nuclear deal an

intentional concession to weaken America -

Washington Times

By James A. Lyons

Fundamentally Wreck America Illustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times more >

By James A. Lyons



There is no shortage of critics of the recently concluded nuclear agreement that President Obama has

reached with the evil Iranian theocracy. All the “known concessions” by the Obama administration should

come as no surprise. Make no mistake — these concessions were not due to incompetence nor the

inability to negotiate. They are part of the president’s planned agenda to fundamentally transform America

by diminishing our stature and credibility. It is another example of his misguided view that America must be

humbled for the many “problems” we have caused throughout the world.

Mr. Obama’s game plan on how to negotiate with the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had its genesis in the summer

of 2008. According to scholar and author Michael Ledeen, around the time when candidate Barack Obama

received the Democratic Party’s nomination, he opened a secret communication channel with the Iranian

theocracy. The go-between was Ambassador William G. Miller, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine,

who spoke fluent Farsi from his previous tours of duty in Tehran.

The message was, “Don’t sign an agreement with the Bush administration. Wait until I am president — you

will get a much better deal! You will like my policies. I am your friend.” Here is a country that has cost

thousands of American lives. Furthermore, all Americans should never forget that it was Iran that provided

the key material and training support to the September 11 hijackers. Without that support the attack could

not have been carried out, and some 3,000 innocent Americans who were doing nothing more than going

to work would be alive today. Yet our president told this regime that he was their friend.

This borders on treason and most certainly violated the Logan Act, which forbids private citizens from

interfering in government diplomacy.

The endless Kabuki dance that went on in Geneva and Vienna was not only an embarrassment for all

Americans, but more importantly, it “conceded America’s honor,” an honor that has stood on bedrock

principles which hundreds of thousands of Americans have paid the ultimate price to protect. Our nation

was humiliated. This treaty must be rejected.

While being challenged throughout the world, the Obama administration continues with its senseless

unilateral disarmament of our military forces, thereby jeopardizing our national security. As if disarmament

were not enough, our military is being forced to train the military forces of our potential enemies.

Specifically, Chinese infantry troops are being trained in the United States. Moreover, the Chinese navy

was invited to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific fleet exercise and has been invited again to

participate in the 2016 fleet exercise to be held off the coast of Hawaii, alongside all of our major Pacific

allies. We clearly are compromising our tactics, techniques and operations.

Compounding the problem is the use of our military as a social engineering laboratory to advance Mr.

Obama’s political and social agenda. With regard to the promotion of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and

transgender lifestyle, my late friend M. Stanton Evans in his monumental 1994 book “The Theme is

Freedom” had it right when he called it a return to the “pagan ethic.”

Clearly, the Obama administration is attacking the American way of life from all aspects. Our open border

policy makes absolutely no sense. We have anywhere from 11 million to possibly as many as 30 million

illegal immigrants within our borders. Sanctuary cities are also in clear violation of immigration laws. The

welcome mat has been put out by the administration so that the more recent illegal immigrants are able to

draw upon a wide range of taxpayer benefits, including food stamps, health care and earned income tax

credit for three years, all at the American taxpayers’ expense. However, the overwhelming majority of

immigrants come here as the result of our visa policies. The U.S. issues the treasured “green card” to

approximately 1 million immigrants per year, most of whom are unskilled. They are immediately entitled to

numerous benefits at taxpayers’ expense. Congress must act to limit the number of green cards issued.

Releasing illegal immigrants from jail with criminal records is a deliberate affront to all Americans. Seeding

throughout the country Muslim immigrants who have no intent to assimilate is another affront and tears at

the fabric of our society.

Compounding the immigration crisis, is the Obama administration’s inclination to divide Americans by race

and class. This is unconscionable. You are either an American entitled to all the benefits that being an

American conveys, or you are not. Those are the only two classes. The first one is sacred.

The corruption of our government agencies, fostered by the Obama administration, should not be

overlooked. The selective enforcement of our laws and traditions has lowered Americans’ respect and trust

of those agencies. However, taken in the aggregate, the fundamental transformation of America is taking

place with no objections from Congress and the Supreme Court, which are supposed to prevent illegal and

unconstitutional acts by an out-of-control president. Congress and the high court, and for that matter, our

military leadership, are complicit in these illegal actions by not faithfully executing their oaths of office. This

cannot stand. As Thomas Paine stated, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” With our corrupt

leadership, it is now time to take back America.

• James A. Lyons, U.S. Navy retired admiral, was commander-in-chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and senior

U.S. military representative to the United Nations.