The United States is facing a catastrophe in Iraq. Sunni Islamic extremists — The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) — have conquered Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city.
The election of the cleric Shia Mujtahid Hassan Rouhani is the perfect Iranian move in a nuclear chess match where Iran seems to be consistently outmaneuvering the United States. After all, the Persians were among the first to introduce chess to the world in the 10th Century.
While Iranians spill their blood in the streets of Tehran and in the notorious Evin prison, many lucky enough to have fled to the United States are living the American dream. Iranian Americans have risen to the top of virtually every profession and industry, and they serve on school boards, city councils and public commissions.
In a recent report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) challenged the impact of U.S. sanctions against Iran, noting Iran\’s ability to negotiate $20 billion in contracts with foreign firms since 2003 to develop its energy resources. The GAO correctly recognizes that \”Iran\’s overall trade with the world has grown since the U.S. imposed sanctions.\” What the GAO fails to recognize is that the most important provisions of the cornerstone of America\’s sanction against Iran, the Iran Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) of 1995, have not been implemented, and it is precisely these provisions that sought to cripple Iran\’s ability to trade with the rest of the world.
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