March 20, 2018
WASHINGTON DC: The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy wants the Trump administration to increase pressure on Iran, not to decrease it as Philippe Nassif, executive director of In Defense of Christians in the Middle East (IDC) is advocating. Writing in The Hill, Nassif argues that the US should pressure Saudi Arabia’s visiting Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, to stop fighting against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
Using Iranian weaponry, the Houthis have attacked on a US Destroyer, harassed and attacked Saudi, Emirati and other merchant ships, and have launched Iran-supplied missiles into Saudi Arabia proper, aimed directly at their civilian airport in Riyadh – a clear act of terrorism.
AMCD believes the correct response to Iran’s aggression in Yemen is to increase military pressure so that Iran must stretch its resources in Yemen at the same time it is deeply involved in Syria, thereby weakening the Islamic Republic overall. Prince Salman is proving to be an aggressive reformer seeking to bring Saudi Arabia into the modern world. He should be applauded and supported for his efforts to loosen the onerous restrictions on women in particular. Iran, on the other hand, is regressing and becoming ever more strictly Islamist as evident by its mass arrests of women who were peacefully protesting the government by merely removing their headscarves.
“Nassif has written smart pro-Iranian propaganda piece to advocate that the US pressure the Arab Coalition to quit Yemen and legitimize Iran’s role as a negotiator,” said AMCD Co-Director, Tom Harb. “Worse it is written by a group said to be defending Christians. There are no Christians in Yemen but there is an Iranian backed NGO in Washington DC that is used by Teheran to defend its interests in the region. Unfortunately, IDC is revealing itself to be an Iranian tool.”
“Where are the IDC’s recommendations for the Mullahs and Hezbollah who continue to terrorize their own people and crush any who stand in their way?” asked AMCD President John Hajjar. “It was Iranian interference that has nurtured and prolonged the conflict in Yemen. Iranian aggression must not be rewarded.”
We urge the President to support reform in the Middle East, not to strengthen its most regressive regime.