Two politically-motivated individuals have caused the deaths of more than a dozen soldiers, wounding many more. One is facing the death penalty. The other is being rewarded, getting everything he wants.
The first person was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder, and 32 counts of premeditated murder at Ft. Hood, Texas. He has been sentenced to death and is scheduled to be killed by a firing squad.
The other has contributed to at least 21 military deaths, wounding 800 more, according to Fox News. Despite attempts by Congress to punish this person, our government is rewarding this individual.
The first is Nidal Malik Hasan.
The second person is Vladimir Putin.
The Middle East Institute and the Long War Journal have researched the help Putin’s Russia has given Iran. They have found Iran is getting military intelligence in real-time from Russia, as well as surveillance data from satellites. Thanks to Moscow, Tehran gets satellite imagery, radar data, and tracking information on our bases, planes and ships. If you want to know how low-tech Iran can get such hi-tech details for their precision strikes that have killed and wounded Americans, ask Vladimir Putin.
Both sources have documented how Russia has been shipping all kinds of material for drones, antenna anti-jamming systems, ammo, air defense systems known as MANPADS, and additional explosive.
Russia has also given technical expertise to Iran for its cruise missiles and drones, based on what they’ve learned from killing Ukrainians. I suspect the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon are hitting their American, Israeli and other international targets with similar advanced electronic warfare advantages which may have come straight from the Kremlin.
My other research shows that Russia and their authoritarian allies at the United Nations have voted against sanctions for attacks on Ukraine. The same playbook is being used to protect Iran and their strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has provided evidence that Russia has been using an Anti-Semitic A.I. Bot, on Iran’s behalf. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov added “I am convinced that Iran’s cause, like Russia’s, is a just cause.”
What else do we need to finally come to the conclusion that Russia is just not on our side?
Congress listened to South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who died mysteriously after a visit from Ukraine and passed stronger sanctions against Russia for being the brutal aggressor in its unprovoked war on its neighbor. But now our government has waived those sanctions against Putin to buy Russia diesel fuel, something it could have gotten from Canada for cheaper. Perhaps we should tell the thinnest-skinned world leader in history put aside demands to take over Canada and just buy their abundance of diesel fuel that isn’t covered with the blood of Ukrainian children.
Then again, perhaps higher diesel prices are the goal of the current administration.
Republicans are vowing to do what they can in Congress to block the dirty diesel deal with Putin. Conservatives at The Wall Street Journal and the National Review have condemned rewarding Putin with sanctions relief.
You can contact your member of Congress to stand against the killing of American servicemen and servicewomen.
Here’s how: https://www.congress.gov/members/find-your-member.
John A. Tures is Professor of Political Science and Coordinator of the Political Science Program at LaGrange College, in LaGrange, Georgia. His first book, “Branded”, is available on Amazon. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu.