The Courts Are Courting Disaster by Alienating Conservatives
The Reactions to Karine Jean-Pierre's Book Were Pure Gold
Glove Are Off: Trump Orders DOJ to Investigate Biden Health Cover-Up
Are People Getting Dumber?
Three Little Words
5th Anniversary of the Death of George Floyd -- The Damage Continues, Part...
Team Trump Ends the USNS Harvey Milk
Urgent Need for Red Flag
Trump's Agenda Versus His Opponents'
Harvard Is the Enemy
Great New Film – 'The American Miracle'
Senator John Cornyn’s Pro-Taxpayer Idea
Confirm Emil Bove to the Federal Bench
Trump Taking Further Action Against Harvard, This Time on Student Foreign Visas
It Turns Out the Bias Against Catholics From Biden's FBI Was Worse Than...
OPINION

Iran Deal: Germans Putting Profits Over Security

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

As the Trump administration contemplated withdrawing from the Iran deal, Germany’s government, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel, has pushed hard to keep the agreement in place. The nuclear agreement gave the radical regime access to billions of dollars in assets and foreign aid without placing restrictions on its support of terrorist groups.

Advertisement

The Trump administration is pursuing a better plan, it could include Germany if they’re willing to make security a higher priority than profit. But the Germans stood by the deal. Merkel publicly declared that Germany would do everything in its power to save it

“Germany will do all it can to persuade the United States not to abandon the Iranian nuclear agreement, whatever the outcome of German elections on Sunday, Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Thursday.” (Reuters)

Now it’s clear why Germany went to bat for a nuclear agreement that put money in the hands of a government that funds terrorism: Germany was in a position to make piles of money with the sanctions against Iran removed. Siemens, the German mega-conglomerate, was planning to make billions in post-sanctions Iran:

“German engineering giant Siemens is set to finance infrastructure projects worth $3.5bn (€3bn) in Iran, according to the official PressTV news agency. Asghar Fakhriyeh-Kashan, deputy minister for urban development, said yesterday (7 August) that he had discussed Siemens’ participation in rail and power projects during his trip to Germany.” (Global Construction Review)

Siemens – whose CEO is also a vocal supporter of the Iran deal – even had a seat at the table when Merkel met with President Donald Trump at the White House. And the Germans weren’t just fighting to keep the deal in place – they were blatantly appeasing the regime in order to profit. German companies have refused to denounce the Iranian government for its anti-Semitism, hostility toward Israel, and even its denial of the Holocaust:

Advertisement

“United Against Nuclear Iran, or UANI, has petitioned more than a dozen major German companies, asking them to sign a declaration promising to not do business with Iran until its leadership stops denying the Holocaust and calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.”

“UANI maintains that no German company should engage in business with a nation that wholly denies the Holocaust, particularly in light of Germany’s chief role in the systematic murder of more than six million Jews.”

“David Ibsen, UANI’s president, told the Washington Free Beacon he is ‘deeply troubled that no company has yet signed on to the declaration.’” (Washington Free Beacon)

The Trump Administration reversed course on the Obama administration’s poorly-conceived nuclear agreement with Iran. They are now pursuing a new plan with a coalition that addresses Iran’s nuclear threat without funneling billions to its government. Germany could be a key partner in the coalition to contain Iran, but before they do, the German government and major German corporations will have to make security a higher priority than profit.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement