Sunday Ops Report: July 4th Edition!
Biden's Iran Apologist; A True Crime Wrap-Up; and... America's Birthday!
Happy Birthday, America! You still look great at 249….
This week Chris starts us off with an update on the latest from Biden’s “Special Envoy” for Iran, Robert Malley, who this space has steadily covered. How this guy got to be “special” anything is an enduring mystery — and yet another indictment of the hapless Biden administration.
We then get a wrap-up on the three big true-crime cases that have recently come down… and then a take on what July 4th seems to mean to today’s left.
Thanks for joining us… and Happy Fourth!
The Manchurian Envoy
So Iran apologist/potential traitor Robert Malley made the news again last week. It wasn’t because of the long-running FBI investigation into his actions as Biden’s Special Envoy to Iran (he was recalled and his security clearance terminated). It also wasn’t an announcement of his firing from his position in our government (he is still on unpaid leave as far as we can tell). Malley’s news was of his own making.
Malley penned an op-ed on Trump’s bombing of Iran. Perhaps trying to maintain a lower profile, or perhaps simply returning to his French roots (he grew up with Antony Blinken in France), he wrote an article for Le Monde, voicing his opinion on American actions against Iran.
A little background on Robert Malley. He grew up in a household of radicals. The first Palestinian he ever met was Yassar Arafat, who was a friend of his father. His father was an Egyptian Jew who opposed colonialism, Zionism, and the United States. His mother was a Bronxite who worked for the FLN, an Algerian national liberation group that fought the French. The Malley Family was in fact deported from France because of their political views in the 1980’s. So why not put this guy in charge of negotiating nuclear deals with Iran? What could go wrong?
Based on his family history, it will not shock you to learn that Malley does not take America’s side in this most recent conflict.
Malley naturally points to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran that he had a big hand in creating as the gold standard of nuclear non-proliferation in that terror-sponsoring state. Before we go further into Malley’s arguments against the bombing, we feel we must point out that the Iran nuclear deal merely delayed Iranian nuclear capabilities for 10 years – if it even did that -- and that Iran continued to be a sponsor of terrorism while the nuclear deal was in place.
An agreement that permitted the world’s largest state sponsor of terror to work on a nuclear program by enriching uranium should be a non-starter. The deal essentially acknowledged Iran’s right to nuclear weapons.
Regarding Trump’s bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities last month, Malley sees it as a patently illegal and ill-advised use of force. Malley calls the United States’ actions and the support from its European allies “morally bankrupt.” He derides Europe for siding with, “These United States? Under this President?”, while in the same breath acknowledging that Iran has kidnapped European citizens and allied itself with Europe’s enemies.
He further states that the United States and Israel have destroyed the international order, writing that, “Law and legitimacy are now obsolete and archaic concepts.” And that’s not Malley employing hyperbole for effect – he means every word. Perhaps he is forgetting the decades of terrorist acts and thousands of Americans that have been killed by Iran and its proxies.
He seems to have forgotten the years of futile negotiations that he oversaw that simply turned into a stalling tactic by Iran. They clearly never intended on eliminating their nuclear program. Biden, Obama, et al just left the problem for a later administrations to handle. Fortunately, Trump is not one to kick the can down the road.
By Malley’s own admission his negotiations were problematic. The Iranian delegation was downright juvenile and disrespectful – throwing pens, storming out of the room, and staging fake coughing fits. It’s almost as if Iran was pushing to see how far they could push “The Great Satan” - and were pleasantly surprised every time.
In summarizing his argument, Malley expresses concern that Trump’s bombing will cause ill-will towards the United States among Iranians. Newsflash Robert – that was the case long before the Trump presidency, as evidenced by decades of violence against America and its interests. Remember the Iranian mantra, “Death to America”? That was not hyperbole, either. It was a threat to be taken seriously.
Malley has not ticked-up his public profile for no reason. Naturally, he is pitching a book that will be released in September on the issue of… Iran.
Expect to hear more of this tripe from Malley in the next few months. Perhaps this will be a wake-up call for the FBI to get moving on their Malley case.
Three Big Cases Come Down
So these past weeks saw three big case resolutions on the true-crime front: Karen Read, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and Bryan Kohberger. Is there a collective lesson to be learned here?
If there is one — and we’re not sure there is — it’s that the power of law enforcement is more limited than many realize. In the Karen Read case, we opine that the “not guilty” verdict is quite different from “innocent.” It’s entirely possible that there were jurors who still felt she had something to do with John O’Keefe’s death — but the evidence just wasn’t there.
It was also, perhaps, a case that should’ve been pleaded-out early, due to badly flawed evidence. The prosecution did its best, but the case simply doesn’t seem to have been there.
But that said: the idea that 10-15 people spontaneously conspired to cover-up a murder by pinning it on an innocent Read, never break ranks, never leave so much as an incriminating text, and then dump the body on their own front lawn? Idiotic. There was no conspiracy. And those who believe it have seen too many movies.
Many feel similarly toward the government regarding the Diddy case — that he was overcharged and victimized. But there is an alternate take: that Diddy’s actions really should’ve been brought at the state level — but nobody seemed willing to step up. The feds used the RICO to try to reach back and capture past acts by Diddy, including that horrific video of him chasing and beating girlfriend Cassie. It was a noble effort. It didn’t work.
Should the RICO have been charged? Probably not — not without more evidence that Diddy’s business empire had been perverted into a criminal enterprise. But at least the feds stepped up and did something with this guy.
The lead prosecutor was Maurene Comey — yes, former FBI head James Comey’s daughter. Now, we’ve been plenty tough on her father. And yes, the case was weak, and probably could’ve been charged differently. But at the end of the day, a bad guy is in jail — and likely to remain there a while. Maybe he — and others in his industry — will learn something from it (probably not).
On Bryan Kohberger, there is this consideration: while many are outraged over the plea deal, and that Kohberger won’t face a firing squad, recall that there are inmates on Idaho’s death row who’ve been there for decades. One has been there over 40 years.
The point is, even a trial and guilty verdict resulting in a death sentence would not have resulted in an execution any time soon. And after a few decades on death row, who’s to say that memories won’t fade, sympathies won’t shift… and some appeal for clemency on Kohberger’s behalf won’t work? (If this seems far-fetched, we have three words for you: the Menendez brothers).
Half the victims’ families are outraged by the plea deal, the other half not. It seems that relations between some of the families and the prosecution had broken down, and the government went ahead with the plea without the concurrence of all concerned.
But in the end, this plea ensures that Kohberger will rot in a notoriously rough prison for the rest of his miserable life. And his plea leaves no room for appeals.
In the end, there is a case to be made that this plea deal was better for the government than going to trial. Because as the Read and Diddy cases show: you never know what a jury will do.
The Sunday Pod Drop: A Conversation With The National Review’s Caroline Downey
Join us for a conversation about the political implications of Gen Z — from a bona fide member caught live in the wild.
Caroline Downey is a staff writer for The National Review. She recently published this piece on the rise of Zohran Mamdani — the “Democratic Socialist” (read: communist) who may well be the next mayor of New York City.
Beijing’s TikTok, in many ways, helped give us Mamdani…. and it was Gen Z’s TikTok addiction that paved the way. Mamdani is Gen Z’s guy in New York.
Is this the future of the Democratic Party? Of all American politics?
And… what role did the rising Gen Z play in President Trump’s election? (Note: It’s not what you think).
If you’re interested in where American politics is going… Caroline’s is a voice you need to know.
So click below for a preview — and HERE for the full discussion.
A New York Times Celebration of the 4th of July
The New York Times recently published a missive on the way we celebrate our nation’s birthday. Times’ climate reporter Christina Kelso writes that fireworks are just not the right way to celebrate American independence.
Now, we have to add a caveat here: this is real. You haven’t accidentally clicked over to The Babylon Bee.
Kelso argues that fireworks have a deleterious effect on animals, scaring both wild and domesticated creatures. She writes that animals’ “rush to escape (the noise) costs the animals energy and can lead to longer-term damage.” Apparently, even birds’ migration patterns might be affected by our displays of patriotism.
My own dogs don’t particularly like fireworks, but they don’t like baths and trips to the vet, either.
Kelso also surmises that fireworks are bad for the environment, causing temporary dips in air quality and leaving chemicals behind. She points to the litter left behind by the explosions as an unnecessary and unacceptable scar on our environment.
History argues against Kelso’s opinion. The first 4th of July celebration took place in 1777 and was celebrated in Philadelphia with “bonfires and fireworks.” American founding father John Adams stated that the nation’s birthday should be celebrated with, “Pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other.” Fireworks remind us of the battles fought and the Americans who died in the fight for our liberty. That message should never be forgotten. Screw the birds.
Kelso believes that we should consider banning fireworks outright, or at least keep them out of the hands of private citizens. She would prefer a drone display or a celebration of lights, perhaps forgetting that her own newspaper decried the effects of the 9/11 Celebration of Light on birds.
Maybe Kelso would be more amenable to a parade to celebrate our independence. A parade with flags of red, red, and red. Maybe we should celebrate on May 1st instead? Nothing would surprise us from a New York Times journalist.
President Trump: You Had A Great Week. Please Stay Focused!
Federal Agents conducted another major criminal sweep this week, of the sort we did not see over the last four years. The ongoing Operation Apex Hammer collected 264 wanted criminals in sweeps across New Jersey.
The sweep arrested 17 homicide suspects and 95 gang members, among other assorted sexual predators and robbery perps. Several of those arrested were illegal immigrants.
That sounds like a great effort that will make the streets of New Jersey safer.
It is also a reminder to the Trump Administration to stay focused on criminality and criminal migrants. There seems to be some slippage on this front in recent months, with allegations that ICE is grabbing anyone who is here illegally, regardless of criminal history.
Americans want a controlled border and safe streets. It is important for Trump to stay focused, something he often has difficulty doing. Americans will be happy with the results of a concentrated and measured immigration policy that uses limited federal resources responsibly and safely to move forward as advertised: the worst, first.
Get the bad guys out asap. We’ll worry about the abuelitos later.
And btw: Alligator Alcatraz?
Genius.
And finally…
From the beautiful Jersey shore… a belated happy Fourth of July to all!
Biden should have sent his VP she was a real bomb 💣 of the party