Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said last week that reports show Iran has encouraged and funded – and continues – anti-Israel protests in the U.S. Groups linked to Israel’s sworn enemy have used social media to pose as online activists.
“Iran is becoming increasingly aggressive in their foreign influence efforts, seeking to stoke discord and undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,” Haines said. The goal, reported The Associated Press, is to widen political divides ahead of the November election.
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) isn’t surprised. In an appearance on the Washington Watch program Thursday, he linked Iran’s increased presence in U.S. affairs to its increased bank accounts.
Walberg told show host Tony Perkins that former President Donald Trump “took a stance” in freezing Iranian assets held in international banks. The Biden administration, however, made that money available to Iran last September. The U.S. and Iran exchanged prisoners, but Iran also got a massive revenue boost.
“We broke down the control that President Trump had significantly placed on them. Biden did away with that, and those resources were available,” Walberg said. “We’re paying for it all across this country.”
The administration hid its plans to release the assets from Congress until the day the transaction was scheduled to take place, CBS News reported.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said her boss is keeping an eye on things.
“The U.S. government will continue to vigorously support and defend Americans in their exercise of their First Amendment rights to protest and express political views. At the same time, we will continue to warn against exposed foreign efforts to meddle in our internal affairs and attempt to amplify conflict,” Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Biden issues create opportunity
Speculation among House members had long pointed to outside influence in campus protests this spring, Walberg said.
Iran “has called us the large Satan, and they’ve called Israel the little Satan. They’ve said they want to destroy and wipe both Satans off the face of the earth,” he stated. “Iran is paying and facilitating these things on campus not simply to cause unrest but to break down the Western leadership in the world … and that’s the United States.”
Walberg said Biden’s currnt cognitive challenges present the perfect opportunity.
“What’s going on with President Biden melting down, now the administration and people charged with understanding what’s going on with outside attack forces coming into the United States are willing to finally admit it."
