have been attempting to send a strong message of deterrence to any actor in the region, whether they be a nation state or a terrorist group. We want to make it clear that now is not the time to escalate or deepen this conflict. The fact that there have been additional attacks on our troops does not necessarily mean that the war is expanding.
When Kirby mentions additional attacks on our troops overseas, he means that there have been a total of 40 attacks in the past three weeks alone. The intention is to deter further aggression. Joining me now is Richard Goldberg, former director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction at the NSC under Trump. Richard, we have received threats tonight from the second in command of Hezbollah, who claims they are carrying out their own attacks to alleviate pressure on Gaza.
They refer to themselves as the Agents of Resistance. In addition, we have the comments from the White House.
How is this message being perceived? Well, I disagree with Mr. Kirby. We are not conveying messages of deterrence, but rather messages of appeasement.
The White House has not taken necessary actions, such as terminating the nuclear deal with Iran that was agreed upon over the summer. They have not frozen the bank accounts they opened, which allowed $10 billion to flow out of Iraq. They have not halted the oil flow to China.
They have not initiated the UN resolution to reinstate sanctions on Iran. Instead, they have deployed a new carrier strike group to the Persian Gulf.
While this demonstrates military capability, the president has not shown any willingness to utilize this capability against Iran, thus failing to restore deterrence. Richard, President Biden has requested a brief three-day pause, not calling it a ceasefire, to ease tensions and potentially secure the release of hostages. Netanyahu reportedly rejected this suggestion, expressing distrust in Hamas.
It seems to me that Biden is listening to the political conversation and pressure from the public. What are your thoughts on the pause proposal? We must remember that this is the same White House that negotiated a hostage deal, paying $6 billion for the release of five individuals. Who facilitated that deal? It was Qatar, a nation that harbors Hamas and is its sponsor. What are we doing here? This negotiation will undoubtedly be in favor of Hamas, resembling a hostage situation.
Instead of discussing a ceasefire that allows Hamas to continue their actions, we should demand the unconditional release of the 240 hostages or exert maximum pressure on Qatar. It appears that the concern is more about domestic politics rather than addressing the root issue. Thank you, Richard..
