Democratic Congressman Calls on Biden to Freeze Iranian Assets Following Hamas Massacre
Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is among the latest entrants in a growing list of House members calling on President Joe Biden to re-freeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets he unfroze just before Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children in an Oct. 2 massacre.
“As we continue to stand with Israel and mourn those lost in this unjustified and horrific terrorist attack, the United States must explore all options available to us to hold Hamas and their Iranian backers accountable,” Mr. Allred said in a statement made public on Oct. 11.
“While Hamas deserves the lion’s share of the blame, Iran cannot go unpunished for its role. With this in mind, I am calling on the administration to immediately freeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets,” the Texas Democrat declared.
Mr. Allred’s announcement likely would have gained little notice but for two factors.
First, he announced on May 3 on X that he is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as the latter seeks his third term as the Lone Star State’s junior senator.
The Dallas Democrat got a strong boost shortly thereafter when it was reported that he raised $6.2 million, compared to $4.4 million for the incumbent.
Allred is the heavy favorite for the nomination as so far only two little-known Democrats are opposing him.
The Cruz/Allred battle is sure to be among the most watched elections in 2024, as the Republican incumbent barely survived a strong 2018 challenge from Democrat Beto O’Rourke by only three points.
The Progressive Turnout Project’s Alex Morgan told Time Magazine in May that he sees Mr. Cruz as the most vulnerable GOP Senate incumbent.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks on Title 42 immigration policy in Washington on May 3, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
But the second reason Mr. Allred’s $6 billion freeze announcement raised eyebrows is his uncomfortable history of backing U.S. aid to the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in 2021 that a State Department counter-terrorism financing expert said could benefit Hamas.
The terror group has had total control of the area since Israel’s withdrawal in 2006, and other Muslim terrorist operations.
Since then, Hamas has launched thousands of guided and unguided rockets into Israel, killing many, as well as training and sending terrorists on suicide attacks in public places.
The massive surprise attack from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 2 killed the most Jews in one day since the Holocaust in Germany before and during World War II.
Soon after taking office in 2021, Mr. Biden gave orders to restart the flow of U.S. aid to the Gaza Strip that his predecessor in the Oval Office, Donald Trump, had stopped.
With as much as $350 million in renewed assistance at stake, Republicans in Congress and elsewhere immediately raised objections. Among them was Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), who exercised Senate privilege by placing a hold on $50 million of the authorizing legislation.
Mr. Allred was one of 145 House Democrats signing a June 2, 2021, letter to Mr. Risch asking him to end his hold, saying: “We write with a great sense of urgency to respectfully request that you release your hold on tens of millions of dollars in appropriated humanitarian aid that is so desperately needed to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians rebuilding their lives in the wake of the fighting between Hamas and Israel earlier this month.”
Mr. Risch’s concern was that some part of the U.S. aid going to the Palestinian Authority would end up benefiting Hamas by helping finance benefits to the families of suicide bombers.
That concern was shared within the Department of State.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) leaves the Senate Chambers during a series of votes in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on May 11, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
In a March 2021 internal memorandum obtained recently by the non-profit advocacy group, Protect the Public’s Trust, through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, a State Department counter-terrorism official described Hamas as “a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
“Other terrorist groups are present in the West Bank and Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF), and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP).
“[Due to its overall strength and level of control over Gaza, we assess there is a high risk Hamas could potentially derive indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza. There is less, but still some risk, U.S. assistance would benefit other designated groups].”
The memo’s author, Andrew Weinschenk, the then-director of the Office of Threat Finance Counter-Measures in the State Department, could not be reached by The Epoch Times for comment.
The memo was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
Mr. Cruz was quick to respond to Mr. Allred’s call for freezing the $6 billion.
In a post on X the following day, Mr. Cruz said: “What about the millions you urged Biden to send to Gaza, even though the admin concluded that there was a ‘high risk’ that dollars would be used by Hamas for terrorism? Should that … be halted too? [Hint: yes.]”
Mr. Allred’s difficulties regarding Israel and Islamic terrorism aren’t limited to the present controversy over his position on freezing the $6 billion for Iran.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) criticized the Texas Democrat in 2019 for praising Omar Suleiman, a Texas-based Imam who has compared Israel to the Ku Klux Klan and accused the Jewish state of genocide.
Mr. Allred’s spokesman did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
What are the challenges involved in freezing Iranian assets and how should the decision be made
Democratic Congressman Calls on Biden to Freeze Iranian Assets Following Hamas Massacre
Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) is among the latest entrants in a growing list of House members calling on President Joe Biden to re-freeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets he unfroze just before Hamas terrorists murdered more than 1,200 Israeli men, women, and children in an Oct. 2 massacre.
“As we continue to stand with Israel and mourn those lost in this unjustified and horrific terrorist attack, the United States must explore all options available to us to hold Hamas and their Iranian backers accountable,” Mr. Allred said in a statement made public on Oct. 11.
“While Hamas deserves the lion’s share of the blame, Iran cannot go unpunished for its role. With this in mind, I am calling on the administration to immediately freeze the $6 billion in Iranian assets,” the Texas Democrat declared.
Mr. Allred’s announcement likely would have gained little notice but for two factors.
First, he announced on May 3 on X that he is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) as the latter seeks his third term as the Lone Star State’s junior senator.
The Dallas Democrat got a strong boost shortly thereafter when it was reported that he raised $6.2 million, compared to $4.4 million for the incumbent.
The call from Rep. Allred comes at a crucial time when tensions between Israel, Hamas, and Iran are at an all-time high. The Oct. 2 massacre, carried out by Hamas terrorists, shocked the international community and led to widespread condemnation.
By freezing Iranian assets, the United States sends a strong message that it will not tolerate support for terrorist activities. Iran has long been accused of backing Hamas and providing them with financial and military assistance. Freezing the assets would not only penalize Iran for its involvement but also disrupt the funding and operations of terrorist organizations like Hamas.
This move would demonstrate unwavering support for Israel, one of America’s strongest allies in the Middle East. It would also uphold the principles of justice and accountability by ensuring that those responsible for acts of terror are held liable for their actions.
However, freezing Iranian assets is not without its challenges. It would require international cooperation and coordination, as well as careful consideration of its impact on diplomatic relations and ongoing negotiations with Iran. The decision should be made with a
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