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US Tapped Abrams as Iran Envoy to Escalate Regime Change Efforts, Former UK, UN Diplomats Say

© AFP 2023 / CHIP SOMODEVILLAState Department Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran Elliot Abrams in Washington
State Department Special Representative for Venezuela and Iran Elliot Abrams in Washington - Sputnik International
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The appointment of neoconservative hardliner Elliott Abrams as US special envoy to Iran sends a clear signal that President Donald Trump wants to intensify efforts to force regime change in Tehran, two former diplomats said.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook decided to leave his position, and Abrams, who already is the American envoy for Venezuela, will take over. Pompeo said Abrams will be the special envoy for both countries.

REGIME CHANGE SPECIALIST

Abrams was a key architect of the 2003 US invasion and occupation of Iraq. He is best known for his involvement in the 1987 Iran-Contra scandal which led to his conviction in 1991 on two counts of unlawfully withholding information from Congress. He was later pardoned by President George H.W. Bush.

"The appointment of a man known for his hatred of Iran and track record of seeking regime change whether in Latin America or the Middle East can only be seen as a signal that Trump is hell-bent on reckless confrontation with Iran, whether he really means it or not", former UK ambassador to Syria Peter Ford said.

Ford recalled that Abrams is the same "democracy-loving genius" who tried to nullify the 2006 Palestinian elections that Hamas won fair and square, a move that ended up with Hamas in complete control of Gaza, he added.

Former UN Diplomat Jim Paul said Trump’s appointment of Abrams is a sign that a new phase of US intervention in Iran may be about to begin.

At first glance, Paul explained, it might seem odd that Abrams would be given the Iran portfolio when he is already envoy for Venezuela, but the two posts are similar in purpose.

"For decades, Abrams has been a leading figure in Washington associated with organizing and promoting US intervention. Though he has worked especially on Latin America, he has also been involved in the Middle East, especially in support of Israel", Paul said. "He is a hawkish neocon ideologue who can be expected to launch regime-change initiatives against Iran."

CONSEQUENCES

Abrams' handiwork in Latin America concluded with charges of genocide and other human rights violations, Francis Boyle, a war crimes lawyer, said in January of 2019 - when Abrams was appointed envoy for Venezuela. Boyle said Abrams' policies in the Reagan administration running paramilitary activities helped kill 35,000 in Nicaragua, 75,000 in El Salvador, and 200,000 in Guatemala.

The former UK and UN diplomats warned that similar carnage could be on the horizon in Iran.

Ford said Abrams' appointment would certainly not frighten or deter Iran, which has demonstrated in the Gulf that it will not be awed and can strike back "with venom against aggression".

Ford said "the least bad outcome" would be for Iran to read Trump's move as an election ploy and not give it much attention.

"The worst would be for it to be a genuine harbinger of a hot war in the Middle East which would make Afghanistan and Iraq look like playgrounds", the former UK ambassador to Syria said.

Ford succinctly captured the lethal essence of the decision by the Trump administration.

"Putting Abrams in charge of Iran policy is like putting an arsonist in charge of the fire brigade", Ford concluded.
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