Letter: Rubio, Cruz would reverse diplomatic gains with Iran

To the editor: Five American hostages were released by Iran. A sixth American is still not accounted for. He was a retired FBI employee and was doing contract work for the CIA in Iran. If the United States discovered an Iranian in our country with the same type of credentials, we would surely hold the person hostage. How Iran treated the American hostages is being discussed. Let’s hope that they were treated better than the prisoners held by American forces in Iraq Abu Ghraib prison. They were sexually and physically abused and photographed. Rush Limbaugh’s conservative response was our troops were entitled to have a little fun. Let’s hope Iran treated the hostages better than we have treated individuals held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They have been handcuffed and held outside in dog-like cages. When several went on a hunger strike, they were force-fed with a tube inserted in their stomach, a practice used to fatten geese. Two armed American vessels were discovered in Iran territorial waters. Thanks to American diplomacy, the boats and soldiers were released in 16 hours. One would hope the United States’ response would be the same if two armed Iranian vessels were discovered in our territorial waters. Our relationship with Iran was improved with the signing of the agreement lifting sanctions and having the International Atomic Energy Commission provide oversight of nuclear weapon capability in Iran. The agreement released 150 billion Iranian dollars, which were held in foreign financial institutions and rightfully belong to the 80 million Iranian people. Two Cuban Americans, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, want to take the United States in a different direction. Cruz proposes carpet bombing large areas of the Middle East. Rubio indicates his first act as president will be to reject the negotiated Multi National Agreement with Iran, leaving the United States with the alternative of going to war. Neither of these two Cuban-American individuals, or members of their immediate families, has ever served in our military. Herbert J. Grover, Gresham