Presidential pardon has become a buzzword in the last days of Trump administration on news media. Critiques grow larger and more comprehended against these self – beneficial pardons for criminals specially when the infamous Blackwater mercenaries received pardon from Trump while they were guilty in a massacre in Iraq which caused 14 civilian casualties. These kinds of pardons not only raise concerns about abuse of power by president among American people but also cast doubt on effectiveness of US judicial actions in front of its own citizens who commit a crime in abroad. So, it will cause a growing sense of vengeance against US criminals in world specially in the Middle East. Alongside as an investigator in cognitive campaigns I want to show the double standard coverage of Pardon in Iran and US. In this case, Western state sponsored media have conducted a persistence disinformation campaign against some pardons which gave by Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to defame the judicial process of Islamic Republic and show Supreme Leader pardons as an illegal safe zone for those criminals who had a conservative position in Iranian political sphere.
In this article I do not seek to defame the pardon system totally, because it could be useful for promoting justice in some cases. But the shameless self – benefit pardons, like what Trump did is not a case for promoting justice. Pardoning those who commit crime in behalf of you, maybe should considered you as a loyal friend but not an agent of justice. Furthermore, the problem of these arbitrary and tribal pardons rises when Trump gave it to those who had not deserve it at all. Pardoning infamous Blackwater mercenaries who slaughtered dozens of innocent people in Iraq is not only a problem in US internal affairs but a growing doubt to US judicial system which has not a just process to punish those ruthless criminals which commit crime against non-US citizens.
This special case, cause an unwilling reminder of Blackwater crimes in Iraq and Middle East. Although NATO PSYOP always try to cover the red hands of itself but the crimes of Iraq war never removed from the memory of Middle Eastern anti – Imperialist activists and citizens who suffer from US presence in region more than anyone. Describing the cruel acts of US against civilians, women and children in Iraq is not the duty of this short article, but for showing the result of this kind evasion of law, we should consider US capitulation treaty in Iran which included all US non diplomat counselor and adviser (almost all US citizens with Iranian residency) to Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations which was one of the most prominent sparks of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. The western countries are suspected to discrimination treatment with the criminals with their nationality, and such shameless pardons do not repair but increase this distrust among Middle Eastern people and other anti – Imperialist groups around the world. In this distrust situation, we will learn that there is no justice overseas, United States will not punish its mercenaries and servicemen even they commit unforgivable crimes. Thus, resistance groups in the region have no option but to perform justice by their own power for ending western crimes in the Middle East, and in this manner, their acts will be justified as self-defense. This will be a certain right except by changing US judicial and reginal behavior.
After showing that, as a PSYOP analyst I want to show the huge cognitive campaign which conducted by state sponsored media in this current issue, pardoning. Giving pardon has a systematic process in Iran. Head of the Judiciary or Iranian chief justice, suggests some pardons to Supreme Leader and he will approve to this suggestion according to the Iranian constitution, article 110. But NATO sponsored medias, show pardon in Iran in a different way and accuse Supreme Leader to abuse of power by pardoning those who had conservative attitudes toward domestic politics. A great example of this line of fire can be found in Radio Farda. Radio Farda is the Persian branch of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and a known sponsored media which conduct PSYOP against our government. Radio Farda in the case of an infamous judge in Iran, by omitting a part of a responsible lawyer speech claim that Supreme Leader had pardoned the judge specifically. But the truth in that case was different. Supreme Leader according to suggestion of Iran’s head of judiciary, gave a general pardon for some of judicial punishments which cause an unspecific pardon to the judge and that lawyer clarified this matter in his speech but Radio Farda censored this part for conducting a PSYOP against Iran.
Trump presidential pardons show the dark side of judicial system of US and the necessity of taking action for resistance groups in the Middle East as well as mainstream media and state sponsored coverage of Iran’s supreme leader pardons that was full of mistrust and censorship. Trust is something that should be build of facts and good will, thing that is not exist in such pardons and media coverage.