Did Obama Give Iran Its Own Moeny Back Or Was It The American Peoples Tax Money?
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The Obama assistants used a $400 million cash payment every bit leverage to ensure that Islamic republic of iran released four Americans who were being held there as prisoners. The revelation led some Republicans to charge the Obama administration of paying ransom—something the assistants denied.[one] [2]
According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, "U.S. officials wouldn't permit Iranians take control of the coin until a Swiss Air Strength plane carrying 4 freed Americans departed from Tehran on January. 17. In one case that happened, an Iranian cargo aeroplane was allowed to bring the greenbacks habitation from a Geneva airport that solar day."[one] [2]
HIGHLIGHTS
The timing of the cash payment, which occurred the aforementioned weekend the nuclear bargain with Iran was formally implemented, raised suspicions that the Obama administration paid ransom to secure the release of the four Americans. On August eighteen, 2016, when asked most the exchange, State Section spokesman John Kirby said, "We deliberately leveraged that moment to finalize these outstanding issues nearly simultaneously. With concerns that Iran may renege on the prisoner release, given unnecessary delays regarding persons in Iran who could not exist located as well equally, to exist quite honest, mutual mistrust between Iran and the United States, we of course sought to retain maximum leverage until after American citizens were released. That was our top priority." He added that the U.Southward. does not pay ransom.[3]
The payment was role of a $1.7 billion settlement the Obama administration reached with Islamic republic of iran to resolve a dispute over $400 meg that Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi paid to the U.S. in 1979 "for military parts that were never delivered because of the Islamic revolution that toppled him." Although the payment and the return of the four Americans occurred in January 2016, the details of the payment did not receive attention until The Wall Street Journal published an commodity on August 3, 2016, explaining that the administration sent "[due west]ooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs and other currencies" to Iran "on an unmarked cargo plane" just before Americans Jason Rezaian, Amir Hekmati, Saeed Abedini, and Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari were released from an Iranian prison house. The Obama administration as well released seven Islamic republic of iran nationals and "agreed to drop the names of 14 Iranian nationals it has been seeking from the watch list of Interpol, the international police agency."[4] [ii]
On September 6, 2016, congressional officials briefed by the U.S. State, Treasury, and Justice departments told The Wall Street Journal that the Obama administration sent two boosted shipments of cash in a cargo plane to Iran after sending an initial $400 million cash payment. The 2d and third payments were fabricated in Swiss francs, euros, and other currencies on January 22, 2016, and Feb five, 2016. According to The Wall Street Periodical, "The Obama administration previously had refused to disclose the mechanics of the $ane.7 billion settlement, despite repeated calls from U.S. lawmakers. The State Department announced the settlement on Jan. 17 just didn't cursory Congress that the unabridged amount had been paid in cash."[5]
Background
President Barack Obama and senior U.Due south. officials denied any link between the cash payment and the release of the American hostages, but the Iranians portrayed the payment as bribe. Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Mohammad Reza Naghdi said to state media, "Taking this much money back was in render for the release of the American spies."[4]
After The Wall Street Journal initially reported the details of the $400 million payment on Baronial 3, 2016, Sen. Tom Cotton fiber (R-Ark.) accused President Obama of paying "a $ane.7 billion bribe to the ayatollahs for U.S. hostages." Cotton added, "This pause with longstanding U.S. policy put a price on the caput of Americans, and has led Islamic republic of iran to keep its illegal seizures [of Americans]." Two Iranian-Americans have been arrested past the Islamic republic of iran's Revolutionary Guard since the cash shipment.[4]
On August 4, 2016, Obama responded to critics who said that the $400 million sent to Iran was a ransom payment. He said, "Nosotros do not pay ransom. Nosotros didn't here, and we won't in the future. Those families know we accept a policy that we don't pay bribe. And the notion that we would somehow kickoff at present, in this loftier-profile way, and announce it to the world, even as nosotros're looking in the faces of other earnest families whose loved ones are beingness held hostage, and maxim to them we don't pay ransom, defies logic." He added that his administration was open virtually the January 2016 payment, saying, "We announced these payments in January. Many months ago. They were not a clandestine. It wasn't a hole-and-corner. We were completely open with everybody about it."[6] However, The Wall Street Journal disputed Obama's claims, writing that although he said the dispute from 1979 was resolved, he did not disclose the $400 million cash payment.[4]
Details of full payment
On August 24, 2016, State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau told reporters that the Obama administration paid $1.3 billion in involvement to Islamic republic of iran on January 19, 2016, two days after the administration sent the initial $400 meg in greenbacks to Tehran in an unmarked cargo plane. Trudeau said that she "couldn't say more than about the Jan. 19 payments considering of diplomatic sensitivities." The administration and Islamic republic of iran agreed that $one.iii billion would encompass involvement on the $400 meg.[seven]
The Associated Press reported that the administration sent "xiii carve up payments of $99,999,999.99 and final payment of nigh $10 million. At that place was no explanation for the Treasury Section keeping the individual transactions under $100 million." The money came from the "and so-called Judgment Fund," which "is taxpayer money Congress has permanently approved in the event information technology's needed, allowing the president to featherbed straight congressional blessing to brand a settlement."[7]
On September 6, 2016, congressional officials who were briefed about the timeline and method of payment told The Wall Street Journal that the Obama administration sent the 2d payment to Iran on January 22, 2016, and the third payment on February 5, 2016. The payments were fabricated in Swiss francs, euros, and other currencies and flown to Geneva, Switzerland, where they were picked upwards by Iranian cargo planes.[v]
Treasury spokeswoman Dawn Selak explained that the payments were made in Swiss francs, euros, and other currencies because of sanctions placed on Iran. She said, "The form of those chief and interest payments—made in non-U.S. currency, in greenbacks—was necessitated by the effectiveness of U.South. and international sanctions regimes over the last several years in isolating Iran from the international fiscal system."[5]
Business firm hearing on Iran payments
On September 8, 2016, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing to examine why the Obama assistants paid Iran $1.seven billion in cash.[eight]
During the hearing Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), the committee's chairman, said, "Greenbacks is the currency of terrorism. Nosotros paid cash to the world's foremost sponsor of terrorism. And the question is, again, why was that done?"[9]
Paul Ahern, a Treasury Department lawyer, replied that cash was "the about reliable way to ensure that they received the payments in a timely style." He as well said that cash was preferred by the banks involved in the transaction.[9]
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) said Republicans had 3 goals for the hearing: "to trash the Obama administration, to trash the Iran nuclear deal, and to somehow brand them (the administration) wait like criminals dropping money in the middle of the night similar drug dealers."[10]
Referring to Capuano's comments, Hensarling said, "Information technology is clear that perhaps the Obama assistants and certain Democratic members of the House are the just people in America who believe that ransom was not paid."[ten]
Democrats on the commission argued that the hearing was a concerted attempt past Republicans to discredit President Obama. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, "I am concerned that this may be a office of the strategy that is being employed by my colleagues on the opposite side of aisle to discredit the president of the United States."[eleven] Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) led a Democratic walkout during the hearing. Green said, "This is about micro-managing the presidency or, more specifically, about micro-managing President Barack Obama."[ten]
Republican response
- On September 7, 2016, Rep. Ed Royce (R-Calif.) introduced Hour 5931—the Prohibiting Future Ransom Payments to Iran Act. According to Breitbart, the legislation "has three master objectives: It makes clear that the Obama Administration violated longstanding U.S. policy by releasing prisoners and paying bribe for the return of Americans held hostage past Islamic republic of iran; it prohibits greenbacks payments to Iran—period; and it demands transparency in futurity settlements to ensure they are not employ."[12]
- On September half dozen, 2016, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced S 3285—the No Bribe Payments Act of 2016—to prevent the Treasury Department from sending payments to Iran until the $one.7 billion is returned. Rubio wrote in an op-ed, "I opposed the nuclear deal with Iran and have fought this administration'south endless concessions to the world's foremost state sponsor of terror. Now I'm fighting this outrageous ransom payment by introducing legislation today called the No Ransom Payments Act. My bill would forbid any future ransom payments for hostages. It would require Iran to return the $ane.vii billion it received from the Obama administration, and it would forbid whatever future settlements of Iranian claims until Iran first pays the more than than $55 billion awarded past U.S. courts to American victims of Iranian-backed terror, and to the Americans held hostage past Iran in 1979. The bill would also mandate sanctions against Iranians who hold or detain U.S. citizens."[13] [14]
- On September six, 2016, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) criticized the Obama assistants for its decision to pay Iran in greenbacks. Cotton said in a argument, "If this study is confirmed, Americans will face the reality that they alive in a world where Iran's terrorist proxies have admission to $ane.3 billion more in untraceable greenbacks, on elevation of the $400 1000000 cash payment the assistants has already confirmed. It's no wonder that the administration has fought so difficult to go on the nature and timing of the cash transfers underground. The payment of cash ransoms to the globe'southward worst state sponsor of terror encourages the hostage-taking of more innocent Americans and fuels Iran's terror plots. It's long by time for the president to end stonewalling on these ransom payments and starting time being straight with the American people most the unsafe concessions he's made to the ayatollahs."[15]
- On Baronial 22, 2016, Sen. Roy Edgeless (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry request him to explain the details of the $400 1000000 payment to Islamic republic of iran. He specifically asked to run across the "quarterly fiscal records for the foreign armed forces sales account at the center of a decades-quondam artillery sale dispute between the U.South. and Iranian governments," according to The Hill. Blunt wrote, "While your agency continues to deny information technology made a ransom payment to secure the release of American hostages, the facts clearly suggest otherwise. Your apparent dishonesty regarding the timing of the settlement has consequently bandage serious incertitude on the answers you provided regarding the source of funds that were used to pay off the Iranian government. ... Given your other misleading statements, I accept serious concerns that the $400 million you provided in hard currency to a terrorist authorities will as well come out of U.S. taxpayers' pockets."[16]
- On August 12, 2016, Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Treasury Secretarial assistant Jack Lew, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking them to explain the circumstances surrounding the $400 million cash payment. Cruz and Lee wrote, "The unusual circumstances surrounding the administration'southward payment of $400 meg to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran have raised serious concerns non only about the propriety of the transaction, but most its legality as well. … If the administration violated the police, then Congress and the American people should be made enlightened of it so that they tin agree the advisable officials accountable and take whatsoever steps necessary to strengthen the law and forbid any reoccurrence."[17]
- On August 9, 2016, Republican Sens. Mark Kirk (Sick.), David Perdue (Ga.), and Johnny Isakson (Ga.) sent a letter of the alphabet to Secretarial assistant of State John Kerry asking for details about the $400 one thousand thousand cash payment. The senators wrote, "We question the timing — concurrent with the release of five American hostages — equally well as the method and lack of disclosure of the payment. We are concerned that this payment, forth with the bandy for seven Iranian prisoners detained in the U.S., has and volition go along to encourage further hostage-taking of Americans past Iran." According to The Hill, the senators asked Kerry to explicate how the payment "was shipped, why more data was not given to lawmakers, and why the administration agreed to make the payment when Tehran still owes Americans money. They also want to know whether the payment was linked to the release of the American hostages, whether the money will be used to support terrorism, and whether administration violated sanctions past making the payment."[xviii]
- On August five, 2016, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Commission, sent a letter to Attorney Full general Loretta Lynch requesting information about the Department of Justice'due south (DOJ) role in a $400 million cash payment the Us fabricated to Islamic republic of iran in January 2016. Grassley wrote, "These reports are peculiarly troubling in light of the Department's continuing failure to cooperate with my research into the FBI's alleged role in facilitating ransom payments to terrorist groups." Citing the The Wall Street Journal commodity and an article from 2015 that said the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provided guidance to a hostage held by al-Qaeda, Grassley added, "[T]here are serious questions about this administration's policies regarding paying ransoms to terrorists and state-sponsors of terrorism."[19] [twenty]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "U.S. withheld cash until hostages were released"
Encounter also
- Iran nuclear agreement: An overview
- Islamic republic of iran nuclear understanding: Joint Comprehensive Programme of Activeness
- Iran nuclear understanding:Negotiations
- Iran nuclear understanding: Timeline
- Iran nuclear agreement: Legislation
- Islamic republic of iran nuclear agreement: Congressional review
- 2016 presidential candidates on the Iran nuclear deal
- Iran nuclear agreement: U.Southward.-Israeli relations
- Islamic republic of iran nuclear agreement: Public opinion
- Outline for nuclear agreement with Iran reached
- Iran nuclear understanding talks resume ahead of deadline
- John Kerry
- Barack Obama
- P5+1 and E3+3
External links
- "Parameters for a Articulation Comprehensive Plan of Action Regarding the Islamic Democracy of Iran'due south Nuclear Program"
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Wall Street Journal, "U.Due south. Held Cash Until Iran Freed Prisoners," accessed Baronial 18, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.i 2.ii The Wall Street Journal, "Islamic republic of iran Releases Americans in Prisoner Swap," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "State Dept. confirms $400 million Islamic republic of iran payment conditioned on hostage release," accessed August 18, 2016
- ↑ four.0 4.1 4.2 4.iii The Wall Street Periodical, "U.S. Sent Cash to Iran as Americans Were Freed," accessed August 3, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.i v.2 The Wall Street Periodical, "U.Due south. Transferred $ane.3 Billion More in Greenbacks to Iran Afterwards Initial Payment," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Obama on Iran payment: 'We do not pay ransom,'" accessed August four, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 San Francisco Gate, "ii days after cash delivery, US paid $one.three billion to Iran," accessed August 26, 2016
- ↑ FinancialServices.House.gov, "Subcommittee Investigates Dangers of Ransom Payments to Iran," accessed September 19, 2016
- ↑ 9.0 nine.1 The Dallas Morning News, "Republicans demand to know: Why was Iran payment in cash?" accessed September 19, 2016
- ↑ 10.0 x.1 10.2 USA Today, "Republican congressman says U.S. payment to Iran was like a 'drug drop,'" accessed September 19, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "House GOP: White House paid Iran ransom for prisoners," accessed September 9, 2016
- ↑ Breitbart, "Rep. Ed Royce Seeks to Block Greenbacks Ransoms to Islamic republic of iran," accessed September 9, 2016
- ↑ Tampa Bay Times, "Rubio: Ban ransom payments for hostages," accessed September 8, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Senate GOP introduces bill demanding return of 'bribe' from Iran," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ The Loma, "Cotton: Iran payments offer terrorists 'untraceable greenbacks,'" accessed September vii, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Peak Republican presses Kerry for Iran 'ransom' details," accessed September 19, 2016
- ↑ The Colina, "Cruz, Lee question legality of Iran payment," accessed August 12, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "GOP senators push Kerry on Iran payment," accessed Baronial 9, 2016
- ↑ The Hill, "Grassley pushes Lynch for Iran payment details," accessed Baronial 5, 2016
- ↑ The Wall Street Periodical, "Justice Department Officials Raised Objections on U.Due south. Cash Payment to Iran," accessed August 3, 2016
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