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This. The timing is VERY "convenient", but to call it a ransom payment is intellectually dishonest. It's part of a settlement decided in international court at The Hague. It's money we owe them, according to international law.
You don't have to ship held money the way this was done. That would be transferred with computer clicks.
You don't have to ship held money the way this was done. That would be transferred with computer clicks.
This isn't even a decent attempt at a spin.
What on Earth does the delivery method have to do with ANYTHING? Is this money we owed them, according to an international court settlement? Yes. End of story.
Did you miss this little tidbit from the article?
The $400 million was paid in foreign currency because any transaction with Iran in U.S. dollars is illegal under U.S. law. Sanctions also complicate Tehran’s access to global banks.
Did the Iranians use the sailors as leverage to get the payment? It certainly looks that way. Does that make it "ransom"? Absolutely not.
Ransomis the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it may refer to the sum of money involved. In an early German law, a similar concept was called weregild.
If we legally owed them the money, it cannot possibly be extorted. See how that works?
The Obama Admin. didn't deny they sent $400M in pallets of foreign currency cash to Iran at all. They claim it was a refund of the money Iran deposited for warplanes in 1979, that was held after they took American hostages and held them for 444 days. It was all just a coincidence that the refund happened at the same time as the prisoner swap.
That's right, either way you look at it, this deal stinks. We either paid for the release of prisoners, or we refunded money to people who took 55 hostages and held them for nearly two years. I don't know how anyone can defend this deal.
The entire Iran nuclear deal stinks to high heaven. We got nada, and they got everything they wanted.
Last edited by Ibginnie; 08-03-2016 at 08:48 AM..
Reason: deleted quoted post
We were in their waters. They had every right to do exactly as we would have done if an Iranian boat had been in ours.
These were the 4 American hostages they released, the Washington Post reporter, marine, not the naval crew on the 2 boats.
Rather strange that they wouldn't make an electronic transfer but this was true back when Carter was negotiating the release of the hostages, transfers were through 3rd party countries and it failed because of complications
Last edited by Goodnight; 08-03-2016 at 07:50 AM..
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of cash to Iran that coincided with the January release of four Americans detained in Tehran, according to U.S. and European officials and congressional staff briefed on the operation afterward.
Wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs and other currencies were flown into Iran on an unmarked cargo plane, according to these officials. The U.S. procured the money from the central banks of the Netherlands and Switzerland, they said.
"Secretly"...
"U.S. and European officials and congressional staff briefed on the operation afterward"...
"Wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs and other currencies"...
"unmarked cargo plane ...
Is this how the US pays the money we owe them, the balance of a 'deal' worked out in an international court at The Hague?
Quote:
Originally Posted by hooligan
This. The timing is VERY "convenient", but to call it a ransom payment is intellectually dishonest. It's part of a settlement decided in international court at The Hague. It's money we owe them, according to international law.
Why be so secretive about legitimate money owed someone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by pknopp
You don't have to ship held money the way this was done. That would be transferred with computer clicks.
This isn't even a decent attempt at a spin.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hooligan
What on Earth does the delivery method have to do with ANYTHING? Is this money we owed them, according to an international court settlement? Yes. End of story.
Did you miss this little tidbit from the article?
The $400 million was paid in foreign currency because any transaction with Iran in U.S. dollars is illegal under U.S. law. Sanctions also complicate Tehran’s access to global banks.
Did the Iranians use the sailors as leverage to get the payment? It certainly looks that way. Does that make it "ransom"? Absolutely not.
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it may refer to the sum of money involved. In an early German law, a similar concept was called weregild.
If we legally owed them the money, it cannot possibly be extorted. See how that works?
Does that constitute money laundering??
If it was legally owed, it did not need to be secretly shipped.
The Obama Administration has admitted the payment went through at that time, but insists it had nothing to do with hostages and everything to do with the right time to resolve that issue (frozen Iran assets) with other issues.
Knee jerk reaction to always defend Obama?
At least read the article before you start screaming Obama is infallible and FoxNews is akin to ISIS.
Why would Iran say Obama paid a ransom? Cash deal not paid in US dollars??? Red Flag!
Those frozen assets must still be frozen and still illegal to send US dollars to Iran. The case has not yet been litigated.
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of cash to Iran that coincided with the January release of four Americans detained in Tehran, according to U.S. and European officials and congressional staff briefed on the operation afterward.
Wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs and other currencies were flown into Iran on an unmarked cargo plane, according to these officials. The U.S. procured the money from the central banks of the Netherlands and Switzerland, they said.
1. It wasn't secret.
2. It was some of the money we seized from Iran in 1979.
3. The money belongs to Iran.
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