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| $6 billion to Iran - Sec’ty of State Antony Blinken signed off last week but Congress was not notified of the decision until Monday, the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks |
| 2023-09-12 |
| [FoxNews] Biden admin strikes deal with Iran to swap prisoners, release $6 billion in frozen funds. Per the deal, Iran will release five American citizens detained in Iran and the U.S. release five Iranian citizens being held in the U.S. The deal creates a blanket waiver to transfer $6 billion in frozen Iranian money from South Korea to Qatar without fear of violating U.S. sanctions. No money is going directly to Iran and no U.S. taxpayer funds are being used. The United States classifies Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed off on the deal late last week, but Congress was not notified of the decision until Monday, the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, according to the notification, which was obtained by The Associated Press. The transfer of the $6 billion was the critical element in the prisoner release deal, which saw four of the five American detainees transferred from Iranian jails into house arrest last month. The fifth detainee had already been under house arrest. Due to numerous U.S. sanctions on foreign banks that engage in transactions aimed at benefiting Iran, several European countries had balked at participating in the transfer. Blinken's waiver is aimed at easing their concerns about any risk of U.S. sanctions. National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson said Secretary Blinken undertook a procedural step last week "to ensure Iranian funds could move from one restricted account to another and remain restricted to humanitarian trade." "As we have said from the outset, what is being pursued here is an arrangement wherein we secure the release of 5 wrongfully held Americans. This remains a sensitive and ongoing process," Watson said. "While this is a step in the process, no individuals have been or will be released into U.S. custody this week. We have kept Congress extensively informed from the outset of this process – long before today – and we will continue to do so, including with additional already scheduled briefings this week." The deal has garnered some criticism. Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who focuses on Iranian security, argued that releasing the funds "will only feed Tehran's appetite to keep taking hostages." "And as the case of the recently revealed Swedish diplomat illustrates, dual-nationals and foreign citizens are not the only targets. Tehran even intends to extort foreign government officials!" he said. "Indeed, the Islamic Republic showcased for the world a willingness to take hostages less than a year since its inception. Worse, freeing-up the $6 billion forgets why it was frozen in the first place. Even the Obama administration, who signed sanctions bills into law creating those escrow accounts, did not trust Iran to stop funding its nuclear or military programs using oil money." Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, argued that the $6 billion "payout" will go to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies. "This will only greenlight Iran's illicit actions and encourage further hostage ‘diplomacy,’" Ernest argued. "Biden's failed strategy of appeasement must end." |
| Posted by:NoMoreBS |
| #11 |
| Posted by: ACA JOE 2023-09-12 20:33 |
| #10 The gifts that keep on giving: |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2023-09-12 19:46 |
| #9 Next year? $$ to Taliban on 9/11 |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-09-12 19:13 |
| #8 Per NBC News today: "Biden administration officials have said that the funds, the proceeds of Iranian oil sales to South Korea, can only be spent on humanitarian purposes."... "Iranian president says Tehran will spend the $6 billion released in prisoner exchange ‘wherever we need it’" |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2023-09-12 17:53 |
| #7 the $6 billion "payout" will go to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its proxies. Nice way to commemorate 9/11. I wonder how we'll top it next year? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2023-09-12 17:33 |
| #6 Just remember how much of your life went into earning the $$,$$$.00 to pay the avg. 40% in total taxes that DC passes around every year to non USA sources. Instead taking care of We The People 1st. |
| Posted by: NN2N1 2023-09-12 15:43 |
| #5 ^Well, it's actually Iranian 6 billion kept frozen. Your money goes to Ukraine. |
| Posted by: Grom the Reflective 2023-09-12 15:14 |
| #4 Let's garnish the wages of these ex-pat Iranians and my $6billion back. |
| Posted by: Regular joe 2023-09-12 15:08 |
| #3 Iran does not recognize dual citizenship, and Iranian citizenship is inherited through the father, as I understand it. So emigrants go ”home” to visit relatives on their Iranian passport, assuming themselves to thus be invisible to malign forces. I was terrified when my first fosterling visited Iran with her father. She was a typical spoilt American teen, loudly protective of her rights and oblivious to the key cultural differences found in a totalitarian society. Also, while her father floated between Islam and his family's Baha’i faith, she was all in on being a member of such an interesting minority. Fortunately, the local cousins were very protective of their American visitors. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2023-09-12 13:52 |
| #2 I think that at least hundreds, probably thousands, maybe tens of thousands of US residents who were former Iran citizens visit Iran each year. This is mostly to visit family, sometimes to transact business. I'm sure the numbers are way down in 2023 but there are still people doing this. |
| Posted by: lord garth 2023-09-12 13:30 |
| #1 As I recall, the five detained Americans are of Iranian descent who returned to Iran and were arrested. Who said 'not one cent in tribute?' And to pay tribute to free five morons? |
| Posted by: Jerens Black9355 2023-09-12 10:15 |