Posted on 01/16/2016 12:42:30 PM PST by Kaslin
Some incredible news Saturday morning out of Iran, if you can believe it: The nation has released 4 U.S. prisoners, according to FARS, Iran's semi-official news agency. Among those released are Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, Marine veteran Amir Hekmati, and Nosratollah Khosrawi. They were all being held on various charges.
"Based on an approval of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) and the general interests of the Islamic Republic, four Iranian prisoners with dual-nationality were freed today within the framework of a prisoner swap deal," the Tehran prosecutor's said, the news agency reports.
Their release reportedly came after a prisoner swap deal with the U.S. for six Iranian-Americans who were being held on sanctions-related charges, FARS reports.
According to Fox News, "The announcement comes as Iran and the international community are expected Saturday to complete a deal in which Tehran verifies the curtailment of its efforts to build a nuclear weapon in exchange for getting back $100 billions in frozen assets.â€
While there is still no official U.S. confirmation of the release, Nagmeh Abedini, Saeed's wife, tweeted that her husband’s release is confirmed.
Update: While it's certainly good news they have been released, what, exactly, was the price? According to Fox News' Todd Starnes, Sen. Ted Cruz says we ought to 'hold judgment'.
Cruz on Iranian prisoner release: "There may be some ugly parts of this deal we don't know about yet so we should hold judgement."— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) January 16, 2016
I am relieved these four are free.
Why did we trade 4 for 7 and not 4 for 4? I thought Iran held 5 U.S. hostages. Maybe I am remembering wrongly. I do wonder why we always trade so badly.
Still suspect this is really something closer to nukes for hostages. Obama’s own Iranian scandal buried in there somewhere. Ah, if only we had a media during Democrat years.
About freaking time. We should have never even entered negotiation for that pathetic pro Iranian deal without their release.
Maybe, the Mullahs are starting to fear the outcome of this years election. Trump or Cruz won’t put up with their junk.
obama pardoned 7 Iranians from prison. Iran gets at least 14 Iranians off the Interpol list. Plus having to get 10 US Navy soldiers to be humiliated and 150bil......just good times for valjar and Iran.
Watch Trump take credit for this, and the Sunday News cycle to figuratively smack his image like a pinata.
How DARE you try to steal a win from Obama?!!
7 for 4. Well, we’re slowly getting the hang of this negotiation stuff. Last time it was 5 for one traitor.
Trump deserves to take some credit for this!
He refused to let those men be forgotten.
THANK-YOU TRUMP!
LOL. It’s just like Trump said. The prisoners would be released before he took office if elected President. After Trump has been making a big political issue of this over the past weeks, it’s amazing how fast the release has come about, isn’t it. Go Trump! You are amazing.
...and people say that Trump isn’t listened to?....
GO.TRUMP.GO!!!
LIVE BY THE LAWS AMERICA WAS FOUNDED UPON
Makes me wonder just what the 2 Navy boats delivered while they were having their ‘engine troubles’?-——all of a sudden we ‘trade’ people????——then again, what do I know——my government won’t tell me the truth
Slow down and don’t celebrate prematurely. It’s still a long time until he gets elected. If he even does. First we have to get through the primaries and he will not get my votes there.
You must have forgotten about the 5 al Qaeda prisoners that 0bama released from Guantanamo Bay, for that traitor Berghdorf (sp)
“First we have to get through the primaries and he will not get my votes there.”
That’s okay. Somehow Trump will muddle through without your vote, lol.
How many terrorists did Obama release for this?
I kept Abedini’s name on my white board for years so I would not forget him.
I am thankful for his release.
” It’s just like Trump said. The prisoners would be released before he took office if elected President. After Trump has been making a big political issue of this over the past weeks, it’s amazing how fast the release has come about, isn’t it. Go Trump! You are amazing.”
This reminds me so much of when Iran took our guys hostage in Nov 1979, at the Embassy and of course Carter and his administration fooled around and fooled around with the negotations and got no where, and as soon as President Reagan was sworn in, our guys were released. Iran doesn’t want to deal with a “President Trump” of that I have no doubt.
“This reminds me so much of when Iran took our guys hostage in Nov 1979, at the Embassy and of course Carter and his administration fooled around and fooled around with the negotations and got no where, and as soon as President Reagan was sworn in, our guys were released. Iran doesn’t want to deal with a “President Trump†of that I have no doubt.”
Exactly right. I was thinking the same thing. In fact the Reagan example is why I posted my Trump comment in the first place because it was Trump’s talking about releasing the prisoners now that helped to make it so. Glad you actually commented on it, because it’s an identical example, isn’t it. I should have referred to it myself because it’s what set me off; however I forgot to do it. But you didn’t. Thank you.
“as soon as President Reagan was sworn in, our guys were released.”
IIRC, it was even better than that. Weren’t our guys on their flight home during the swearing-in ceremony? Such a happy day! Regan as President. Hostages home. On TV, there were pictures from inside the plane with our guys. In the background was playing some upbeat disco tune (maybe “Celebrate”?) The music most likely was added by TV and not actually being played inside the plane, but it had a great impact. I cried.
Anyhow, the current events with Iran, hostages, election... it is so similar to then.
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