US payment of $1.7 billion to Iran made entirely in cash

Associated Press ^ | Sep 6, 2016 10:38 PM EDT | Richard Lardner

[Olog-hai]

The Obama administration acknowledged late Tuesday that its transfer of $1.7 billion to Iran earlier this year was made entirely in cash, using non-U.S. currency, as Republican critics of the transaction continued to denounce the payments.

Treasury Department spokeswoman Dawn Selak said in a statement the cash payments were necessary because of the “effectiveness of U.S. and international sanctions,” which isolated Iran from the international finance system.

The $1.7 billion was the settlement of a decades-old arbitration claim between the U.S. and Iran. An initial $400 million of euros, Swiss francs and other foreign currency was delivered on pallets Jan. 17, the same day Tehran agreed to release four American prisoners. …

[Jack Hammer]

It wasn’t a ‘payment’ - it was just a gift from obama to a bunch of his pals.

Forget the fact that you paid for it with your tax dollars.

[combat_boots]

0bama has set the stage for Iran as a world power-with nukes.

I wonder what tech he wants to slide to them on his way out.

[Ray76]

> Treasury Department spokeswoman Dawn Selak said in a statement the cash payments were necessary because of the “effectiveness of U.S. and international sanctions,” which isolated Iran from the international finance system.
>
> An initial $400 million of euros, Swiss francs and other foreign currency was delivered on pallets

OK. Since Iran is so effectively isolated what are they going to do with euros, francs, and other foreign currency?

What a weak excuse.

[Olog-hai]

A demonstration of “effectiveness” would be Iran begging to return those US hostages to us for free.

[Ray76]

It sure would.

[Roberts]

And the story continues to evolve.

[TigersEye]

A bunch of Democrats need to make public apologies to Ronald Reagan visa vie Iran-Contra.
That was peanuts compared to this.

[TigersEye]

OK. Since Iran is so effectively isolated what are they going to do with euros, francs, and other foreign currency?

Individual terrorist groups can effectively use it for operational expenses outside Iran. The Russians and North Koreans might welcome laundering it for bigger projects run directly by the Iranian government.

[TigerClaws]

Money to be used to build nukes to attack us and our allies.

Treason.

[KarlInOhio]

If the Obama administration had any brains at all, they would have recorded every single serial number on those bills to have some hope of seeing where they money wound up. I am almost certain they wouldn't do that because it would link any mayhem associated with it back to them.

[UCANSEE2]

If we could eliminate the corruption and misdirection of funds in our government, all VETS would live in castles and the streets could be paved with gold.

[Olog-hai]

“Brains” is not the dividing factor between good versus evil.

If Obama had any scruples, he would not be paying ransom to Iran, obviously. Sending them money is obviously funding terrorism; not even a question.

[TigersEye]

Sure is.

[Ray76]

Obama delivered a vast sum of money to terrorists. This comes on the heels of his enabling their acquisition of nukes.

He has repeatedly given aid to our enemies.

Why isn’t he in jail? Oh I know - melatonin.

[Ray76]

melatonin = melanin

[TigersEye]

He’s in office because of melanin. He gets away with treason because the Uni-Party stands behind him and more specifically his goals.

[ETL]

From Real Clear Politics, Sept 10, 2015...

"In a 2014 New Yorker interview, Obama said his goal was to create a 'new equilibrium' in the Middle East.

In the short run, at least, his signature diplomatic undertaking can be counted on to bring more violence to this volatile region.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the [Obama-Putin Iran deal] agreement is formally known, provides the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism an infusion of somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 billion of unfrozen assets and a great deal more of continuing revenues as businesses and governments around the world rush to profit from oil-and-gas-rich Iran's reintegration into the world economy.

The agreement relaxes the international isolation of the Islamic Republic and ratifies Tehran's status as a nuclear threshold state. And it relieves restrictions on Iran's acquisition of weapons, including ballistic missiles. ..."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2015/09/10/iran_deal_throws_sparks_on_mideast_tinderbox_128034.html
___________________________________________________

Aug 2015

[LanaTurnerOverdrive]

I thought those guys didn’t believe in interest.

[MichaelCorleone]

And people wonder why Netanyahu is taking his chances with Russia’s Putin.