U.S. paid $1.3 billion to Iran two days after cash delivery

CBS ^

[TigerClaws]

The Obama administration said Wednesday it paid $1.3 billion in interest to Iran in January to resolve a decades-old dispute over an undelivered military sale, two days after allowing $400 million in cash to fly to Tehran.

State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau says the U.S. couldn’t say more about the Jan. 19 payments because of diplomatic sensitivities. They involved 13 separate payments of $99,999,999.99 and final payment of about $10 million. There was no explanation for the Treasury Department keeping the individual transactions under $100 million.

The money settles a dispute over a $400 million payment made in the 1970s by the U.S.-backed shah’s government for military equipment. The equipment was never delivered because of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that overthrew the shah and ended diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Iran.

On Jan. 17, the administration paid Iran the account’s $400 million principal in pallets of euros, Swiss francs and other foreign currency, raising questions about the unusual payment. The $1.3 billion covers what Iran and the U.S. agreed would be the interest on the $400 million over the decades.

Obama defends Iran cash payout, addresses ISIS threat Play VIDEO Obama defends Iran cash payout, addresses ISIS threat The deal has faced increased scrutiny since the administration’s acknowledgment this month that it used the money as leverage to ensure the release of four American prisoners.

Republican critics accuse the administration of paying a “ransom​.”

President Barack Obama and other officials deny such claims, though they’ve struggled to explain why the U.S. paid in cash. President Obama said it was because the United States and Iran didn’t have a banking relationship after years of nuclear-related sanctions, but that wouldn’t rule out using intermediary banks that maintain relationship with both.

Briefing reporters last week, a senior U.S. official involved in the negotiations said the interest payments were made to Iran in a “fairly above-board way,” using a foreign central bank. But the official, who wasn’t authorized to be quoted by name and demanded anonymity, wouldn’t say if the interest was delivered to Iran in physical cash, as with the $400 million principal, or via a more regular banking mechanism.

The money came from a little-known fund administered by the Treasury Department for settling litigation claims. The so-called Judgment Fund is taxpayer money Congress has permanently approved in the event it’s needed, allowing the president to bypass direct congressional approval to make a settlement. The U.S. previously paid out $278 million in Iran-related claims by using the fund in 1991.

[Red in Blue PA]

People need to swing for this Treason.

[DoughtyOne]

T R A I T O R
my personal belief


Ramirez's latest political cartoon LARGE VERSION 08/21/2016: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.
In this political cartoon, Ramirez presents, "Obama's Disaster"


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...this is a general all-purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

[babble-on]

Says in the last paragraph.

[cherry]

its okay because the federales pulled in the most taxes EVER this year so what else can they do but share it with their friends...

VOTE TRUMP!

[combat_boots]

Congress authorizes payments. Not 0bama. Not banks.

No.

[Paladin2]

It isn’t the Mullahs money, but they have it now.
IIRC the Mullahs aren’t even Persian.

[gunnut]

While it would not surprise me if the administration broke it down into $99,999,999.99 into smaller amount to skirt the law, I suspect it is a more practical reason and the wire system could not handle amounts higher than that. I am guessing there are limitations from “when that was a lot of money”.

[angelcindy]

get this piece of s$% out of the white house

[Logical me]

King Obama is a rotten communists black Muslim terrorists. He has all but destroyed America and by the time he is out of office he will have created so much damage it will never be undone. America has been destroyed by a sick black man.

Trump for President.

[babble-on]

That is what I was thinking. May only have 8 spaces in whatever field was used.

[Sacajaweau]

https://www.fiscal.treasury.gov/fsservices/gov/pmt/jdgFund/background.htm

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Isn’t that INSANE? I couldn’t make a $10K BUSINESS DEPOSIT into my local bank without them getting all jiggy with it for fear I was a drug cartel!

I had a seasonal business! I HAD $10K+ deposits each week in the Spring-into-Summer months! And then - not much the rest of the year, LOL! (Now, seriously - would a Drug Cartel operate that way?)

How I HATE, HATE, HATE the world we’re living in! So many of these government THIEVES need to be in prison and/or hanged in the Town Square!

*SPIT*

[Bullish]

But he’s not trying to help our enemies or anything like that, right GOP?

[Bullish]

By what authority and permission of Congress?

What Congress?

[Bullish]

What happened is the 70’s that makes this payment justified?

This payment ISN'T 'justified'... Obama's a muslim rat and a traitor.

[Toespi]

This was his destiny, his purpose, why and how he was elected as POTUS. It’s time to pay up and that is exactly what this is all about, Iran is a world power with nuclear capabilities, he can stand down now.

Barack HUSSEIN Obama, the greatest, most devastating and well planned terrorist attack to ever strike American soil.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Traitor.

[Reverend Wright]

all these economic sanctions came about as a result of Iran invading the American embassy and taking hostages.

But Obama and co. paying Iran to get back into their good books !

Where do they find these leaders ?

[patriot08]

While our retired seniors are struggling just to survive. MUZZIE SOB !

[TigerClaws]

Look at how the amount wired was just under $100 million.

Money laundering.