Back when the Iran Deal was being negotiated, the State Department authorized secret “side deals” to cope with matters they didn’t want Congress to know about. Pres. Obama knew all about them.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Obama Administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million dollars ( cash ) to Iran that coincided with the January release of 4 American hostages. Wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs and other currencies were flown into Iran on an unmarked cargo plane according to officials in the dark of night. The money was obtained from the central banks of the Netherlands and Switzerland by the US.
Why was this so dangerous and stupid? For starters, the U.S. has never since the days of Pres. Thomas Jefferson, when American sailors were kidnapped by Muslim pirates, given into ransom demands to free its citizens. Why? Because it would create an incentive to kidnap more Americans. Sadly, after Obama’s ransom deal with Iran, 2 more Iranian-Americans, plus dual-nationalists from France, Canada, and the UK have been kidnapped.
On another note, was this ransom transaction legal? It was not the normal way of transforming money to foreign governments, and it was not legal. The $400 million was paid in foreign currency because any transaction with Iran in U.S. dollars is illegal under U.S. law. So Pres. Obama deliberately dodged the law by using currency from foreign banks and hiding the smuggling operation from Americans.
When is enough, enough, America? It is the job of the president to protect us? Instead, Obama has used our taxpayer money to fund the terrorist state of Iran, has allowed them to acquire nukes in the near future, has put Iran on the path to control the Middle East, has put Israel in grave danger and now we learn about his secret ransom deal. Once again, America loses and the terrorists win.
Diana Thorn
Carpinteria