(01-09-2020, 04:13 PM)rollerjag Wrote:

(01-08-2020, 03:51 PM)Gabe Wrote: Considering Trump referenced it yet again this morning and it's been a constant talking point of the right since he came into office, I'd like to point out two inaccuracies: 

• No $150b payout ever occurred. Iran's previously frozen assets were released as part of the multinational agreement signed in 2015 as a result of Iran committing to restrain their nuclear development program. It was theirs to begin with. 
  
• $400m was transferred from the US Treasury (with the understanding that another $1.4b in interest would be paid later) as an IOU from the 1970s - one where we never made good on paying for military equipment because of Iran's instability at the time. 
  

Regardless, I have no doubt they're now using those funds to develop weapons.

Not surprised this was ignored by our resident Trumpettes. Trump cannot make a speech without lying, and it often has something to do with Obama.

If the Left has TDS, Trump certainly has ODS.

The first point is valid because that was part of the negotiations for the nuclear deal.

The second point is a different story because it wasn't part of the nuclear deal.


Transferring cash from the US to Iran, no matter if it's an Iranian's cash, is illegal under the sanctions imposed in 1979. It's funny that over the 25+ years since the sanctions took effect, no president has thought it wise to violate those sanctions and transfer the $400 m back to Iran until Obama.

It's also funny that the transfer wasn't done in the most widely accepted and easiest currency for us to obtain, the US dollar, but broken up into several foreign currencies making the source harder to trace. Basically a money laundering technique.

What's even more funny is that this transfer was done secretly and wasn't known to the public until 8 months later when The Wall Street Journal broke the story.

Even though the US has a strict policy to not negotiate ransoms, 5 US hostages in Iran were freed the very same day the transfer happened. Coincidence?

I think there are plenty of valid reasons to criticize the transfer of the $400 mil to Iran.

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