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.
Why was Obama so eager to pay this much to Iran, in cash. Wasn’t the point of sanctions to impoverish them? Why impose sanctions and then give them cash to eliminate the effects of those sanctions? Why not just lift the sanctions?
Especially since nothing has changed with respect to our relationship? Iran is still harassing our naval ships. And why did Iran hold our hostages until the first $400 million arrived, rather than holding them until the full $1.7 billion arrived. They feared we would not pay $400 million, but they trusted us to pay another $1.3 billion more?
And now they say the real amount funneled to Iran was more like $33.6 Billion.
Suppose a deal was worked out, whereby Obama OK’s giving Iran X amount of money, and for that money, Iran will not say how much it was given, or dispute any numbers the US government claims. For all we know, all Iran got was the initial $400 million. I’m sure for $400 million in found money, Iran would say anything. And that would explain why they were so concerned to see that money specifically, arrive.
That would leave $33.2 billion in cash, on pallets, able to be given to literally anyone, fully untraceable, and Iran get’s enough blackmail material that they can harass our Navy till their heart is content. The advantage of this would be the tangible amount, controllable by the western elites who handled the deal. Had they just lifted sanctions, Iran could have made its own money and ignored the West.
The only question left is, how many hundreds of millions of dollars would find its way into The Clinton Foundation, Soros’ Open Society Foundation, and whatever bogus charitable foundation Obama sets up after he leaves office, to pay them for their involvement – and who actually got the lion’s share of the money.
Anything is possible these days.
[…] Did The Iranian Payment Go Entirely To Iran? […]
Hi Anonymous, Do you think the payment was to try and build Iran up? I mean military. Perhaps for a future conflict?
I have no idea why they gave Iran that much cash. I have to assume somebody powerful got something out of it for them to bend over so backwards to give away cash, but what that could have been, I have no idea. That Iran is still hostile to the US makes me think it was some non-state actor behind it, and more of a bargain than a relationship thing.
Thank you I did not think about that, my mindset was more on the thought of what happen in the 1920s and 30s with companies in the US (and I might add Australia), setting up factors, selling parts and materials to Germany and Japan that help build them. Or even how the US help give weapons to the Taliban which later become the enemy or the rebels in Liberia and Syria who become ISIS. If you can’t find enemies, make them and then send the K’s to fight.
So it could be more a company, companies or a combination of contracts that can get pass the US tariffs that now will make a killing in profits. Maybe Obama is helping companies to get the contract for the nuclear plants over Russia or help sell the parts for the oil rigs over China.