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Salon: Iran Deal Is a Travesty
Credit: Reuters/Caren Firouz/Kevin Lamarque
Your eyes do not deceive you. In the wake of the $400 million laundered cash “ransom” payment to Iran for return of American hostages, Carrie Sheffield writes for Salon’s shocked readers that:
On state-affiliated media, Khamenei reportedly blasted “the futility of negotiations with the Americans” and said the United States wasn’t keeping its promises under the nuclear agreement. The deal itself was signed under constitutionally questionable circumstances — it essentially amounted to a treaty, which would have required congressional approval–over the protests of Congress, including many Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer.
These latest developments undoubtedly confirm what conservatives and other pro-Israel activists have been arguing throughout this entire episode. They’re yet another reason why people who don’t like flawed GOP nominee Donald Trump will still have a hard time voting for Hillary Clinton, given her prominent role in helping usher in this flawed deal. They also tarnish President Obama’s legacy, despite his brag last week at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia that he’d “shut down Iran’s nuclear weapons program.”
Of course Salon.com’s stalwart readership’s heads are exploding as demonstrated within the comment section. The left’s anti-Semitic liberal think is on full display:
Carrie Sheffield, an amazing disguise you have there! How did you hide that hooked nose and all those warts?!
SlapOfTruth
It just occurred to me why Salon is posting a right wing author’s article about Iran…now that it has to be in the tank for Hillary it is taking her extreme pro-Israel positions.
Another siren song on behalf of the original Mideast terrorist state: Israel.
In true fashion the Left either attack the messenger (she also wrote for Forbes! Hackery at it’s finest!) or run and hide under Vox.com’s convoluted justifications which puts the blame for “bad messaging” at the feet of DC politicos. “It’s not a ransom, it’s a refund!”
Most of us remember being bombarded by an ’80s media hyperventilating adnauseum over the Iran-Contra hearings during President Reagan’s second term. As Middle East geopolitics contributor Ellen Wald writes at the aforementioned Forbes: The Iran Ransom 2016 (is a) “Bigger Deal than Iran-Contra 1985.”
There are many comparisons between the Iran-Contra Affair in the 1980s and the Iran ransom scandal of today. However, in at least one significant way, the ransom scandal does more harm to American travelers and businesses. Just as Americans and Europeans are being encouraged to do business and invest in Iran, entrenched organizations in Iran’s government are using this incident to justify further arrests and imprisonment of Americans and Europeans.
Those of us who loudly vocalized our horror at this obvious legacy-minded play by President Obama, which clearly emboldens our enemies while threatening our allies, are not surprised. Unlike his other legacy item, the bankrupt Obamacare (which full employer mandate implementation has been delayed until they leave office), the Iran Deal never received full Democratic support.
Pro-Israel Democrats, always foremost concerned with re-election and thus their Jewish constituents (how “brave” of you Chuck Schumer to await confirmation there were enough votes, so yours wasn’t necessary), voiced their “concerns” yet have largely stood on the sidelines with fingers crossed hoping the Iran Deal was not the cluster-fudge it appeared to be.
But now, with 90 days until we swap disastrous 44 for disastrous 45, how much attention will the media give what would clearly be a major issue if President Obama had an (R) next to his name.
The eloquent Charles Krauthammer says it best.
Published in General
Israel and the world will pay dearly for the stupidity of the deal – it is sick. If you vote in the Clintons again, and yes, they are a package deal, you will get more of the same.
A couple of weeks ago I met with Michael Medved. Our entire discussion was about the Iran Deal and who would be better for Israel in this election. I’m paraphrasing him: ‘Either of these two candidates will be better for Israel than Obama’.
I’ve never thought of Obama’s actions as being primarily legacy-minded. They’re about left-wing ideology. It might have been Krauthammer who pointed out it’s difficult to distinguish between this president’s actions and that of an enemy of America.
No problem. Simply ramp up the printing presses at the Federal Reserve to inflate away the value of that $400 million.
Government is easy.
Thanks for staying on top of this Dave.
I don’t think they are exclusive of each other. That’s why it’s critical for him that Hillary wins. If the rug is pulled back by a GOP administration his legacy and policies go in the dumpster.
Let’s be clear: we kept the money in the first place because Iran had taken hostages. Thirty-seven years ago. Even if we skipped over the ridiculous excuse that this ransom was pure coincidence, it also means that Obama allowed the 1979 Iranians to get away with the original kidnapping and pay no penalty. And if the argument comes that Iran released the hostages, so they should get their money back, (besides being stupid) that in turn raises the question why we held onto the money for 37 years? Obama would be admitting that the US was wrongfully keeping money that rightfully belonged to the Iranians. In other words, he was publicly verifying their claim and saying that we would lose at arbitration. An arbitrator!
Everyone … everyone … knows that Hillary is flat-out lying when she keeps claiming that the FBI said she was truthful, but she keeps saying it. Everyone … everyone … knows that this was a flat-out ransom. And yet they keep saying it.
The next time I hear someone promote the press by saying that they “hold government accountable” and they “speak truth to power” …
Meanwhile, Trump diverts attention from the issue with false memories of seeing video clips of the money being offloaded from the plane in Iran. Hillary/Obama would be imploding if Trump would just let them. He’s constantly taking the heat off the Dems; is it on purpose or just stupidity?
They’re already on it…
Ok, but the only problem is Clinton has stated that she would continue O’s policies, including with Iran, and Trump said he would not. O has emboldened the biggest sponsor of terror in the region, even though Netanyahu pleaded at the UN to not support this. She, as SOS, was a part of this situation, just like Kerry. We need a hawk – whether you like his mouth or not – to get us back to sanity – the damage on this and many other levels will take awhile to undo, and I fear we don’t have a lot of time to do it.
I believe I saw a story where one of the released hostages saw the plane – they were not getting on the plane home until that money arrived. Let’s not make this about Trump (like everything else) – he is fighting the best team of lies and deception that we may have ever had in office – Clinton machine and O. Also, Oliver North said last night they have been trying to get that money for decades, and North was involved – none of the previous administrations would release it – why?? Because it was not only leverage, but Iran needed to renounce terror – they never met the previous conditions – with Kerry, there were no conditions with teeth.
I’m not convinced that’s (entirely) true. A whole heck of a lot of the Obama legacy/policy will survive regardless of who wins. That’s precisely why so many people are, shall we say, skeptical of Trump.
I hope this story stays up front. I’m so tired of major stories being ignored or excused away. This is terrible. As are the anti-Semitic slurs. Sigh.
Is he fighting them or is he supporting them? If he is fighting them, he’s doing it so incompetently that it’s undistinguishable from aiding and abetting the opposition. But I agree that this trail shouldn’t be sidetracked into a debate on Trump, so I’ll back off.
I agree they’re not mutually exclusive, but many of us will vote for any Republican to keep the sure bet of another Alinskyite leftist out of the office — even Trump.
He should be impeached for giving aid and comfort to enemies of the United States. Among other things.
When this news broke about a year ago, I nearly spilled my coffee. It seemed to me Obama was openly asking for Americans to be kidnapped. Of all the things he has done, this is the one that I think is the worst. Most of all, why did he publicize that he was doing it:
I hear you – I just read a headline that ISIS may be training sleeper cells on Mexican border – all of the world’s thugs have been emboldened under this administration – if I close my eyes, knowing what we know, and fearing what we don’t, and think about who would I rather have at the helm when all hell breaks loose, and it will, I know it is not Hilary. If she had a better track record on the job – I still would not – but she doesn’t.
Me too @susanquinn. This opens up another discussion; the Left’s anti-Semitism is rampant. Unfortunately, many western Jews first place their loyalties politically.
It was barely mentioned in the MSM that Palestinian flags (along with Cuban, Russian, and Mexican) were prominently displayed on the floor of the DNC on day one. There were no American or Israeli flags.
The Left look at Israel as an imperial state. They ignore Hamas and Hezbollah for the same reasons they don’t like to discuss ISIS. Terrorists are America’s and their little cousin Israel’s fault. It’s always America’s fault.
I didn’t know that.
I don’t like Donald Trump, but we have got to get the Left out of Washington, if for no other reason than to find out what the heck they’ve been doing for the last eight years.
What a difference from George Bush, who instituted the Hanukkah Menorah Lighting at the White House. And then there was this:
I really miss GW. Sigh.
We were an honorable country then.
Reports: Palestinian Flags Outnumber American Flags at Democratic National Convention
I didn’t hear this at all about the other flags. I knew the U.S. flag wasn’t there. Thank you for staying on top of these issues, Dave. It’s so disheartening.
My wife mentioned the same thing about the flags while watching. I, however, remained away from the TV for fear that my head might explode.
Krauthammer is only partially right. A private company would have violated the law and the CEO would face consequences. However, the government is beyond the law because they are the law. This is what people hate about the perpetrators (perp-uh-traitors?) of the State, whether you call them the Elites, the Ruling Class or the Establishment. They are (un)governed by a totally separate set of rules.
So…..payment for something we did in retaliation to hostages taken 4 decades ago to people who have been actively blowing up US soldiers in Iraq for the past decade.
Really kinda makes me want to punch somebody hard, in the face. Not quite sure what the limits are, but at some point, when do we say enough? Is aid and comfort to an enemy no longer dishonorable, much less a crime?
That is how a lot of countries saw it.
It’s a hard point to argue against without making up rules on the fly.
When I first saw the name of this post, I asked myself “which one?”
Oh, so now you’re going to believe Hillary is telling the truth?
I haven’t seen where any of the NeverTrumpQuislings had any reaction to this story.
Won’t help, they paid in Francs and Euros. It’s like they explicitly tried to make it impossible to mitigate the issues (much like the Iran Deal itself, where concessions were so front-loaded for Iran that there’s not really any way to stop any parts of it short of military action).