But coincidental or not, that payment barely scratched the surface, for the Obama administration also paid to Iran $1.3 billion dollars, based on a claim that Iran had dating from the days of the 1979 revolution that deposed America’s ally, the Shah of Iran (who for all his many faults, was a friend of the United States) and replaced him with the rule of the Ayatollahs, (whose faults are at least equal to the Shah’s, and who hate America and Israel and aren’t afraid to prove it).
By John Shaffer Back in January, four Americans illegally held by Iran were released. At the same time, the United States made a “secret” payment to Iran of $400,000,000. Not a ransom, the State Department assured us – rather, “a coincidence.” Yes, it was so coincidental that the planeload of cash was delivered at precisely the moment that the hostages were returned; which happened to be on the day that most sanctions on the Iranian regime were eased or removed. Well, while $400 million might not buy as much as it used to, in the hands of a regime that chants “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” it’s sufficient to cause a lot of mischief – or destruction. But coincidental or not, that payment barely scratched the surface, for the Obama administration also paid to Iran $1.3 billion dollars, based on a claim that Iran had dating from the days of the 1979 revolution that deposed America’s ally, the Shah of Iran (who for all his many faults, was a friend of the United States) and replaced him with the rule of the Ayatollahs, (whose faults are at least equal to the Shah’s, and who hate America and Israel and aren’t afraid to prove it). That payment, to settle a claim for Iranian funds which were to be used to purchase American arms, has been held by America since then –as no US government (that is, none until this one) wanted to provide armaments to Iran, nor to free up cash which might be used to acquire them. The sum had climbed to $1.4 billion thanks to a very generous compounding of interest on our part, and simultaneous with the $400 million payment and the hostage release and the lifting of sanctions, the US paid the $1.3 billion. It came from “The Judgment Fund,” which is money to be used for the purpose of settling claims. But, payments under that fund are limited to $100 million – so, the administration paid the sum in a very imaginative way. To get around those legal restrictions, the US transferred the money in thirteen payments of $99,999,999.99. They add up to $1,299,999,999.87. (Guess that means we have an extra 13 cents to apply to the national debt.) Now, using the Judgment Fund means that the Administration did not have to ask Congress to appropriate the money nor did Congress have to approve it. The fanciful way the payments were arranged is called “structuring,” and it is as completely illegal way of doing business. People are in jail for structuring. Probably it never occurred to the Obama administration to ask what the Iranians intend to do with the $1.3 billion less 13 cents, but we are willing to bet they will not use it to promote
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