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BREAKING: US, Qatar refreeze $6 billion in Iran hostage payment
Hotair ^ | 10/12/2023 | Ed Morrissey

Posted on 10/12/2023 9:36:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Well, well, well. Looks like this wasn’t a done deal after all, eh?

What took them so long?

The United States and Qatar have agreed to block Iran’s access to $6 billion in funds recently transferred to the nation as part of a deal between Washington and Tehran that led to the release of five imprisoned Americans from Iran last month.

Wally Adeyemo, the deputy Treasury secretary, told House Democrats on Thursday that Iran would no longer have access to the funds, according to a person familiar with the matter. The money was under close supervision and strict conditions that it be used only for humanitarian purposes.

The move comes amid harsh criticism, mainly from Republicans, that the Biden administration gave Iran access to a vast sum that freed up other funds for Tehran to provide support to Hamas before its attack on Israel over the weekend.

Initially, it mainly came from Republicans. Over the last couple of days, it started coming from Democrats, led initially by Jon Tester and Joe Manchin. It started gaining steam yesterday in the Senate Democrat caucus with others. The Biden administration tried to play defense by opening up a phony “investigation” into Iran’s Hamas ties, likely hoping to generate a pretext for reneging on the asset transfer.

As I predicted yesterday, the White House appears to have found enough of a pretext to refreeze access to the funds. The question will be how long that freeze will continue:

It is unclear whether the Biden administration intends to cut off the funds permanently or may be taking an interim step as it gathers more information about Iran’s potential ties to Hamas. It is also unclear whether the action reflects any new analysis by the administration about Iran’s role in the attack. Regardless, it is certain to infuriate Iran’s leadership after a painstaking prisoner swap that took many months to construct and weeks more to complete.

Boo freaking hoo. If all this Hamas operation costs Iran is $6 billion, they should consider themselves lucky. Israel has its hands full with Gaza at the moment, but don’t think for a moment that the Mossad will forget to settle the score with Tehran. Only through such disincentives will the message get through to the mullahs.

In the meantime, we have a lesson to learn ourselves: Don’t pay the Dane-geld. It’s not always going to be this easy to get it back.

Update: I meant to write Republicans, not Americans, after the first excerpt. Thanks to Manipulated Medium for the correction. Post in haste, repent at leisure ….



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Iran; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: fjbregime; hostage; iran; qatar; ransom2iran; terrorism
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1 posted on 10/12/2023 9:36:02 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Bump


2 posted on 10/12/2023 9:38:31 PM PDT by Guenevere (“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”)
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To: SeekAndFind

If it’s true. Then great


3 posted on 10/12/2023 9:38:44 PM PDT by Freeleesy
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To: SeekAndFind

Finally.
But I bet PedoJoe had nothing to do with it.


4 posted on 10/12/2023 9:41:31 PM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Hamas leaders are hosted by Qatar. They live there luxuriously.

Qatar is Hamas’ ally.

Not to be trusted.

Are they arresting the Hamas leaders?

No.


5 posted on 10/12/2023 9:43:45 PM PDT by ifinnegan (Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
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To: SeekAndFind

Anyone seen the horse now that we shut the barn door?


6 posted on 10/12/2023 9:45:43 PM PDT by noiseman (The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.)
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To: Darksheare

I think Joe has all he can handle deciding between vanilla, chocolate, and butterscotch.


7 posted on 10/12/2023 9:54:29 PM PDT by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: SeekAndFind

And the truth is that most of it is already gone. But gullible people will believe anything.


8 posted on 10/12/2023 9:55:46 PM PDT by Revel
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To: All

1) It’s my vague understanding that the Iranian assets — and understand that . . . this money already belongs to Iran.

2) I see nothing in the above text suggesting the prisoners released as part of the deal to get Iran’s money released to them are going to be sent back to Iran.

3) Qatar is a strange situation. Iran is the center of the Shiite faction of Islam (and KSA is Sunni central). Hamas is Sunni. Qatar’s royal family has Shiite members but the public is mostly Sunni.

4) It is for this reason above ALL OTHERS that Iran likely funded nothing of the Hamas attack. They probably got paid to teach Hamas students weapons design, but that can happen in almost any school and it is not a very strong connection. It is very unlikely that Shiite checks were being written to fund Sunni logistics of any kind.

5) Shiites and Sunnis hate Israel, but Israel has only been around since 1949. Sunnis and Shiites have hated each other far longer than that. It takes priority.


9 posted on 10/12/2023 9:57:01 PM PDT by Owen (.)
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To: gundog

And whether or not to get the shakes from trying not yo sniff kids.


10 posted on 10/12/2023 9:57:24 PM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: Owen

Even better, the mullahs are specifically of the twelver Shia faction.
They think they can force the 12th mahdi to appear.


11 posted on 10/12/2023 9:58:58 PM PDT by Darksheare (Those who support liberal "Republicans" summarily support every action by same. )
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To: SeekAndFind
Joe-biden-stairs GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY
12 posted on 10/12/2023 10:48:51 PM PDT by fireman15 (Irritating people are the grit from which we fashion our pearl. I provide the grit. You're Welcome.)
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To: SeekAndFind

An author of a book about Iran said today the Hamas coordinated attack was held off until the banks made sure the Biden $6 billion was going to clear to Iran.


13 posted on 10/12/2023 10:51:19 PM PDT by frank ballenger (You have summoned up a thundercloud. You're gonna hear from me. Anthem by Leonard Cohen)
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To: fireman15

Great video but let’s let it sink in that Biden has declined cognitively and physically since that day.


14 posted on 10/12/2023 10:55:38 PM PDT by frank ballenger (“My job is to inform, not to convince.” St. Bernadette Soubirous )
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To: SeekAndFind

Who’s gonna have to tell the five hostages they need to fly back to Tehran?


15 posted on 10/12/2023 10:56:36 PM PDT by Chad_the_Impaler
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To: SeekAndFind

Temporary or permanent? I bet on the former. Dems relying on Americans’ short attention span.


16 posted on 10/12/2023 11:00:52 PM PDT by kabar
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To: SeekAndFind
Guide to Iran Sanctions - Money and Oil
17 posted on 10/12/2023 11:30:09 PM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: SeekAndFind

13 Oct! Surprise Raid That Brought End of Hamas Elite Unit! Complete Blockade From Israel to Iran!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TweZMMeRsM


18 posted on 10/12/2023 11:34:36 PM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: SeekAndFind

Do you believe what the Biden Administration says?


19 posted on 10/12/2023 11:37:28 PM PDT by McGruff (Don't underestimate Joe's ability to f*** things up - Barack Obama)
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To: SeekAndFind

Now how about reinstating the secondary sanctions so Iran can’t sell China $30 billion dollars worth of oil every year?


20 posted on 10/12/2023 11:46:00 PM PDT by TigersEye (Our Republic is under seige by globalist Marxists. Hold fast!)
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