Cruz slams Iran prisoner swap

Politico ^ | 01/17/16 | Isaac Arnsdorf

[Isara]

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz says the deal that freed four prisoners held in Iran makes America less safe because it emboldens its enemies to seize captives.

"It reflects a pattern we've seen in the Obama administration over and over again of negotiating with terorrists and making deals and trades that endanger U.S. safety and security," the Republican presidential hopeful said on "Fox News Sunday."

With the seven prisoners the U.S. released and 14 more it agreed not to prosecute, "that's 21 terrorists helping Iran develop nuclear weapons that they intend to use to murder us," Cruz said. "The result of this - every bad actor on earth has been told, 'Go capture Americans.' If you want to get terrorists out of jail, capture an American ... President Obama is in the let's-make-a-deal business. That's a really dangerous precedent."

The senator compared the swap to handover of five Taliban held in the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in exchange for captured Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl.

Asked about his pledge to unleash military fury against any country that captures American military personnel, Cruz said he would have done so even though the10 sailors seized last week by Iran were rather quickly released.

He also defended his threat to "carpet bomb" the Islamic State, saying the U.S. used the same tactic during Operation Desert Storm. Fox host Chris Wallace, though, pointed out that military experts consider those precision strikes, not carpet-bombing.

Shown the covers of New York tabloids assailing the Texas senator for his "New York values" comment in Thursday's debate, Cruz laughed.

"It is certainly amusing to see the media elite in New York and D.C. run around with their hair on fire," he said. "People in the rest of the country understand exactly what that is."

Wallace also questioned Cruz on the Senate crop-insurance vote that he changed within three minutes from no to yes. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said he intervened to tell Cruz the vote would hurt him in Iowa.

Cruz told Wallace he always intended to yes, but his staff mixed up which measure was being voted on.

[Isara]

With the seven prisoners the U.S. released and 14 more it agreed not to prosecute, "that's 21 terrorists helping Iran develop nuclear weapons that they intend to use to murder us," Cruz said. "The result of this - every bad actor on earth has been told, 'Go capture Americans.' If you want to get terrorists out of jail, capture an American ... President Obama is in the let's-make-a-deal business. That's a really dangerous precedent."

[patq]

Ted riding on Trump’s coattails again. Its a sign of weakness.

[MarMema]

He is so way behind. I was on the Chechen border back in the late 90’s and encouraged to not speak English in public. Capturing Americans dates back there to those visiting or residing in Russia or surrounding areas.

Sorry, Cruz, no one needed this event to have that idea.

[skeeter]

Taliban combatants for a minister.

I'm glad our guy is out but if I were Secty of State I wouldn't be crowing about it.

[erlayman]

Iran naturally believed that this was a provocative act and was perfectly within their rights to capture our soldiers. Bringing Iran into the mainstream is in the interest of the United States. The country we ought to be isolating is Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States.

[FourPeas]

The next POTUS will likely have to deal with this and make tough decisions. Hopefully we’ll elect a man of principles to the office who won’t make deals further endangering Americans.