The Obama administration paid Iran $1.7 billion to settle claims related to the incomplete sale of military weapons before the Iranian Revolution in 1979. The Treasury Department with held $400 million of that payment to make sure Iran released the four American hostages they were holding. Republicans in congress said that was a ransom payment and that the republican controlled U.S. House would vote to censure the President this week.
Of course, with holding the $400 million was a reasonable and smart move by the administration to make sure Iran complied on their release of the hostages. It was also the American thing to do and not ransom. There are 3 reasons why the republicans want to call it ransom. (1) It is an election year and they will try to damage the President and Clinton any way they can. (2) President Reagan sold arms to Iran in exchange for hostages in the Iran-Contra scandal while Iran was on the list as a sponsor of terror. It is the republican way of trying to redeem Reagan's decision because Reagan told the people he would never negotiate with terrorists, denied he did and then had to admit the truth. (3) Republicans still want to create an issue to scuttle the treaty with Iran which is working. That ticks them off because they know President George W. Bush did nothing to stop the advance of N. Korea or Iran's nuclear programs.
The republican controlled congress is still a do nothing congress so they think filling up time with a censure vote of the President is an accomplishment. The November elections need to return congress to democratic control and bring back a congress that is a working congress for all the people and the country.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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