Now, a new report from The Wall Street Journal indicates that in addition to the initial $400 million sent to Iran in January, the United States made two more cash payments totaling an additional $1.3 billion. But still – Deborah Ross is silent.
Despite these disturbing developments and recent news reports that “secret” exemptions were made for Iran in last year’s nuclear agreement, Deborah Ross stands in silence behind the flawed deal and the Administration’s ransom payments.
While Deborah Ross has avoided criticism of Iran, the ransom payments, and the nuclear deal, she doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to attacking our own American intelligence agencies.
In 2001, just months after the deadly September 11th terrorist attack, Deborah Ross’ ACLU called American intelligence agencies “dangerous” in a cover story featured in their quarterly newsletter. At the time this article was published Deborah Ross is listed as both Executive Director and Legal Director for the North Carolina ACLU.
From the newsletter:
U.S. Transferred $1.3 Billion More in Cash to Iran After Initial Payment
Wall Street Journal
The Obama administration followed up a planeload of $400 million in cash sent to Iran in January with two more such shipments in the next 19 days, totaling another $1.3 billion, according to congressional officials briefed by the U.S. State, Treasury and Justice departments.
The cash payments—made in Swiss francs, euros and other currencies—settled a decades-old dispute over a failed arms deal dating back to 1979. U.S. officials have acknowledged the payment of the first $400 million coincided with Iran’s release of American prisoners and was used as leverage to ensure they were flown out of Tehran’s Mehrabad on the morning of Jan. 17.
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The Obama administration briefed lawmakers on Tuesday, telling them that two further portions of the $1.3 billion were transferred though Europe on Jan. 22 and Feb. 5. The payment “flowed in the same manner” as the original $400 million that an Iranian cargo plane picked up in Geneva, Switzerland, according to a congressional aide who took part in the briefing.
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The Treasury Department confirmed late Tuesday that the subsequent payments were also made in cash.
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The Obama administration previously had refused to disclose the mechanics of the $1.7 billion settlement, despite repeated calls from U.S. lawmakers. The State Department announced the settlement on Jan. 17 but didn’t brief Congress that the entire amount had been paid in cash.
U.S. lawmakers have voiced concern that Iran’s military units, particularly the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, would use the cash to finance military allies in the Middle East, including the Assad regime in Syria, Houthi militias in Yemen, and the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah.
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