Did Obama Pay $400 Million Secret Ransom to Iran?

While the Obama administration has said there was no such deal, it is reported that money worth $400 million was paid in January to Iran in exchange of the four American hostages captured by the Islamic nation.

In response to the reports of the quid pro quo deal, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman Reince Priebus said that the Obama-Clinton foreign policy not only means cutting a dangerous nuclear deal with the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism, it also means paying them a secret ransom with cargo planes full of cash.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), wooden pallets stacked with euros, Swiss francs, and other currencies were flown into Iran on an unmarked cargo plane. The U.S. procured the money from the central banks of the Netherlands and Switzerland, the WSJ reported Wednesday.

The U.S. government prohibits the payment of ransom to get hostages released because it may lead to more incidents of abduction.

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Earlier, the mother of an American journalist James Foley who was reportedly beheaded and killed by the terrorist outfit ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) had said she was not allowed by the U.S. administration to save her son.

In an interview with CNN, the mother had claimed the government officials suggested that the family can’t pay ransom to get Foley released from his captors, as paying ransom is not permitted under law, and paying ransom to ISIS will encourage them to kidnap more Americans.

It was stated that Foley’s captors had demanded 100 million euros ($132.5 million) for his release.

But, it’s alleged, the Obama administration arbitrarily changed its ransom rule to get the hostages released from Iran.

[ Also Read: ISIS Demands $200 Million to Release Japanese Hostages ]

“This reckless arrangement is not only a major breach of longstanding U.S. policy, it also means millions of dollars potentially finding their way into the pockets of terrorist organizations while putting a price on the head of every American,” Priebus said Wednesday.

He also said this secret deal with Iran only shows how comfortable the Obama administration is hiding the truth from the American people. At a time when our country is newly concerned about terrorist attacks, we can no longer afford such unprincipled and out-of-touch leadership on the world stage, Priebus stated.

Photo courtesy: White House