BREAKING: US, Qatar refreeze $6 billion in Iran hostage payment
Hotair | 10/12/2023 | Ed MorrisseyWell, well, well. Looks like this wasn’t a done deal after all, eh?
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.
The next day:
Qatar Intends to Fulfill US-Iran Deal on $6 Billion
newsmax | 10/13/2023Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said on Friday that his country is committed to fulfilling an agreement with Iran and the U.S. an $6 billion in Iranian funds parked in a Qatar bank.
The $6 billion will be used in accordance with the agreement struck with United States and Iran, he added at a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
” Made you look!”
The Next Rake the Biden Administration Will Step On: …
Claiming that the funds are frozen, His word as a Biden but Iran gets the money anyway and leaves a small 10% tip for Jim Biden to get to the Big Guy.
The Squad: “This is unacceptable. If the funds aren’t unfrozen immediately half of us will join Hamas and the other half Hezbollah. We aren’t kidding around Infidels.”
The next rake the Biden administration will step on …
…. The one that Sideshow Bob missed?
An actual rake, probably. KJP will explain that someone left a rake out in the rain . . .
In a field full of rakes, the legless man is king, but Biden seems to have two relatively functional ones… he’s already stepped on the border crisis with both feet, and stumbled over the response to Israel – he’s set himself up for failure on the energy front, doubling down on EVs that nobody wants… it would be easier to pick the one disaster he’ll miss by falling over several others in quick succession…
The Next Rake the Biden Administration Will Step On: …
Once you’ve got the attention of Valerie Jarrett, more steps are just frosting on the rake.
The Next Rake the Biden Administration Will Step On: …
…well he probably won’t actually step on it, just trip and land on it face first.
Who put that sandbag near that rake??
Air Force One stairmaster.