Iranian Prisoner Exchange? The Nuke deals hostages?

[Averageman]

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/01/16/iran-state-tv-4-dual-national-prisoners-released/21298223/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-1586231559_htmlws-sb-bb
A report by the semi-official ISNA news agency quoted a statement from the Tehran prosecutor's office as saying the inmates were freed "within the framework of exchanging prisoners." It did not elaborate.

U.S. officials would not immediately confirm the announcement, but they had indicated a prisoner deal would be separate from Saturday's expected "implementation" of the landmark nuclear agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Vienna to meet U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, spoke cryptically of a possible negotiation.


After this last weeks debacle with the Navy's boats this comes to light.
I had a feeling the whole idea of the bill being before the Legislative Branch, the Hostages and the Sailors were all inter related.
This kind of confirms that.

[Averageman]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/14/speaker-ryan-tries-to-enforce-iran-vote-deadline-and-it-doesnt-go-well.html?intcmp=ob_article_sidebar_video&intcmp=obinsite
The legislation, though, is a high-priority item for many lawmakers and came just hours after Iran released 10 U.S. sailors who apparently had drifted into their waters. The incident was resolved diplomatically, but the Iranians’ treatment of the sailors – including videotaping an apparent apology – infuriated some on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers across the Capitol also have been eager to consider additional sanctions against Iran in the wake of ballistic missile tests, including a December launch near a U.S. aircraft carrier stationed in the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign policy hawks stepped up their criticism of the White House after it reversed a decision to impose new sanctions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/middleeast/iran-sanctions-lifted-nuclear-deal.html
International inspectors confirmed Saturday that Iran had dismantled large sections of its nuclear program, as agreed in a historic accord last summer, paving the way for the lifting of oil and financial sanctions by the United States and other world powers.
The announcement came just hours after Iran said it had released four Americans, including a Washington Post reporter, Jason Rezaian, as part of a prisoner swap with the United States. American officials said the two deals were negotiated separately, but Secretary of State John Kerry had made it clear in recent weeks that he was engaged in behind-the-scenes talks on the fate of the Americans, and clearly wanted the issue cleared up before the nuclear agreement went into effect.

[Averageman]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-iran-prisoner-exchange_569bb00ce4b0b4eb759ead48?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost&section=world

President Barack Obama celebrated "a good day" after his administration's successful prisoner exchange with Iran and last year's nuclear deal, which the president said would stop Iran from getting its hands on a nuclear bomb.

"This is a good day, because once again we're seeing what's possible with strong American diplomacy," Obama said in a Sunday statement at the White House.

The president touted his administration's efforts at diplomacy, "rather than resorting to another war in the Middle East," for advancing relations between the two adversaries. Obama also pointed to the speedy release of U.S. sailors who had strayed into Iranian waters and were briefly detained on Friday as more evidence of the benefits of diplomacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ted-cruz-iran-prisoners_569bb242e4b0778f46f9a027?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost&section=world

Nima Golestaneh, a 30-year-old Iranian national who will be released, was not even charged with violating sanctions. Golestaneh was being prosecuted for allegedly hacking a Vermont-based engineering and software company to steal business secrets. Another man was convicted of providing satellite consulting services to Iran, which helped the country launch a satellite in 2005.

Three of the men were waiting to be tried for allegedly selling electronics to Iran, which the U.S. government had said could have been used to help the country's nuclear program. The men have said they were selling parts for surge protectors that shield computers from thunderstorms, according to The Washington Post.

The U.S. has, of course, maintained that the actions of most of those being released helped the Iranian regime. Economic sanctions were designed to cut off access to money and goods and services, creating a bad situation for the regime. American banks including JPMorgan Chase have settled allegations that they violated Iran sanctions, without any individuals being prosecuted.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/16/iran-releases-4-american-prisoners-including-pastor-and-reporter-in-swap-us-official-says.html

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said the congressman and his staff are “glad” about the Americans being released but awaiting details on the “ransom paid for their freedom.”

The release of prisoners did not include Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent last seen in Iran but whose status is unknown. The 67-year-old disappeared in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission.

The administration official said U.S. negotiators raised the issue of Levinson “at every opportunity” but were not able to achieve resolution on his whereabouts or on bringing him home. However, the officials said such discussions will continue.

We've just seen a complete power shift in the M.E. with this.
I can understand this out of control POTUS doing this, it is part of his agenda, but Paul Ryan standing by and saying "I dunno" is pretty sad.
This time next year I would guess the turmoil we are seeing now will seem very small in comparison.

[Pilot1]

What a complete, and utter CLUSTER.

FUBAR!

[Averageman]

http://www.aol.com/article/2016/01/17/cruz-rubio-say-iran-prisoner-swap-a-dangerous-precedent/21298566/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-74339602_htmlws-sb-bb

Cruz, speaking to Fox News Sunday, said, "Praise God that the prisoners are coming home" but Iran got the better end of the prisoner swap.
"We released seven terrorists who had helped Iran with their nuclear program, and we agreed not to prosecute another 14 terrorists for doing the same thing. That's 21 terrorists helping Iran develop nuclear weapons that they intend to use to try to murder us," Cruz said.
He said the deal was a "very dangerous precedent."
Obama on Sunday defended the move describing the release as a "reciprocal, humanitarian gesture" that was a one-time event.
But Rubio, speaking on NBC's Meet the Press, said the deal traded American "hostages" for Iranian "prisoners who did commit a crime".
Obama has "put price on the head of every American abroad," Rubio said. "Our enemies now know that if you can capture an American, you can get something meaningful in exchange for it."

So much for the whole "We don't negotiate with Terrorists" thing.
I'm wondering who does the negotiating and Why they didn't set releasing the Hostages immediately as part of the agreement to set down at the table and discuss anything?
We've set a terrible precedent here between the Berhgdahl deal and this one we set a price and told everyone we will negotiate and we wont protect Americans abroad.

[Averageman]

And here we go!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/americans-missing-baghdad_569bf75ee4b0ce496424d475?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost&section=world
WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. government is aware of reports that three U.S. citizens have gone missing in Iraq and is working with Iraqi authorities to find them, a U.S. State Department official said on Sunday.

"We are aware of reports that American citizens are missing in Iraq," the State Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said when asked about pan-Arab news channel Al Arabiya's report that three U.S. citizens were said to have been kidnapped in Baghdad. "We are working with the full cooperation of the Iraqi authorities to locate and recover the individuals."

[Moose-Knuckle]

State Department Agrees To Pay $1.7 Billion In US Taxpayer Dollars To Iran
http://dailycaller.com/2016/01/17/state-department-agrees-to-pay-1-7-billion-in-us-taxpayer-dollars-to-iran/#ixzz3xaNwTjhP


U.S. to pay Iran $1.7 billion in legal settlement
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/17/politics/us-pays-iran-1-7-billion/

[Averageman]

I'm not sure that when someone takes your Embassy and you seize their 400 Million, which by the way was spent by the Shah for weapons systems, not by the Terrorists who seized power. Thirty or Forty years later they can expect 1.3 Trillion Dollars in interest on that money.
If that works, can the families of those that were held against their will in Iran then expect a payout for the time they were kidnapped?

We paid the ransom, hours later we have more folks disappearing, who would have guessed it?
We might as well have Pee Wee Herman running the State Department.

[Averageman]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/americans-kidnapped-in-iraq_569ca119e4b0778f46f9de95?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=WorldPost&section=world
The U.S. Embassy confirmed Sunday that "several" Americans have gone missing in Iraq, after local media reported that three Americans had been kidnapped in the Iraqi capital.

U.S. Embassy spokesman Scott Bolz said, "We are working in full cooperation with Iraqi authorities to locate the missing Americans."

Bolz did not identify the missing Americans or say what they were doing in Iraq.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said that "due to privacy considerations" he had nothing further to add about the missing Americans. "The safety and security of Americans abroad is our highest priority," Kirby said.

Col. Steve Warren, the Baghdad based spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, confirmed that the individuals were civilians.

This isn't going to end well. One of the ways ISIS makes it's money is kidnapping. This deal gave the green light to anyone in the ME to make some money jacking Americans.

[The_War_Wagon]

The strutting pigeon will THINK himself Reagan's equal now :rolleyes: , but;

A) all Reagan had to do was take the oath of office, and then they KNEW they were in deep kimchi. They let the hostages GO immediately - and...

B) they let ALL the hostages go. UNLIKE Barry the Bull-shiiter, whose surren - I mean, "negotiating" - skills (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/17/families-still-await-release-two-americans-believed-to-be-detained-in-iran.html), are much more suspect...

[Averageman]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2016/01/18/missing-americans-in-baghdad-reportedly-kidnapped-from-brothel-apartment.html
A group of Americans who disappeared in Baghdad over the weekend were kidnapped from their interpreter's apartment, according to multiple Iraqi sources.

A police major general described the apartment as a brothel, The Washington Post reports, adding that it was subject to frequent raids by Shiite militias. However, many people in the region refer to any building that accepts foreigners as a "brothel."

I'm thinking some of these guys may regret that choice of establishments.