By DR. LARRY MOSES
No one asked me but… The relationship between Iran and United States just gets stranger and stranger. Not only did the United States, under the direction of President Obama, pay a $400 million ransom for American’s held prisoner in Iran, it is now disclosed that 13 payments of $999,999,999.99 and one final payment of $10,000,000 classified as interest on the ransom money, was also paid to Iran.
This figure may sound odd but it is important, in that if the payments had been a penny more, it would have required the approval of Congress; and the President wanted no part of that. Under the Judgment Fund, the President is authorized to make settlement payments of less than $1 billion. While the final total ransom was over $13 billion, no single payment hit the $1 billion dollar figure.
The federal government has worked hard at giving the impression that no ransom was paid. The government says it’s a crime to pay ransom to terrorists. The statute makes it a crime to provide “material” support to a terrorist organization and the State Department has classified ransom as such. Once again, we find that there is a double standard; one law for the American public, and another for the government.
The mother of journalist James Foley, who was beheaded by ISIS, was threatened with prosecution if she paid a private ransom to Muslim extremists for the release of her son. An adviser to the Foleys said the family received threats just a few days before Foley was executed in a gruesome video that was placed on line by the extremist Muslim terrorists who had kidnapped him and had asked for $7 million for his release.
A spokeswoman from the National Security Council (NSC) confirmed to ABC News that the Foleys were informed of the law preventing them from paying terrorist organizations a ransom. NSC spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement to ABC News, “The law is clear that ransom payments to designated individuals or entities, such as [ISIS], are prohibited.”
The parents of murdered journalist Steven Sotloff, who was killed by Islamic State extremists, were warned by the White House that they could face criminal prosecution if they paid a ransom to free their son. According to a spokesman for his family, the Sotloffs met with a White House counterterrorism official and were told they were open to prosecution under federal law if they paid a ransom for Sotloff’s release.
“The family felt completely and utterly helpless when they heard this,” the spokesman said adding that the journalist’s father was “shaking” after the meeting with the National Security Council official.
The spokesman also stated that at a separate meeting with State Department officials, the “material support” law was mentioned several times and it was made clear that ransoms to terrorists could result in criminal prosecutions. The Government official stated that the Obama administration follows a strict policy regarding such payments. Viewing it as a form of material aid to terrorist organizations, such money transfers could be considered a violation of federal laws.
The President’s spokesman explained that the $400 million was not a ransom; it was money the Iranian government had paid the United States over 35 years ago. The money was to buy military supplies to support the then-friendly government of Iran headed by the American supported Shah. Before the weapons were shipped, a revolution took place and the Shah was overthrown and an extremist Muslim regime was established. The United States broke off all relations with Iran and the weapons were never shipped. The money was frozen as sanctions were placed on that country.
This revolutionary anti-American regime is the same regime the United States has now given a path to nuclear weapons. The United States has identified this country as a major supporter of extreme Muslim terrorism around the world. The President just bankrolled the extreme Muslim terrorist to the tune of almost two billion dollars in violation of federal law.
This was not the first time America has paid a ransom to Iran. In 1979, students took over the American Embassy and held over forty Americans hostage for 442 days. At that time, the timid Carter administration took all military options off the table and chose to pay an 8 billion dollar ransom to get the Americans back. These stories bring back memories of the Barbary Pirates of the early 1800’s who raided ships that sailed Mediterranean Sea and held the sailors for ransom. The young American nation refused to pay ransom and instead sent Marines to retrieve American citizens.
Am I upset that a ransom was paid and we got our Americans citizens back? No! However, I am upset that the government expects the average American to believe that no ransom was paid. Honesty apparently is not part of the relationship the government wants to have with the people. It also upsets me that the government is allowed to play by one set of rules while the citizens must play by another.
No one asked me but… Do you remember the Christmas you thought you were going to get a bike and on Christmas day, all you got was a new pair of socks.? That is kind of the feeling I have after sitting on the Technical Advisory Committee to Reorganize the CCSD. Last week’s column was a rant against the results. Today it is time to put the socks on. You don’t give up on the bike but it is not here yet.
We did get a chance to form a legislatively protected advisory committee for each of our schools and a community wide educational committee. It is now time to figure out how we maximize the committees for the good of our children.
Our advisory committees at each level need to be formed so the community can help the schools improve their already good results. We in the valley are more fortunate that most of the patrons of CCSD as our children have successful schools to attend. This is due to the great effort of our local administrators and teachers.
November elections are coming and we need to remember our friends. Senators Joe Hardy and Pete Goicoechea, Assemblymen James Oscarson, and Chris Edwards are all people we need to support for re-election in November. We had a great deal of support from Senator Roberson, Assemblymen David Gardner, and Stephen Silberkraus. County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick has been very supportive of the educational efforts of our community.
Thought of the week… Doctors bury their mistakes, lawyers send their mistakes to prisons, and teacher’s mistakes end up elected to the school board.
