On January 17 the White House announced it was releasing the funds, which had been frozen since 1981, in addition to paying off the interest.
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The real estate billionaire’s campaign had admitted his mistake after the Florida rally, saying the professional-quality video Trump had described seeing was just “b-roll” – archival footage – that showed American hostages deplaning upon their safe return. Abedini said. He went on to say he was told his captors were “waiting for another plane, and if that plane takes off, then we’re going to let you go”.
Abedini told Fox Business News the Iranian guards watching him never made mention of what that plane was carrying or any kind of money or payment from the United States. The timing of the arrival of the cash coincided with the release of the four detained Americans as well as implementation of the nuclear deal, leading to charges that the settlement of the 35-year-old claim was a “ransom” payment. “We don’t have a banking relationship with Iran which is part of the pressure we applied on them”. But they have a ideal tape, obviously done by a government camera, and the tape is of the people taking the money off the plane.
Pastor Saeed Abedini, one of the four American hostages released by Iran on January 16, said that their plane was loaded and ready for departure, but clearance was withheld for hours pending the arrival of another aircraft.
But Trump repeated the claim Thursday during a campaign event in Portland, Maine, even after his spokeswoman had explained his error.
At two rallies, Trump claimed that a video exists of a USA plane bringing Iran $400 million, and that he has seen it.
Asked about recent polls that show Mr. Trump trailing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, Mr. Pence said it’s still “very early” in the campaign.
“I woke up yesterday, and I saw $400 million, different currencies, they probably don’t want our currency, different currencies”.
He continued: “Over there where that plane landed, top secret, they don’t have a lot of paparazzi, you know the paparazzi doesn’t do so well over there, right, and they have a ideal tape done by obviously a government camera, and the tape is of the people taking the money off the plane, right? Nice plane”, he continued.
USA policy forbids ransom payments because they encourage more hostage taking.
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“You saw that with the airplane coming in. Because they want to embarrass our country, and they want to embarrass our president”. “The administration, including President Obama and Secretary Clinton, is responsible for leading America into a deal that will arm Iran, the number one state sponsor of terrorism”.
