Obama said that at the time his administration had explained that Iran had taken claims before an global tribunal and, because of litigation risks, the United States made a $1.7 billion settlement with the country to resolve a decades-old arms deal dispute following legal advice and suggestions.
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White House press secretary Josh Earnest insisted the payment was immaterial and said the critical response from Republicans “an indication of just how badly opponents of the Iran deal are struggling to justify their opposition to a successful deal that has prevented, and continues to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon”. But it may end the brewing controversy around his false claim one that recalls his unsupported contention early in the campaign that he saw video of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the 9/11 attacks instead of prolonging a potentially negative news story for the candidate.
But, as several media organizations reported, those briefings had not started yet.
Donald Trump said Friday he didn’t see video on TV of a plane carrying $400 million in cash to Iran, a rare reversal of comments he made on the campaign trail earlier this week. In fact, it showed the recently released American prisoners as they were arriving in Switzerland.
“It was interesting because a tape was made”.
“You saw that with the airplane coming in”.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Merrill Auditorium, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, in Portland, Maine. “Nice plane. And the airplane coming and the money coming off, I guess”.
“That means in order to embarrass us further Iran sent us the tapes, right”.
The money was paid at the same time US hostages were freed, but the president said it was a payment linked to the landmark Iranian nuclear agreement. They want to embarrass our country.
“I woke up yesterday, and I saw $400 million, different currencies, they probably don’t want our currency, different currencies”. They want to embarrass our president. “They want to embarrass our president”. “And he told me we are waiting for another plane, and if that plane take off, then we’re going to let you go”. Trump said. “It’s only for one reason. And it’s very, very sad”.
During his interview with CBS, Kaine disputed those who claim a Clinton-Kaine administration would be a third Obama term. “This wasn’t some nefarious deal”, Obama said.
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The Washington Free Beacon writes that this “documentary” seems to contradict the Obama administration narrative that the $400 million payment wasn’t connected to the release of the hostages, with “the payment having been supplied on the same day these individuals were freed by Iran”. “Now the president, Savannah, can say that that wasn’t a ransom payment, but the whole world knows that it was”.
