Iran: New ransom demand confirms fears
- Thursday, 27 October 2016 17:42
Fears that Iran might start taking more hostages following the large cash payment made by Obama’s administration earlier this year have been confirmed. The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said that Iran is demanding at least $4 million in exchange for the safe return of a U.S. resident.
Earlier this week, Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., told the Washington Examiner: “Just as I feared, the Iranian regime now has more American hostages and wants more money. The Obama administration's $1.7 billion cash payment to Iran wasn’t just bad policy — it put additional lives at risk. ... Iran should release all American hostages immediately and unconditionally.”
Permanent U.S. resident and Lebanese citizen Nizar Zakka was recently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on charges of spying. Zakka told his lawyer that he regime informed him that he would remain in prison until the United States made a payment of $4 million.
Republicans, including Royce, have said for months that Iran is more likely to take more hostages after the $400 million cash payment to Iran in January this year in exchange for the release of four American hostages.
Obama’s administration say that the payment was unrelated to the hostage releases, but the Washington Examiner explains that “officials have admitted that the payment was delayed to gain leverage in the hostage negotiations”.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla. said that prisoners held in Iran are “pawns in a dangerous game as Iran continues to use the nuclear deal as leverage to extract more and more concessions from the U.S. The obvious consequence of paying ransom to terrorists is that you have just demonstrated that hostage taking can be financially beneficial. The administration and all responsible nations must take a stand and take immediate action to secure the unconditional release of all hostages and put an end to Iran's repeated violations of human rights.”
Jonathan Schanzer from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said: “What was more important to ask is whether the Iranians viewed it that way [as a ransom payment]. And now, it appears clear that they do.” He added that Iran wants the money because it did not get as many benefits it expected following the nuclear deal. Foreign investment is slow, for example.
Speaking about Zakka’s case, a State Department official said that the government is “deeply concerned” and is calling on Iran to release him “as soon as possible”. While not giving any specific details, they said: “What we can say is that we make all appropriate efforts to work for the release of any unjustly detained U.S. citizens held overseas. That said, the United States does not pay ransom.”
Speaking about Zakka’s case, a State Department official said that the government is “deeply concerned” and is calling on Iran to release him “as soon as possible”. While not giving any specific details, they said: “What we can say is that we make all appropriate efforts to work for the release of any unjustly detained U.S. citizens held overseas. That said, the United States does not pay ransom.”
During a recent interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the U.S. and Iran are “currently conducting conversations” for more American payments to Iran. He suggested the possibility of holding “parallel” talks regarding the prisoners. He said: “Perhaps these dialogues can be still conducted simultaneously on parallel tracks while we’re conducting these same conversations in order to free the sums of money that are still owed to us.”
