http://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2023/10/10/biden-administration-refuses-to-consider-refreezing-irans-6-billion-n2629646
By Spencer Brown
Townhall
October 10, 2023
Bambi in the headlights ~
The Biden administration refused to consider the idea of re-freezing the $6 billion released to Iran as part of a deal to exchange prisoners earlier this year, even after explaining how Iran — for years — has aided and facilitated Hamas terrorism.
"You just laid out all the ways that Iran is complicit in [Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel] and facilitated it over years of support for Hamas — is that reason enough to re-freeze the $6 billion that the U.S. helped unlock for them to get in exchange for the prisoners?" asked Fox News Channel's Jacqui Heinrich in Tuesday's White House press briefing.
"We have not yet had a dollar of that $6 billion spent, and I will leave it at that," Biden's National Security Advisor responded, ignoring the actual question in order to avoid answering it.
"But will you re-freeze it based on this activity that you just laid out, all of the ways that they are complicit in this?" pressed Heinrich of the horrific scenes that have played out around Israel including the beheading of babies in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. "Will you prevent it from getting into their hands?" she questioned.
Still, Sullivan wasn't having any of the line of questioning from Heinrich. "Let me just reiterate what I said because it's unequivocal: not a dollar of that money has been spent and I will leave it at that," Sullivan said, again refusing to consider her actual question.
Heinrich tried one more time, asking whether re-freezing the money is even being considered by the Biden administration, but Sullivan ignored her question and called on another reporter.
Townhall.com (@townhallcom) ~ Jake Sullivan refuses to say whether or not Biden will seek to re-freeze $6 billion in assets for Iran.
http://twitter.com/i/status/1711821425126883601
Why not re-freeze the $6 billion? You know - EVERYONE KNOWS - that the Iranians are murderous terrorists who lie to your face and never keep their word, so ...
Have they released the 5 hostages from the original deal? You gave them 5 Iranians in return, so call it even and re-freeze the $6 billion. Sounds eminently fair to me.
If the Iranians complain about it, tell them to f**k off.
I mean ... the head of the Biden administration is demonstrably a corrupt liar, so why should he have any problem with reneging on a deal with the Iranians, eh?
What Sullivan's statement means — even when accepting their premise that Iran hasn't touched the $6 billion yet — is that the Biden administration won't commit to re-freezing the funds freed up for Iran, nor will the Biden administration commit to any action to prevent Iran from having access to the funds in the future even as one of Iran's terrorist subsidiaries carries out a devastating and barbaric attack on Israel.
If, as the Biden administration maintains, Iran hasn't touched the $6 billion yet, why wouldn't Biden now prevent them from using it to either directly support more terrorism or to offset costs and free up other funds for terror sponsorship?
Later in the briefing, Sullivan also refused to say whether or not the Biden administration regrets negotiating with Iran for the $6 billion prisoner swap. Instead of answering the question, Sullivan reframed the question and said "the United States does not regret bringing home American citizens who have been unjustly detained abroad" — without including the fact that doing so required negotiating with the murderous Iranian regime and restoring their access to $6 billion in addition to the exchanged prisoners.
That Sullivan was unwilling to entertain the idea of re-freezing the funds is somewhat unsurprising given President Biden's remarks earlier on Tuesday. Despite reiterating the United States' support for Israel and its right to self-defense, there was no mention of Iran's work to fund and support Hamas and other terrorist groups seeking to murder Israeli civilians and destroy their country.
Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) ~ No mention of Iran in Biden's remarks and restrained verbal response to the murder of Americans. Weak.
As with most of Biden's remarks, the president refused to answer questions from reporters following his remarks and shuffled off while they asked Biden directly whether he would re-freeze the funds released to Iran.
Townhall.com (@townhallcom) ~ "Will you re-freeze the $6 billion Mr. President?!"
http://twitter.com/i/status/1711813004218507290
The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted. ~ D.H. Lawrence
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