Obama cites Americans’ release as win for ‘smart’ diplomacy
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama enters the Cabinet Room of the White House to speak about the release of Americans by Iran, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, in Washington.
WASHINGTON >> President Barack Obama on Sunday heralded the release of Americans held prisoner in Iran and the full implementation of a historic nuclear accord with the Islamic Republic, holding both up as victories for “smart” diplomacy and his pledge to deal directly with enemies of the United States.
“This is a good day,” Obama said in a statement from the White House. “When Americans are freed and returned to their families, that’s something we can all celebrate.”
The president spoke at the close of an extraordinary weekend of diplomacy that saw the back-to-back release of the five Americans and the lifting of billions in international sanctions on Iran as part of the nuclear accord.
Yet underscoring the strain that continues to exist between the U.S. and Iran, the Obama administration also announced new penalties Sunday on 11 individuals and entities involved in Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
“We will continue to enforce these sanctions vigorously,” Obama said. “We are going to remain vigilant about it.”
For Obama, the diplomatic breakthroughs are a validation of his early promises to deal directly with nations such as Iran. The U.S. and Iran broke off diplomatic relations after the 1979 hostage-taking of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
“America can do — and has done — big things when we work together,” Obama said. “We can lead this world and make it safer and more secure.”
The nuclear talks have brought a sense of normalcy to relations with the U.S. and Iran, with top officials from each country in somewhat regular communication. But Obama emphasized that the U.S. continues to have deep concerns about Iran’s destabilizing actions in the Middle East and its threats to Israel.
Obama spoke shortly after the Americans began their journey home. A charter plane left Tehran for Switzerland with the Americans — all four who had been detained, according to Iran state television, or only three, the U.S. said — as part of a prisoner swap.
Within hours of their release, the U.S. imposed sanctions against those involved in Iran’s ballistic missile program as a result of Tehran’s firing of a medium-range ballistic missile.
U.N. experts said in a report in December that the missile test in October violated sanctions banning Iran from launches capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
A U.S. Treasury official said Iran’s ballistic missile program poses “a significant threat to regional and global security.”
36 responses to “Obama cites Americans’ release as win for ‘smart’ diplomacy”
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Patting himself on the back for a bad deal where we exchanged 21 convicted Iranian for 4 Americans not yet charged/tried victims, released 100 billions sanctioned funds,plus allowing them to further their ballistic weaponry and only temporarily delaying their nuclear bomb program. Evidently fulfilling his legacy meant more than the security of our Nation? Sad day for us.
Don’t believe Ted Cruz. The US did NOT exchange “21 convicted terrorists.” The US released 7 Iranians who were NOT charged with terrorism or other violent crimes, and agreed not to pursue 14 others who were highly unlikely ever to be in US custody. 3 of the Iranians, unconnected, were waiting to be tried for violation of the sanctions, which are now lifted. Another was convicted but NOT for terrorism or even for violating sanctions; he hacked a Vermont software company. Another was convicted of selling satellite consulting services to IranIt is not true that the Americans were “not yet charged/tried,” which is not to defend the Iranian trials. The sanctions were put in place to force Iran to curtail its nuclear weapons program, and, when Iran complied with all of the terms under which the sanctions were imposed, the sanctions were lifted. If only Bush had been this successful in North Korea. The sanctions were imposed by the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council + Germany, and they were lifted by those countries, not by Obama.
Thanks for debunking his continuing lies.
Let’s hope they don’t give a similar deal to North Korea or we will be helpless and doomed.
You completely misunderstand what has happened in Iran. If there were a similar deal in North Korea, the North Korean nuclear weapons program would be stopped. As it is, thanks to Bush’s failure to follow Clinton’s policy, North Korea has nuclear weapons.
agree While many of the Republican candidates are begging for more disastrous wars and puffing out their ridiculous chests, President Obama is moving forward with actual solutions that do not require more blood. I am shocked that anyone could support any of the irresponsible, dangerous, anti-American Republicans.
spell check substituted “unconnected” for “unconnected” in my post above
Don’t worry about it. If SA doesn’t allow us to edit our errors.
agree. Cruz is just a tireless liar. He is a very irresponsible person. He is taking advantage of very ignorant people who believe him. Scary man
Just like that lunatic Trump.
Can’t have everything when a human life is on the line. Just be happy that we our prisoner back alive.
The exchange was all in favor of Iran. How can Obama even think this was a win for America?
I guess you believe any garbage you are told by the war mongers.
Too early to tell how smart this was.
Great to get them back, but was a better deal possible?
In the meanwhile Iran is developing and testing ballistic missiles, and from what I have read, its military nuclear weapons facilities are essentially off-limit to inspection.
An hour has passed since your post so I will opine. Now it’s easy to see that except for the freed Americans and their friends and family this is crapola. We traded folks suspected of stealing technology for five knuckleheads who had no reason to be in Iran.
Also, maybe we just learned why the Europeans were in favor of the deal. Iran announced plans to buy 114 Airbus airplanes with the released funds.
Europe did better than us on this. From what I read, no Boeings are ordered. In addition, Iran cheap oil will be back on the market, undercutting our more expensive domestic oil production.
India and China are mere likely to buy the oil.
Saudi Arabia, which can survive low prices for much longer than Iran, will pump as much oil as possible in order to depress the world price and harm Iran.
Leading from behind, it’s working really well.
President Obama is doing a very good job. Am surprised how racist Congress has been to him. Giving Iran and Cuba forgiveness starts a new and possibly better future for the world. Probably not for Israel. Too bad, Bibi babes.
It seems that Israel would rather make war with Iran Than make peace.
Israel calls the shos in Congress.
The President abandoned Israel.
No, God calls the shots. And He’s got Israel’s back.
Now Congress is racist for not doing what Obama tells them to do.
great diplomacy for world peace. The Nobel Prize Committee was right. Republicans think the deal for Obama care is bad. What do they know?
Obama is either really gullible or pursing an anti-American agenda. Kerry is worse. Two fools in charge of our foreign relations and defense.
So you think 6 nations (the P5+1) are “gullible” because they effectively dismantled a dangerous county’s nuclear weapons program? Really? This is a symptom of severe Obama derangement syndrome.
Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who was held captive all this time.
They’re both delusional with what’s happening in the Middle East.
The President must be delusional if he thinks he won.
Actually, we ALL won because we didn’t have to go to war to free a bunch of idiots who had no business being there to begin with.
Conservatives criticized Obama for not (they thought) negotiating for the release of American prisoners, and then, when he won their release, they criticize him for freeing them. I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning!
Cruz criticizing Barry “…saying the Obama administration is “negotiating with terrorists” and suggested the deal is part of the president’s overall weak foreign policy.” Then, in the next breath he says “Praise God, Americans are coming home,”…”
Auwe, cannot win with some people.
Link from Fox:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/01/17/cruz-on-prisoner-swap-obama-administration-was-negotiating-with-terrorists.html
Republicans are quick to dissolve President, Obama. If we had a Republican President, the Republicans would be calling what Obama did, a hero.
Since neither Obama nor Gore are smart, it must have been someone else that was smart, most likely the Iranians. Again, Obama gave more that we received. – – – – Obama is stlll preoccupied in showing he met all his pre-election promises, even though it requires the U.S. to always get the shortend of the stick to help Obama achieve his agenda, which may be bad or terrible for the U.S. I wish Obama would just publish his book and then stop this incessant drive. And I’m not talking about his constant golf all over the country and elsewhere. It certainly isn’t him driving a vehicle. He has probably forgotten how to drive and will still get chauffeurs and limos in after his Presidency.