# Iran hostages for money -2016 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 3, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643 "2016-08-03T15:59:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/21 "2016-08-06T16:47:10Z")
See this is why private email servers are a big deal, when the administration does business off the books it becomes impossible to know if they’re doing the right thing. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/22 "2016-08-06T17:02:59Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > See this is why private email servers are a big deal, when the administration does business off the books it becomes impossible to know if they’re doing the right thing. You think you would have had access to any emails relating to this? This was announced and covered by the press in January. Where was the outrage then? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/23 "2016-08-06T17:15:22Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > So now we’re calling it optics? > > The President of the United states didn’t transfer money through normal banking methods that can be legitimately traced. Instead he sent a plane full of money to a terrorist state which held the hostages at the airport until the plane arrived. they then bragged about it. > > It was ransom money. Obama jut gave 400 million dollars to a terrorist group that routinely calls for the destruction of the United States. The FBI is working night and day to stop the support of terrorists and this fool does everything possible to accelerate Iran’s nuclear program. > > Nothing good will come of this. None of this is new or was secret, except that it was cash. Why should we care if it was cash? How does that change anything? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/24 "2016-08-06T17:15:47Z")
This wasn’t just an ex post facto excuse to transfer money either. Iran had a case in the Hague that was expected to come down against the United States for seven billion. The US settled for the $1.7b to avoid a much larger payment. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/25 "2016-08-06T17:44:03Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > None of this is new or was secret, except that it was cash. Why should we care if it was cash? How does that change anything? WOW. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/26 "2016-08-06T18:10:15Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > WOW. ? What’s special about cash? The amount was well publicized in January. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/27 "2016-08-06T18:20:31Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > ? > > What’s special about cash? The amount was well publicized in January. Cash is _nefarious_. The fact that it’s illegal for us to send US dollars doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/28 "2016-08-06T19:00:36Z")
We didn’t send US dollars so it really doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643/29 "2016-08-06T19:06:53Z")
It’s interesting how some people cannot believe that Super Pacs can keep from intermingling with campaigns, but are perfectly happy to believe that two negotiating teams from Iran can do just that just fine and dandy. The most parsimonious explanation is that the whole thing was one big deal, even if we didn’t want it to look like one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iran-hostages-for-money-2016/761643.md?page=1)