Pastor Abedini with North Carolina Congressman Robert Pettinger
WASHINGTON – Pastor Saeed Abedini was scheduled to return to U.S. Thursday, after four and a half years of being held captive in Iran. Abedini and four others return's stirred frustration as the Administration revealed the cost of their release.
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) responded to reports the Obama Administration, in addition to giving the terror-sponsoring Iranian regime as much as $100 billion in sanctions relief, used U.S. taxpayer funds and other accounts to pay an additional $1.7 billion to Iran. Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, commander of the Basij volunteer militia force, characterized the $1.7 billion as a "ransom payment."
“While Americans are relieved by the overdue release of the five American hostages in Iran, Iranian leaders are making clear the high cost of the ransom. Secretary of State John Kerry conceded today that the released money will likely go to terrorists. Iran and other terrorist states now have new incentives to take more American hostages, as shown by the Iran-backed militias in Iraq who appear to have taken three more Americans hostages,” said Senator Kirk.
The $1.7 billion payment came amid not only a January 17th “prisoner swap” where the Administration freed seven Iranians held by the United States for violating U.S. sanctions law and ended efforts to arrest 14 others in exchange for Iran’s release of five American hostages, including Christian pastor Saeed Abedini, Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati.
