Discussion: US Official: Plane Carrying Freed Americans Has Left Iran

Discussion for article #244784

This is great news indeed. Secretary deserves great credit - the energy it took to complete the Iran deal and then negotiate the release of prisoners had to be exhausting. I had read (not on Al Jazeera :smile:that he had established a good relationship with Javad Zarif was the key and that the two actually like each other.

It is interesting however, the way the media is spinning this
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iran-releases-post-correspondent-jason-rezaian-iranian-reports-say/2016/01/16/e8ee7858-ba38-11e5-829c-26ffb874a18d_story.html

  • But the agreement also contains significant political risk for a
    White House that is staking its legacy on Iran’s willingness to
    comply with unprecedented curbs and extensive monitoring of its
    nuclear program. The pact — which has been repeatedly condemned by
    the Israeli government as well as by members of Congress from both
    parties — drew fresh attacks Saturday from Republican presidential
    contenders, some of whom blasted the deal as a sellout to Iran’s
    clerical rulers.

    The nuclear pact calls on Iran to dismantle key nuclear equipment in
    a deal designed to ensure that Iranian officials could never
    accumulate enough fissile material to build a nuclear bomb. The
    agreement also requires unprecedented inspections and monitoring
    covering all aspects of Iran’s nuclear program, from uranium mining
    to research facilities.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif echoed Kerry’s remarks,
    saying on Twitter that “diplomacy requires patience, but we all know
    that it sure beats the alternatives.” Implementation of the deal,
    Zarif said, meant that “it’s now time for all — especially Muslim
    nations — to join hands and rid the world of violent extremism. Iran
    is ready.”

    The release of prisoners had not been officially part of negotiations
    between Iran and the six world powers: the United States, Russia,
    China, Britain, France and Germany. But Kerry frequently raised the
    plight of imprisoned U.S. citizens during last year’s nuclear talks.

    The Obama administration had come under heavy criticism for
    concluding the nuclear accord without winning the release of American
    detainees, including Rezaian, 39, whose 544-day detention is the
    longest ever by a Western journalist in Iran. White House officials
    confirmed that the swap was clinched during months of secret talks
    that gained momentum in the days before the nuclear pact was formally
    implemented.

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The president is about to speak this morning

I didn’t realize Robert Levinson was detained in Iran in March of 2007 under the esteemed administration of George W. Bush. I don’t remember, but you can be sure the republicans didn’t make a big deal out of that and what if anything did the Bush admin do to get him back?>

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I am confident the Iranian government will comply. Of course, going forward there surely will be disagreements and differing interpretations of the requirements, but it is infinitely better to argue over these interpretations than to go to war.

Also, Iran would face the brunt of a full return of economic sanctions if they violate the terms of the agreement. They know the stakes are high, especially after their economy was decimated by years of sanctions.

They also face pressure from another source: the Iranian people, largely young, educated, and somewhat Westernized. They have been pushing for an end to the high unemployment, and economic and diplomatic isolation they have experienced as citizens of a pariah nation.

And they want the same opportunities – to get an education, study, travel, and enjoy a higher standard of living for themselves and their families – that citizens of many other countries enjoy.

As far as the media, they unfortunately tend to the shallow, trivial and dramatic, and too often only serve as a mouthpiece for the most unhinged opposition.

And since the election of President Obama, the Republicans are only motivated by hatred, resentment and phony outrage. To their shame and everlasting disgrace, not one of them has praised this administration for forcing Iran into compliance.

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And it was a good statement he made.

Very little. There had been some local coverage in recent years of Levinson’s plight in my area because the man was from South Florida. Apparently, he engaged in a mission, the details of which are somewhat murky, that was not adequately worked out by the Bush administration, and he appears to have fallen into hostile hands.

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Amen to that but I am still troubled by how little real credit he is given or should I say they are pointing out all the negatives that could happen instead of giving this President the credit he deserves. I read that the Levinsons are complaining the president hasn’t done enough to free him yet what did the Bush admin do since he was captured under the Bush admin

I happened to be on the phone with my republican conservative ill informed sister this morning when they announced the plane had landed with the released prisoners and she just grumbled under her breath

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I have a group of very close persian friends who have been friends for 30 years. Three of them became citizens just so they could vote for Obama. They are wonderful people with a wonderful culture and most persians love America, One of my friend’s sister was ill in Iran and in hospital and she went to see her and literally if she needed medicine and other medical supplies, she had to go buy them and bring them back to the hospital, that’s how serious these sanctions affected the Iranian people and yet most of them understood why the USA and other countries imposed sanctions. They have no love lost for the Iranian government.

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Chammy, don’t hold your breath too long waiting for the Republicans to give President Obama a scrap of credit – I for one would surely miss you.

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I agree that the sanctions hit the Iranian people very hard, and I hope they can soon get on with their lives and enjoy the benefits of peace and, hopefully, prosperity.

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Wonder if this will get any recognition by the wannabes…

Except for the donnie taking credit for his blusterBS having been the pivotal motivation.