Obama's Iranian bribes

Washington Examiner:

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, once again denounced the nuclear deal with Iran as an "illegitimate" agreement following news that President Obama gave the regime $400 million pertaining to an unrelated matter in conjunction with the release of four American hostages.

"It is nothing but a series of bribes and secret agreements that will do nothing to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear capability, yet will provide funding for their sponsorship of terrorism and encourage them to detain more of our citizens. This 'deal' should be ripped to shreds immediately before more damage is done."

President Obama's team denied that the $400 million, flown into the country in cash in various currencies, was a ransom payment. Instead, his spokesman insisted that it was simply the first installment in repaying $1.7 billion that the Iranian regime paid in 1979 for military equipment that was never delivered.
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Iranian officials insisted on the payment in the context of releasing the prisoners because they "wanted the cash to show they had gained something tangible," according to the Wall Street Journal. Earnest refused to say if the prisoners would have been released without the payment being made.
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Thus it becomes an incentive to take more Americans hostage and that is exactly what Iran has done since the payment was made.  It would be a mistake for any American to visit Iran for any purpose, including to see sick relatives at this point.

Cruz is right about this shameful agreement.