Secretary of State Kerry: 5 prisoners released in swap with Iran; nuke deal bolstered exchange
Speaking from Vienna, secretary of State John Kerry confirmed that five prisoners were released Saturday in an exchange with Iran, although he didn't identify them by name. Kerry lauded the nuclear deal, and said that it accelerated the prisoner swap. Ref. USAToday.
President Barack Obama today hailed the powers of diplomacy in dealing with Iran, as the nuclear deal struck with the government in Tehran takes effect and "Unjustly detained" Americans return home after a prisoner swap.
"Engaging directly with the Iranian government on a sustained basis, for the first time in decades, has created a unique opportunity, a window, to resolve important issues," Obama said from the White House during a rare Sunday public statement.
He called the new agreement with Iran a "Milestone" in making sure it doesn't get a nuclear weapon.
"We've now closed off every single path Iran had to building a (Nuclear) bomb," he said. "We'll know if Iran ever tries to break out." Ref. CNN.
Iran Publishes Pictures of Captured U.S. Sailors Crying:
The new photographs come on the heels of another set of pictures that showed Iranian military forces detaining the U.S. Sailors at gun point and forcing them to place their hands upon their heads while kneeling on a ship. Ref. Source 1u.
Judge Orders Iran Pay $466 Million for Torturing Family
4th Jan, 2008 - 2:43pm
I am not sure what this ruling is supposed to mean but I do not think Iran is going to pay a cent from this money.
International Level: Politics 101 / Political Participation: 9 0.9%
Multiple errors led to sailors' arrest in Iran
A new Navy report blames the arrest of 10 San Diego sailors by Iran in January ― which became an international incident ― on errors made by everyone from the sailors themselves to Navy brass in charge of naval forces in the Middle East. Ref. Source 6l.
President Barack Obama on Thursday dismissed suggestions $400 million sent to Iran amounted to a ransom paid for the release of American prisoners.
"We do not pay ransom. We didn't here, and we won't in the future," Obama said at a Pentagon news conference a day after reports emerged that the United States delivered palettes of cash to Tehran on the same day prisoners were freed. Ref. CNN.