Iran -- Deal Reached! (2 Viewers)

[SaintsInDome2006]

Jim Sciutto Verified account ‏@jimsciutto

New: Iranian Rev. Guard sailors confiscated US sailors' Comms equipment, one US official tells our @barbarastarrcnn that's "hostile"

 

[TPW]

This is Iran seeking prestige amongst its geopolitical rivals in the region. "Look at us. We can stick a thumb in the eye of the Great Satan on the eve of the sitting president's final State of the Union speech with complete impunity."

They know very well Obama will not act as he is more interested in cementing his legacy than protecting American interests. He already sold those interests down the river during the negotiations concerning Iran's nuclear program.

 

[skol asylum]

How would you have him react? Should we go ahead and invade now? Are you volunteering?

 

[cstu]

If Iranian soldiers were found in American waters, would we release them right away?

Supposedly this is where the US ship was actually captured:

29°06'14.0"N 50°07'47.0"E

http://imgur.com/tnf9rmH

Those are international waters.

Washington (CNN)Ten American sailors were being held in Iranian custody after two small U.S. naval craft apparently briefly entered Iranian territorial waters, a U.S. senior defense official said Tuesday.

 

[TPW]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If Iranian soldiers were found in American waters, would we release them right away?

Supposedly this is where the US ship was actually captured:

29°06'14.0"N 50°07'47.0"E

http://imgur.com/tnf9rmH

Those are international waters.

Washington (CNN)Ten American sailors were being held in Iranian custody after two small U.S. naval craft apparently briefly entered Iranian territorial waters, a U.S. senior defense official said Tuesday.

Briefly entered, and where were they captured?

This is the class of ship involved.

 

[TPW]

"You have to admit, Iran has pretty effective border control."

 

[timschochet]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember? Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

 

[Ministry of Pain]

It's sad that Iran feels they can get away with this, no repercussions.

The Left might at least want to think about what the after shocks will be. Trump base will expand and become stronger with events like this. Regardless of the FFA, in the real world a lot of folks want tough talk whether it actually produces results or not. This just feeds right into the Trump machine.

 

[SIDA!]

It's sad that Iran feels they can get away with this, no repercussions.

#cuckoldinchief

 

[poopdawg]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember? Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

 

[timschochet]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember?Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

I do. But my question to you is:

How are we going to win Sunday without Antonio Brown?

 

[poopdawg]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember?Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

I do. But my question to you is: How are we going to win Sunday without Antonio Brown?

You're a weird dude man. Seriously, borderline pathetic. I know you'll come up with some witty response, but what do you do for a living?

 

[timschochet]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember?Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

I do. But my question to you is: How are we going to win Sunday without Antonio Brown?

You're a weird due man. Seriously, borderline pathetic. I know you'll come up with some witty response, but what do you do for a living?

Commercial real estate. And hey, that was a serious question.

 

[Homer J Simpson]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Yes, by all means we should do our best to escalate a situation that's basically already been dealt with. Can't believe no one has called to offer you a job with the State Department.

 

[poopdawg]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember?Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

I do. But my question to you is: How are we going to win Sunday without Antonio Brown?

You're a weird due man. Seriously, borderline pathetic. I know you'll come up with some witty response, but what do you do for a living?

Commercial real estate. And hey, that was a serious question.

The commercial real estate business sure does give you a lot of free time....

 

[timschochet]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Just like LBJ and Nixon during the Pueblo affair right? That's when we bombed the #### out of North Korea, remember?Oh wait we didnt. Instead we let that ship stay captive for over a year.

Still agree with the deal....?

I do. But my question to you is: How are we going to win Sunday without Antonio Brown?

You're a weird due man. Seriously, borderline pathetic. I know you'll come up with some witty response, but what do you do for a living?

Commercial real estate. And hey, that was a serious question.

The commercial real estate business sure does give you a lot of free time....

Lots of driving around, lots of waiting around. And yeah, there are days and even weeks when nothing happens. On the other hand, when I get busy, I don't get to see my kids at all...it's a trade off.

 

[Doctor Detroit]

It's sad that Iran feels they can get away with this, no repercussions.

Get away with what? The ships were in Iranian waters meaning the Iranians do have some rights, and the Iranian foreign Minister said that the Americans would be able to continue onto Bahrain at day break.

Did you miss all this?

 

[Doctor Detroit]

If Iranian soldiers were found in American waters, would we release them right away?

Supposedly this is where the US ship was actually captured:

29°06'14.0"N 50°07'47.0"E

http://imgur.com/tnf9rmH

Those are international waters.

Even the Pentagon is admitting they were in Iranian waters.

 

[Christo]

Details

 

[skol asylum]

It's sad that Iran feels they can get away with this, no repercussions.

The Left might at least want to think about what the after shocks will be. Trump base will expand and become stronger with events like this. Regardless of the FFA, in the real world a lot of folks want tough talk whether it actually produces results or not. This just feeds right into the Trump machine.

Right, which perfectly illustrates how dangerous populist rhetoric by buffoons like Trump can be.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

If Iranian soldiers were found in American waters, would we release them right away?

Supposedly this is where the US ship was actually captured:

29°06'14.0"N 50°07'47.0"E

http://imgur.com/tnf9rmH

Those are international waters.

Even the Pentagon is admitting they were in Iranian waters.

Details

Details - facts - are important. DD, thanks.

(fwiw I did that off of Google Maps using the position in that image, that's where I came up with that).

 

[tommyGunZ]

Saints - you seem like a really solid dude. I'd buy you a beer and love to watch a Saints Chargers game at a French Quarter bar. But I'll never understand why you're so quick to jump to conspiracy theory conclusions and always assume incompetency and/or malicious behavior by our officials,

 

[timschochet]

It's sad that Iran feels they can get away with this, no repercussions.

The Left might at least want to think about what the after shocks will be. Trump base will expand and become stronger with events like this. Regardless of the FFA, in the real world a lot of folks want tough talk whether it actually produces results or not. This just feeds right into the Trump machine.

Classic.

 

[timschochet]

And now today Iran seizes US sailors on the day of the SOTU and tells our president to go pound sand.

How awesome is this deal, let's hear it.

Even better

 

[timschochet]

Thomas Erdbrink Verified account ‏@ThomasErdbrink

The two boats each had several 50. cal guns and were "snooping around" in Iranian waters, Fars News Agency says

Thomas Erdbrink ‏@ThomasErdbrink 36m36 minutes ago

Okay so 'Farsi Island' is a tiny island smack in the middle of the Persian Gulf

Thomas Erdbrink ‏@ThomasErdbrink 53m53 minutes ago

In 2007 the Rev Guard Navy held 15 British Navy personnel for 13 days, making the point that it is serious in protecting its sea borders.

Thomas Erdbrink ‏@ThomasErdbrink 57m57 minutes ago

Just last week the US released a video of the Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy shooting missiles close to US ship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZnP5gTfz4k

Thomas Erdbrink ‏@ThomasErdbrink 58m58 minutes ago

Iran media says Revolutionary Guard navy confiscated GPS equipment belonging to 10 US sailors it has arrested, "our border was crossed."

- Erdbrink is the Tehran bureau chief for the NY Times.

- Btw, Iran may release our sailors, but only after: waiting, maybe 24-48 hours (instead of now), claiming they were arrested, accusing them of spying, and calling them prisoners.

This is good too.

 

[timschochet]

I would expect at the very least an immediate public demand for the release of American troops with a warning that failure to do so would result in the most severe of consequences. We all know that's not going to happen so the point is moot. We are Iran's ##### now.

Probably the best post.

 

[tommyboy]

we're sorry Iran.http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35299930

can't wait for Obamas oval office speech in his sweater and mom jeans where he talks about how tough it is out there.

 

[The Commish]

If Iranian soldiers were found in American waters, would we release them right away?

Isn't our protocol to escort them out of our waters and if they don't comply react accordingly?

ETA: That was a question for the DD types of the FFA.....tia.

 

[cstu]

Hostages freed!

Thanks, Obama!

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Hostages freed!

Thanks, Obama!

Other updates:

- The US has released 7 Iranian prisoners, jailed for espionage.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b10943ece4ca4aec8a5b65a2b4877032/look-7-iranian-prisoners-released-us

- The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran for violating the ballistic missile restrictions.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c3176f428e0f43e3a2d0f55a993caba0/us-imposes-new-iran-sanctions-ballistic-missile-testing

 

[timschochet]

Hostages freed! This is a big deal. And this whole thing is a major triumph for Obama (and Hillary who helped make it possible.)

Thanks, Obama!

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Exclusive: In negotiating to free Americans in Iran, U.S. blinked on new sanctions

The day before the Obama administration was due to slap new sanctions on Iran late last month, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif warned U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry the move could derail a prisoner deal the two sides had been negotiating in secret for months.

Kerry and other top aides to President Barack Obama, who was vacationing in Hawaii, convened a series of conference calls and concluded they could not risk losing the chance to free Americans held by Tehran.

At the last minute, the Obama administration officials decided to delay a package of limited and targeted sanctions intended to penalize Iran for recent test-firings of a ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.

This account of previously unreported internal deliberations was provided by two people with knowledge of the matter.

A third official said Obama had approved the decision to delay the sanctions.

Those unilateral U.S. sanctions are expected to be imposed quickly now after Iran freed five Americans, including Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, on Saturday. Eight Iranians accused in the United States of sanctions violations were having charges dropped or sentences commuted on Saturday under the complex prisoner deal, according to court filings and sources familiar with the cases.

The moves came as broader U.S. and international sanctions were set to be lifted after verification that it had met commitments to curb its nuclear program.

But Kerry’s decision not to call Iran’s bluff in December shows how months of clandestine negotiations to free Rezaian and other Americans became deeply intertwined with the final push to implement the nuclear deal, despite the official U.S. line that those efforts were separate.

...The episode was one of several diplomatic and military near misses between Iran and the United States in recent weeks, including a quickly defused crisis when 10 U.S. sailors were detained after entering Iranian waters.

...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-prisoners-exclusive-idUSKCN0UU0WS?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_content=buffer13fca&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Freed American Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari Remains a MysteryUntil Saturday, the public had never heard of Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari, the American who elected to stay in Iran after his negotiated release this weekend.

Khosravi-Roodsari was never publicly reported being held in any Iranian prisons until after he was released in a historic prisoner exchange Saturday. Khosravi-Roodsari’s background and identity are now cloaked under a shroud of mystery.

In his remarks Sunday touting the exchange, President Obama glossed over Khosravi-Roodsari’s biography, only saying he, too, was “unjustly detained.”

“Two other Americans unjustly detained by Iran have also been released -- Nosratollah Khosravi-Roodsari and Matthew Trevithick, an Iranian -- who was in Iran as a student,” Obama said Sunday. “Their cases were largely unknown to the world, but when Americans are freed and reunited with their families, that’s something that we can all celebrate.”

Khosravi-Roodsari’s name does not appear anywhere on the Internet prior to Saturday’s announcement when the State Department named him and four other Americans involved in the swap. In the digital age of the 21st century, his anonymity online is an anomaly in itself.

So what was Khosravi-Roodsari doing in Iran? How long had the American been jailed? Why was he imprisoned?

“When it comes to Roodsari, privacy considerations preclude us form offering any more details,” one senior administration official noted in an email to ABC News this morning.

The State Department also declined to comment.

Given the exhaustive efforts the United States expended to win his freedom, Khosravi-Roodsari’s decision to stay in Iran rather than fly out with the others is also intriguing.

“It’s his free determination where he wants to go,” another senior administration official said during a background call with reporters on Sunday. “We don’t make that judgment for him.”

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/freed-american-nosratollah-khosravi-roodsari-remains-mystery/story?id=36358599

- In short, one of the US hostages we have bargained and worked so hard to release..... has zero electronic trail anywhere in the world, AND he has apparently chosen to stay .... in Iran.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Joseph Miller ‏@JosephMray9180 4h4 hours ago
Khamenei Releases Holocaust Denial Video on International Holocaust Remembrance Day @20committee @NoahPollak http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/5285.htm …

 

[urbanhack]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/27/world/iran-election-results/index.html

The Iran deal is already working.  I know the mouth breathers will not have the ability to digest this concept, but this deal was all about changing Iran from the inside out.   

 

[cstu]

Iran's hard-liners handed embarrassing defeat

 
TEHRAN, Iran - Partial results released Sunday indicate that Iranian reformists will win all 30 parliamentary seats in Tehran, handing hard-liners an embarrassing defeat in the first elections held since last year's nuclear deal.

The deal is expected to bolster moderate allies of President Hassan Rouhani, who championed it in the face of hard-line opposition. However, none of Iran's three main political camps -- reformists, conservatives or hard-liners -- is expected to win a majority in the 290-seat assembly.

Reuters reports top pro-reform politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani put out a defiant message on Twitter about the elections results.

"No one is able to resist against the will of the majority of the people and whoever the people don't want has to step aside," the message said.

Rafsanjani, a former president himself and close ally of current President Rouhani, is leading the race for membership to the influential Assembly of Experts, a body that chooses Iran's most powerful figure, the supreme leader, according to Reuters.

State TV said Sunday that reformists -- who favor expanding social freedoms and improving relations with the West -- are set to win all of Tehran's seats. It said 62 percent of the capital's votes have been counted.

Tehran is seen as a political bellwether where prominent members of all three camps face off against each other. Across the country, the reformist camp is on track for its best showing in more than a decade.

The final results from the elections are expected on Monday.

Friday's election was the first since last summer's nuclear deal, which brought about the lifting of crippling international sanctions on Iran in exchange for it curbing its nuclear activities.

So far, the U.N. says Iranian nuclear activities that could be turned into making weapons have remained at agreed reduced levels, despite blustery talk from hard-liners.

Reformists and moderate conservatives - who supported the agreement -- appear poised to win a majority, which could pave the way for increased economic openness and greater cooperation with the West on regional issues like the war against the Islamic State group.

Reformists currently hold fewer than 20 seats and have been virtually shut out of politics since losing their parliamentary majority in the 2004 elections.

Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected in 2005. Over the next eight years, he aggressively expanded the nuclear program, which Tehran insists is entirely peaceful, and alarmed Western countries by casting doubt on the scale of the Holocaust and predicting Israel would one day be wiped off the map.

Nearly 55 million of Iran's 80 million people were eligible to vote. Participation figures were not immediately available, but Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on Saturday said turnout likely exceeded 60 percent based on the partial counting of the votes.

 

[higgins]

From the article Hack posted...

"More than 4,800 candidates, including about 500 women, competed for places in the 290-seat parliament, according to Iran's Press TV."

10% of the candidates were female. In that region of the world I'd say that's very significant.

 

[Ladsud]

Iran is still a theocratic dictatorship. Update us when they stop chanting death to the U.S. and Israel and stoking sectarian violence and war throughout the middle east. 

 

[timschochet]

That's awesome. It's a victory for Obama and the deal. Of course nobody here will admit it. 

 

[The Commish]

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/27/world/iran-election-results/index.html

The Iran deal is already working.  I know the mouth breathers will not have the ability to digest this concept, but this deal was all about changing Iran from the inside out.   

All positive signs.  Certainly a feather in Obama's cap on foreign policy.  The talk is being talked, hopefully that continues with them walking the walk

 

[timschochet]

The fundamentalists are probably praying for a Trump victory. Trump will repudiate the deal and publicly threaten Iran which will put them right back in the drivers seat. 

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

This is indeed terrific. Hopefully one day they allow a free range of parties into the elections.

 

[Jobber]

I love seeing this. Iran is a huge counterweight to the Sunni extremists in the ME. The Iran deal was a fantastic one, and the best foreign policy decision in all 8 years of the Obama administration.

 

[General Malaise]

Iran is still a theocratic dictatorship. Update us when they stop chanting death to the U.S. and Israel and stoking sectarian violence and war throughout the middle east. 

Just not good enough for the h8ers.  

 

[GroveDiesel]

Well, Iran has now test fired ballistic missiles twice in violation of the agreement. Oh, and it turns out that the IAEA no longer is allowed to publicly disclose incidents where Iran may have violated the agreement.

But, you know, it's great other than that.

 

[RBM]

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-threatens-walk-away-nuclear-deal-missile-test/

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Well, Iran has now test fired ballistic missiles twice in violation of the agreement. Oh, and it turns out that the IAEA no longer is allowed to publicly disclose incidents where Iran may have violated the agreement.

But, you know, it's great other than that.

That's to avoid political idiocy. 

From places like "The Israel Project" and such.

 

[General Malaise]

The Washington Free Beacon, huh?  

 

[Hang 10]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-missiles-idUSKCN0WA0UY