Middle East
Rep. Perry grills John Kerry over Iran contacts, past shady foreign meetings
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA) questioned John Kerry directly in a hearing Wednesday over reports that then secretary of state revealed covert Israeli operations to Iran’s foreign minister. The House Foreign Affairs committee gathered to discuss climate change. Because Kerry is currently serving as the presidential convoy for climate, he was invited to the hearing for questioning.
Perry took advantage of the moment to discuss the controversial reports. Allegedly, Kerry told Iran’s Mohammed Javad Zarif about over 200 covert operations on Iranian targets in Syria. The Pennsylvania representative reminded Kerry that Iran is a major enemy, killing more Americans in recent history than any other nation state. He asked Kerry directly if he provide information to foreign minister Zarif.
“On no occasion ever,” Kerry responded.
“So Mr. Zarif is a liar?” Perry followed up.
“Mr. Zarif may be confused,” Kerry said.
On the other hand, Kerry defended himself, saying he had never known about any covert Israel operations. “The first time I ever heard the number 200 was when I read the article.”
Yet, Perry said during the hearing, there is still reason for suspicion. He reminded the committee that Kerry visited shady characters in Nicaragua. “People are right to be skeptical,” Perry said.
Kerry claimed all his trips while he was secretary of state were officially sanctioned. But, Perry interrupted, Daniel Ortega, the President of Nicaragua is a dictator.
“Damn right!” Kerry said, just before Rep. Perry’s time was up.
RELATED: Grassley demands IG and State Dept probe into John Kerry
Kerry was not placed under oath prior to the hearing.
You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism
Former President Donald Trump and others have chastised the Biden administration for unfreezing billions of dollars for Iran in exchange for prisoners. On Monday Trump fumed over the “absolutely ridiculous 6 Billion Dollar Hostage Deal with Iran” and said it set a “terrible PRECEDENT for the future.”
“Once you pay, you always pay, & MANY MORE HOSTAGES WILL BE TAKEN. Our grossly incompetent ‘leader,’ Crooked Joe Biden, gave 6 BILLION DOLLARS for 5 people. Iran gave ZERO for 5. He’s Dumb as a ROCK!” Trump said.
Former Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles also criticized Biden. “It is disturbing beyond belief. You know, we try very hard to keep our emotional level heads, not allow ourselves to get worked up, but this is something worth getting worked up about,” Charles said in an upcoming interview on the “Just the News, No Noise” television show. “You know, to me, as a student of history. This is almost worse than Neville Chamberlain giving away Czechoslovakia to, you know, to the brown shirts led by Mr. Hitler.”
The Foreign Desk reports that while both sides released five prisoners each, the U.S. pushed to unfreeze $6 billion in Iranian assets in South Korea that had been frozen as part of the Trump administration’s sanction of Iranian oil purchases.
“At the end of the day, what you see here is $6 billion dollars being paid to the number one terrorist country in the world and the number one sponsor of terrorist organizations in the world in order to buy five hostages,” he went on. “What does that do? It immediately puts a price on every American head abroad; it immediately elevates the idea that Americans should be taken hostage and will be, that bad guys will be paid huge amounts of money by the federal government. But it’s also completely against American policy and the American law.”
“Look, appeasement has never worked in the history of nation states,” Charles continued. “And it doesn’t work even in interpersonal relations. And it definitely doesn’t work when you’re dealing with a terrorist organization and terrorist state.”
“This is the payment of American tax dollars in effect for hostages, and it is unconscionable, inappropriate, and in my view, illegal,” he concluded.
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