Three Americans held hostage in North Korean prisons have returned home after intense pressure and strategic diplomacy by the Trump administration.
The move is a sweeping win for the muscular foreign policy prescriptions of the Trump administration.
The hostages spent at least a year in captivity in North Korea but were released without preconditions in the lead-up to a historic summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore on June 12.
The good-faith release of the American citizens by a hostile world power marked a stark pivot from the diplomatic wanderings of Trump’s predecessor.
It has long been U.S. policy to not negotiate with terrorists or put a price on the heads of Americans held by hostile foreign powers. Obama, however, flouted this norm, opting on multiple occasions to make preconditions and payments to foreign actors in exchange for American lives.
One of the most well-known instances was Sgt. Bowe Bergdhal.
Bergdahl deserted his Army post in Afghanistan in 2009. He was captured by the Taliban and held hostage for nearly five years. Multiple American servicemen searching for him. Ultimately, the Obama administration agreed to trade five high-value Taliban lieutenants, currently imprisoned at Guantanamo, for Bergdahl. The controversial swap took place and Bergdahl returned home to an immediate court marshal.
He was ultimately dishonorably discharged and fined for desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. He could have faced the death penalty. President Trump called the decision a “complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military.”
The Obama administration also secretly airlifted $400 million in cash on wooden pallets in the back of an unmarked cargo plane to Iran 2016.
The release of four jailed Americans in Tehran coincided with the payment. The Wall Street Journal reported at the time that the massive payment was a used as leverage for the release of the hostages, according to multiple government officials.
The Daily Caller reported at the time:
“The mechanics of the exchange all but confirm accusations that the $400 million in cash was a ransom payment. Saeed Abedini, a former Iranian hostage told The Wall Street Journal, Iranian intelligence officials told him his plane could not take off until the movements of a second plane were confirmed. The second plane is like the U.S. cargo plane carrying $400 million in cash.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps General Reza Naghdi further confirmed the ransom story in January, telling Iranian state media “Taking this much money back was in return for the release of the American spies.”
It also came on the heels of the approval of the Iran nuclear deal. Congressional Republicans railed against the payments at the time. Senator Marco Rubio said at the time, “The U.S. government should not be in the business of negotiating with terrorists and paying ransom money in exchange for the release of American hostages.”
Tom Cotton echoed the sentiment, saying the Obama administration was paying a “ransom to the ayatollahs for U.S. hostages” and that the move “put a price on the head of Americans.”
The acts by the previous administration should surprise no one familiar with the Obama administration’s geopolitical worldview.
President Obama openly embraced a “lead from behind” approach to diplomatic relations.
Sen Schumer can’t get past the fact that Pres Trump said nice things about Kim Jong Il after the hostages were released.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/05/10/charles-schumer-slams-donald-trumps-kind-words-kim-jong-un/598435002/
But, what does it cost you to be a nice winner?
When he was growing up, and for over 20 years, Donald Trump went to the church led by the preacher who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale.
That book, and his sermons all taught how to achieve a permanent and optimistic attitude through unending positive conscious thought.
Whose advice would you follow?
Schumer’s (be mean even if it means losing) or Peale’s (be nice whether you win or lose)?
When Osama Bin Laden was killed the liberal liberal democratic bootlickers in the media gave credit to Obama what Obama got Hostages released from Iran the media was gushing all about Obama Trump gets Americans held by N. Korea Crickets
@Nanny G:
These same idiots complained about Trump’s harsh rhetoric which they claimed would result in war. Are they too stupid to see the carrot and stick Trump uses in negotiations? As harsh as his criticisms and personal attacks on opponents is, it usually doesn’t begin until HE is attacked. Also, once the opponent is pacified, his attitude softens. The lesson is, there is a cost to attacking him, so do so at your own peril. It’s hard to imagine that Un is smarter than Schumer, but Un appears to have the capacity for learning Schumer doesn’t.
Obama, being a liberal, doesn’t mind spreading other people’s money around to achieve his goals. He’s only interested in the headlines he gets, not the lasting damage his stupid, ill-advised actions cause.
The difference is between a man who really knows how to run a major business and a community organizer. Just what did Obama do that was good for this country? Was raising out taxes and sending our money to other countries good for us? His paying for hostages initiated a major industry for third world countries. Take a hostage and Obama will pay for their release or give us back our terrorist leaders.
@Randy: If one of the 5 captured terrorist leaders was one given in exchange for the deserter are we obligated to give him back to them? Someone call the 9th circuit court. 😉