Aug 18, 2016 – The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it released $400 million in cash to Iran under a tribunal settlement only once it was assured that American prisoners had been freed and had boarded a plane. <br />“The payment of the $400 million was not done until after the prisoners were released,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. <br />“We took advantage of that to make sure we had the maximum leverage possible to get our people out and get them out safely,” Kirby added. <br /> <br />It was the first time the administration has said publicly that it used the payment as leverage to ensure the prisoners were released by Iran. <br /> <br />Read more here <br />http://marygreeley.com/?page_id=34630
