OverSword 56,514 #1 Posted Tuesday at 10:16 PM Quote President Trump in 2019 sought to open a back channel of communication with top Iranian officials and saw the U.N. General Assembly meeting in September as a potential opportunity to defuse escalating tension with Tehran, but the effort failed. Two months earlier, however, a different back channel was thriving in New York. Iran’s smooth, English-speaking foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, met with Robert Malley, who was President Obama’s Middle East adviser, in an apparent bid to undermine the Trump team and lay the groundwork for post-Trump relations. The attempt at counterdiplomacy offers a window into the deep relationships Mr. Zarif forged with influential U.S. liberals over the past decade. These relationships blossomed into what high-level national security and intelligence sources say allowed the Iranian regime to bypass Mr. Trump and work directly with Obama administration veterans that Tehran hoped would soon return to power in Washington. One of those was former Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who met with Mr. Zarif during the Trump years. So did Obama-era Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz. They, along with Mr. Malley, were top U.S. negotiators of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). As part of the deal, Tehran promised to limit its nuclear enrichment activities in exchange for economic sanctions relief and access to tens of billions of dollars in frozen bank accounts. Link Worked with a foreign power to undermine the American Governments diplomacy? I think there may be a word for that. Anybody recall what that word is? 5 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Wistman 15,571 #2 Posted Tuesday at 10:22 PM Reagan. 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #3 Posted Tuesday at 10:28 PM 5 minutes ago, The Wistman said: Reagan. Undermined this? 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #4 Posted Tuesday at 10:30 PM (edited) 3 minutes ago, OverSword said: Undermined this? Nah, I think he is referring to the release of the hostages the day he won the election or the subsequent Iran/Contra affair which supplied them with weapons from drug money. Edited Tuesday at 10:32 PM by Gromdor edit to add: Well, the day of his inauguration 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buzz_Light_Year 4,239 #5 Posted Tuesday at 10:31 PM 13 minutes ago, OverSword said: Link Worked with a foreign power to undermine the American Governments diplomacy? I think there may be a word for that. Anybody recall what that word is? Should be a violation of the Logan Act. Trump knew Kerry was over there but nothing was done about it. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #6 Posted Tuesday at 10:36 PM 3 minutes ago, Buzz_Light_Year said: Should be a violation of the Logan Act. Trump knew Kerry was over there but nothing was done about it. Yeah, it's totally a violation of the Logan Act and Trump's administration should have done something about it. Now that Biden is in, it is considered the official government stance. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #7 Posted Tuesday at 10:37 PM (edited) 8 minutes ago, Gromdor said: Nah, I think he is referring to the release of the hostages the day he won the election or the subsequent Iran/Contra affair which supplied them with weapons from drug money. The Iran contra affair was not undermining the current (at the time) administration and I doubt Reagan was in talks with Iran convincing them to wait until he was in power so he could implement better relations. Edited Tuesday at 10:38 PM by OverSword 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #8 Posted Tuesday at 10:46 PM 6 minutes ago, OverSword said: The Iran contra affair was not undermining the current (at the time) administration and I doubt Reagan was in talks with Iran convincing them to wait until he was in power so he could implement better relations. The hostage release portion of Reagan's dealing with Iran is the relevant part. The hostages were released the day of his inauguration along with him releasing $8 billion in funds back to Iran. That stuff didn't happen without backline communication. 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #9 Posted Tuesday at 10:47 PM Just now, Gromdor said: The hostage release portion of Reagan's dealing with Iran is the relevant part. The hostages were released the day of his inauguration along with him releasing $8 billion in funds back to Iran. That stuff didn't happen without backline communication. Is there a link? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #10 Posted Tuesday at 10:51 PM 1 minute ago, OverSword said: Is there a link? The internet wasn't really around at that time to give a link from the era. It's a history book thing or having lived at the time thing. But you posted a picture of the crashed helicopters with the eight dead from the rescue attempt. Makes you wonder if the arrangements had already been made at that time and if those men died a pointless death because a party was using the whole situation for political benefit. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Buzz_Light_Year 4,239 #11 Posted Tuesday at 11:04 PM Both the House and the Senate made inquires into Reagan possibly working behind the scenes with Iran but not enough evidence was found to go any farther. The whole affair didn't appear right at the time and still doesn't but I'm sure Iran was more than willing to release the hostages as it was obvious that Reagan wasn't going to be another Carter. I believe they referred to the whole debacle as the October Surprise Theory. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #12 Posted Tuesday at 11:17 PM 23 minutes ago, Gromdor said: The internet wasn't really around at that time to give a link from the era. It's a history book thing or having lived at the time thing. But you posted a picture of the crashed helicopters with the eight dead from the rescue attempt. Makes you wonder if the arrangements had already been made at that time and if those men died a pointless death because a party was using the whole situation for political benefit. I doubt if Reagan undermined the Carter administrations diplomacy with Iran, but it's not impossible. Reagan definitely would have won regardless. In 2019 when former Obama cabinet members were undermining the trump administrations diplomatic roadways with Iran trump was in a good position to win. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
and then 46,997 #13 Posted yesterday at 12:14 AM 1 hour ago, OverSword said: Link Worked with a foreign power to undermine the American Governments diplomacy? I think there may be a word for that. Anybody recall what that word is? TREASON but it also fits precisely what the "Logan Act" was actually meant to combat. I'll be cheering when these fools finally grasp that their double standards will no longer be tolerated. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
preacherman76 14,346 #14 Posted yesterday at 01:28 AM 1 hour ago, and then said: TREASON but it also fits precisely what the "Logan Act" was actually meant to combat. I'll be cheering when these fools finally grasp that their double standards will no longer be tolerated. I wish that was the case. I don’t see any of these people being held accountable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trelane 2,808 #15 Posted 23 hours ago 4 hours ago, The Wistman said: Reagan. Don't forget H.W. Bush. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
psyche101 42,639 #16 Posted 23 hours ago 4 hours ago, OverSword said: Link Worked with a foreign power to undermine the American Governments diplomacy? I think there may be a word for that. Anybody recall what that word is? It sounds like the foreign power was on board with the idea. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #17 Posted 23 hours ago 17 minutes ago, psyche101 said: It sounds like the foreign power was on board with the idea. Like Russia with trump? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #18 Posted 23 hours ago 3 minutes ago, OverSword said: Like Russia with trump? More or less. Can't impeach Kerry, however. No one was ever held accountable with the Logan Act either so not holding my breath for that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OverSword 56,514 #19 Posted 23 hours ago 1 minute ago, Gromdor said: More or less. Can't impeach Kerry, however. No one was ever held accountable with the Logan Act either so not holding my breath for that. Still haven’t looked that up yet. I’ll get around to it tomorrow probably Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
acute 67,664 #20 Posted 23 hours ago 5 hours ago, OverSword said: Anybody recall what that word is? I dunno..... Flange? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gromdor 13,534 #21 Posted 23 hours ago 1 minute ago, OverSword said: Still haven’t looked that up yet. I’ll get around to it tomorrow probably The Logan Act? It's the law that says private citizens can't cut deals with a foreign government to undermine the US government. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
psyche101 42,639 #22 Posted 21 hours ago 8 minutes ago, OverSword said: Like Russia with trump? Well to be honest, if the foreign interest is dem orientated, and doesn't want to deal with Trump, and to be perfectly honest that's not out of the realm of possibilities, would it not be best to have a team that is seen in a better light for a successful negotiation? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
and then 46,997 #23 Posted 21 hours ago 4 hours ago, preacherman76 said: I wish that was the case. I don’t see any of these people being held accountable. I still have confidence in the stubbornness of Americans and their sense of fairness. The people will not always continue to accept the treatment we're seeing today. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
and then 46,997 #24 Posted 21 hours ago 7 hours ago, Buzz_Light_Year said: Should be a violation of the Logan Act. Trump knew Kerry was over there but nothing was done about it. Imagine the media meltdown if Trump decides to push his views to foreign leaders now that he's out of office. I can think of a few areas where his input would matter a great deal. Of course, those who think he's Hitler riding a dragon, will just mock and say he'd have NO influence. If they really believed that, they wouldn't be going after him as they are. They are scared spitless of him re-emerging and winning again. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
psyche101 42,639 #25 Posted 19 hours ago (edited) 1 hour ago, and then said: Imagine the media meltdown if Trump decides to push his views to foreign leaders now that he's out of office. I can think of a few areas where his input would matter a great deal. Of course, those who think he's Hitler riding a dragon, will just mock and say he'd have NO influence. If they really believed that, they wouldn't be going after him as they are. They are scared spitless of him re-emerging and winning again. Who do you think would take him seriously? He wasn't well liked globally before the election debacle. Those lies weren't received well. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2020/09/15/us-image-plummets-internationally-as-most-say-country-has-handled-coronavirus-badly/ Edited 19 hours ago by psyche101 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites