Graves: We can't negotiate with terrorists or their sponsors

(From Sixth District Congressman Sam Graves)

Last month, reports surfaced that the Obama Administration paid a ransom of $400 million in exchange for the release of American hostages from Iran.

The administration claims this was not a ransom, but instead a repayment from a decades old weapons deal America had with Iran. They say the coincidence was just “bad timing.” I don’t buy it.

State Department spokesman John Kirby even confirmed the $400 million was withheld until the prisoners left Iran.

The world has grown increasingly unsafe under President Obama. Part of the reason why is this Administration’s belief that we can negotiate with hostile, unstable nations and known sponsors of terrorism.

Iran’s regime can be weakened, its threat neutralized, and the well-being of Israel protected through stricter sanctions and support of our military. But a deal that bribes Iran with hundreds of millions of dollars, and allows them to eventually become a nuclear power, is not the way to do that.

Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb should take priority over everything in our foreign policy relations in the Middle East. As we move forward, we have to work to ensure the deal is altered to prevent Iran from ever becoming a nuclear power, and I will continue to push to do just that.

Last year, President Obama said that those of us who oppose his Iran deal are "crazies." What’s actually crazy is that our President trusts Iran with a nuclear weapon.