It doesn’t take an Ivy League degree to know that giving Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — billions in unmarked cash was a bad idea. It’s inevitable that money the Obama administration shipped in pallets last January would find its way into the hands of terrorists who hate America and our ally Israel.
Former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, now with the bipartisan organization United Against Nuclear Iran, says those billions are also likely being used to advance North Korea’s nuclear program.
“I think it’s quite likely because the two countries are so close together that some of the cash that President Obama sent to Iran ended up in the hands of North Koreans. … There is going to be some evidence that comes out on that,” Kirk told me yesterday.
Kirk explained that the Obama administration decided it did not want to send U.S. currency, which is traceable, directly to Iran, and to skirt that problem they sent euro notes. “They sent large quantities of EU notes in 500-euro denominations. The irony here is the EU had already canceled that note, saying the 500 EU euro note was too involved in drug dealing and terrorism. I think in the future you’re going to see many of these notes, those 500-euro notes, flowing into the North Korean diplomatic establishment, which has long been an illicit weapons transitions group and drug-dealing network.”
So we’ve now got North Korea rapidly advancing its nuclear weapons programs — threatening to strike the United States — with support from Iran, which was bolstered financially by the Obama administration.
Democrats who are quick to defend former President Barack Obama insist the U.S. was just settling an old arbitration issue with Iran and that “we owed Iran” those billions. Or they’ll admit we used some of that money to get American hostages released. Whatever the excuse du jour, we’ve now got Iran and North Korea — two evil empires — with no shortage of cash, collaborating to advance its joint nuclear programs.
When I asked Kirk his assessment of the Trump administration’s handling of foreign policy thus far, he said he would give President Trump and his team an A-plus.
“He has surrounded himself with generals who know what they are doing. We know if any national security emergency confronts the president he will get the right advice from Mattis and McMaster,” Kirk said.
Good thing, given that at any moment a shooting war with North Korea could begin, with Iran cheering the way.
Adriana Cohen is Host of the “Adriana Cohen Show” airing Wednesdays at noon on Boston Herald Radio. Follow her on Twitter @AdrianaCohen16.
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