Manchin criticizes $6B Iran prisoner swap: ‘I never supported it’

Sen. Joe Manchin Criticizes Biden’s Prisoner Swap Deal with⁢ Iran

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) expressed his ​strong opposition⁢ to President ⁣Joe Biden’s prisoner swap deal with Iran in a ‍recent interview. He made it clear⁢ that he was never in favor of the agreement.

In September, ‍the Biden administration reached a ⁤deal with Iran, releasing five⁤ prisoners from each side​ and ⁣unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian assets. The purpose of this unfreezing was to allow Iran to use ‍the funds for humanitarian purposes, such as purchasing‍ food and medicine.

“The prisoner swap, the‌ $6​ billion, I never was for that,” Manchin told Politico.

However, shortly ⁢after the swap took place, the Iran-backed terrorist group ​Hamas launched a series of attacks⁤ on Israel. ‍These attacks resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians and the taking of over 200 hostages in Gaza.

This terrorist⁣ attack brought Biden’s prisoner swap deal into⁤ the spotlight, drawing intense scrutiny. Republicans were quick ‌to criticize the decision and called on ‌the president to refreeze the money. As the‌ conflict in‍ Israel escalated,⁣ Democratic senators, including those from swing ‌states, also began criticizing⁤ the unfreezing of ‌Iranian assets.

“We want to be ⁢sure that we’re not doing anything to ⁤support Iran in this time‌ or giving Hamas ⁣or Hezbollah any assets or any support, which we know‌ that they’re both proxies of Iran,” Sen. Jacky Rosen ‍(D-NV) said.

Last week, Sen. Manchin and 23 other senators introduced⁢ the Revoke Iranian Funding Act,​ a‌ bipartisan legislation⁢ aimed at rescinding⁢ the licenses that allowed the $6 billion to be unfrozen.

“To demonstrate our commitment to Israel, we must hold‍ Iran accountable for their sponsorship ‌of Hamas and other terrorist organizations,” ‌Manchin ‍stated. “Our bipartisan legislation will halt efforts to provide billions of dollars to Iran and make ​sure Congress has ⁢the information to act against the⁤ world’s ‍leading sponsor of‌ terrorism.⁢ We ⁤must do ‌everything we can to protect our greatest ‌ally in the Middle East.”

After‍ facing‌ pressure from both⁣ sides of the aisle, the Biden administration assured reporters that Iran has not yet accessed the unfrozen funds. Additionally, Deputy Treasury ‌Secretary Wally Adeyemo reportedly⁣ informed Democratic lawmakers that the administration and ​the Qatari government have reached‌ an understanding to prevent Iran from accessing the funds, which are currently held ‌in a bank in the country.

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What concerns does Manchin express regarding the Biden administration’s lack of transparency and consultation ⁣in⁣ decisions involving national⁣ security and foreign ⁤policy?

P Hezbollah launched a series of attacks on U.S. interests in Iraq. Manchin pointed out⁢ that ​this⁢ attack clearly demonstrated Iran’s true intentions and showed that the ​deal was a mistake.

“We should have never⁢ done that swap,” Manchin said. “They started these attacks on​ us right after that, which shows the bad ‍faith from Iran. I just never thought⁢ that was a good deal at all.”

Manchin’s concerns are not unfounded. Iran has a long history of supporting terrorist⁢ groups and destabilizing⁢ the region. By releasing Iranian prisoners and ⁣unfreezing assets, the Biden administration may have inadvertently financed these activities ⁣and given Iran an opportunity to further its malign agenda.

The⁢ senator’s criticism also stems from the lack of ⁢transparency and consultation by the administration. Manchin emphasized the importance of involving Congress in such decisions, especially when they have far-reaching implications for national security.

“These are the types of things that should be shared with the briefings we had, and should’ve had,⁢ with the ⁤intelligence agencies and, also, the Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, so we could have some input on it,” he stated.

Manchin’s ⁣opposition to the deal is not ‍surprising, ‌as he has​ often positioned himself as a‌ moderate Democrat and has previously expressed concerns about the ​Biden administration’s approach ⁢to foreign policy. In August, he⁤ was ‍one of the‌ few Democrats who voted against the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador to​ the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

While Manchin’s criticism highlights the potential ⁢risks⁢ and flaws ⁢of the prisoner swap deal, it remains to be seen how the Biden administration will address these concerns and navigate its relationship with Iran moving forward. As the administration continues to engage‍ with Iran and‍ work ‌towards reviving the nuclear‌ deal, ⁤it will⁢ be crucial to ensure that U.S. ⁣interests are ⁣protected ​and that Iran’s nefarious activities are not inadvertently ⁢facilitated.

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