Former State Department Advisor Decimates Biden Team Excuses About the $6 Billion for Iran
Red State ^ | 10/08/2023 | Nick Arama
Posted on 10/8/2023, 8:51:27 PM by SeekAndFind
Gabriel Noronha is a former State Department advisor on Iran. From 2019 to 2021, he served as Special Advisor for the Iran Action Group at the U.S. Department of State, where he coordinated policy and directed the State Department’s communications and congressional affairs with the Islamic Republic.
So one might think that he has some knowledge about the Biden team's decision to cut loose the $6 billion for Iran to use for "food and medicine."
Noronha was not shy about calling out the Biden spin on this and how the media was falling for it. We saw some of that narrative from NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson, who said that the money hadn't been spent, it was being held in Qatar and could only be released for things like food and medicine. But Noronha was responding to a post from Fox's Jennifer Griffin, who claimed that people pointing to the money were somehow missing facts. He noted how, indeed, it was actually Griffin who was wrong, and the Biden team was gaslighting people.
🧵I'm sorry Jen but you are simply unfamiliar with Iranian budgeting practices and how the Iranian regime and Hamas make decisions.
1. Iran normally has to allocate its limited foreign exchange reserves for food/medicine months in advance to facilitate trade flows. Not anymore.
https://t.co/w2X0wNNANs— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 7, 2023
2. Iran can now devote $6 billion of its unrestricted funds toward financial, operational, and logistical support for terror proxies including Hamas.
And it will do so through the Central Bank of Iran, which received a sanctions waiver last month as part of the hostage deal.
pic.twitter.com/Vq0EsDbOns— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 7, 2023
Noronha noted that Iranian lawmakers planned to use the $6 billion to "backfill internal accounting debts to the Central Bank of Iran, which is sanctioned by the U.S. for their support of Iranian terrorism and support for Hamas."
He explained how "Hamas receives tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars directly from Iran through the IRGC." So cutting loose the $6 billion payment "freed up huge reserves to ensure that Iran could continue this support," he said.
5. Iranian and Hamas decisions about whether to embark on a war depend on their perceptions of whether they can sustain such operations.
Between the $6 billion infuse to cover future domestic needs, and the tens of billions of dollars in extra oil income, the answer was easy.
pic.twitter.com/Uew4HYAaSU— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 7, 2023
Noronha also noted that there were a lot of questions about whether the money would go for "food and medicine." He pointed out how in the past, they've tried to sell a similar story:
Noronha said his Congressional sources tell him the Biden administration" cannot answer basic questions" about the payment, such as whether there is "any ability for end-use monitoring of the food/medicine allegedly bought." If you can't say that it's truly going to end up going to food and medicine, then what's the guarantee?
Noronha also notes that there's also the possibility of funny business, as he said had gone on before, and that you couldn't take what the Biden administration is saying at face value.
In fact, in 2020, Iran's Health Minister complained that there was “a highly complicated network” within the government responsible for systemic corruption and theft of medicine and medical goods.
They may buy medicine, but it'll go to the IRGC and Hamas.
https://t.co/IeYqy2pxyd— Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) October 7, 2023
That doesn't exactly sound like Iran believes they have a lot of restrictions.
Noronha said knowing that the money was going to be cut loose gave Iran "enormous stability to their currency markets and ensured they had fiscal space."
"Iran trains, equips, and directs Hamas activities. The $6B was a green light to approve this operation," he concluded.
Now, on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted Iran has "always used and focused its funds on supporting terrorism." So why would you do anything that would help that?
