For months the Obama administration has argued the issue of Iran sponsoring terrorism around the world and the regime's "bad behavior" are separate issues from their nuclear program. As part of the nuclear deal reached and announced by President Obama last week, Iran will have access to $150 billion in funds that were formerly frozen and unavailable to the regime. Critics of the plan have warned that a new influx of cash with little stipulation will allow Iran to use that money to further fund terrorism through Hezbollah and Hamas in the region and around the world.
Up until now, the President and other White House officials have said "their hope" is that the Iranian regime will use the new cash to invest in its economy and people, rather than terrorism.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged Tuesday that the U.S. cannot proscribe how Iran chooses to spend the money it will get as sanctions are eased under a proposed nuclear deal.
But he said it was “common sense” to expect that the regime would use it to improve the ailing economy, rather than to step up funding for terrorism or destabilizing activities in the region.
“I do think that a common-sense look at what kind of pressure they’re reacting to indicates that their priority will be to use those [newly-available] resources to address the persistent economic problems in the country.”
But late last week during an interview with CNN, White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice admitted Iran might use some of their new money to fund "bad behavior," which is diplomatic code speech for terrorism.
"We should expect that some portion of that money would go to the Iranian military and could potentially be used for the kinds of bad behavior that we've seen in the region up until now," Rice said.
Recommended
Iran is the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism and the Obama administration, "international community" and the UN just gave them more money and power to continue their "bad behavior" without consequence. What could possibly go wrong?
Join the conversation as a VIP Member