Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley called Secretary of State Antony Blinken “irresponsible” for claiming there was no connection between the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the $6 billion in frozen funds the U.S. was offering as part of a prisoner swap deal had released Iran.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” where she responded to Blinken’s previous comments that the $6 billion could not have contributed to terrorism and that the US had “not yet” done so to see evidence that Iran supported the attack.
“I actually think it was irresponsible of Secretary Blinken to say that the $6 billion doesn’t matter here,” Haley said. “I mean, let’s be honest with the American people and understand that Hamas and Iran know that they are moving money at this moment because they know that $6 billion is going to be released. That’s the reality.”
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Blinken had previously responded to Republican criticism of the Biden administration’s agreement with Iran to release $6 billion in funds in exchange for five U.S. prisoners held in Iran.
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Haley called Blinken “irresponsible” for claiming that the $6 billion the U.S. released to Iran as part of an exchange for five American prisoners had no connection to the Hamas attack in Israel. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard / AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
“It is very unfortunate that some are playing politics at a time when so many lives have been lost and Israel continues to be under attack,” Blinken said, arguing that the $6 billion in funds from that account are only for medical purposes Supplies, food and medicine could be used.
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Haley claimed it was ignorant to believe the funds couldn’t be moved and used for other purposes.
“To think they’re not moving money is irresponsible,” Haley said. “They hate Israel. They hate America. They will continue to use this. It was wrong to release the $6 billion.”
Republicans condemn Biden for releasing $6 billion in frozen Iran funds ahead of the Hamas attack on Israel
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The Hamas attacks killed at least 600 Israelis and injured at least 2,000 others as Israel and Hamas militants continued fighting on Sunday.
Haley also criticized the Biden administration’s foreign policy in the Middle East.
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“It was wrong to live through this debacle in Afghanistan,” she continued. “It was wrong to lift sanctions against Iran, which made them even more money. Money was flowing into Iran, and that’s the problem, because when Iran gets money, they use it for hatred.”