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Tags: obama | dea | prosecution | hezbollah | iran | nuke deal

Obama Axed DEA Prosecution of Hezbollah to Push Through Iran Nuke Deal

Obama Axed DEA Prosecution of Hezbollah to Push Through Iran Nuke Deal
(AP)

By    |   Monday, 18 December 2017 11:15 AM EST

The Obama administration stopped a DEA task force from prosecuting Hezbollah so that the Iran nuclear deal would not be derailed, Politico reports.

The DEA created Project Cassandra task force in 2008 to gather evidence against the Iranian-financed group, according to the political news website.

It put together criminal cases against top figures in charge of players in Hezbollah's drug and arms operations and even got sealed indictments against them, Politico says.

But the federal agency found itself being stonewalled by the administration when it asked for permission to prosecute, members of Project Cassandra told Politico.

"This was a policy decision, it was a systematic decision," said David Asher, who helped put the task force together.

"They serially ripped apart this entire effort that was very well supported and resourced, and it was done from the top down."

In addition, a former CIA agent told Politico the CIA also was pressured by the Obama administration to declare a "moratorium" on its operations against Hezbollah.

"It was a strategic decision to show good faith toward the Iranians in terms of reaching an agreement," the ex-officer said.

The 2015 Iran nuclear deal ended crippling economic sanctions on Iran's economy in exchange for it reducing its nuclear weapons program.

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The Obama administration stopped a DEA task force from prosecuting Hezbollah so that the Iran nuclear deal would not be derailed, Politico reports.
obama, dea, prosecution, hezbollah, iran, nuke deal
206
2017-15-18
Monday, 18 December 2017 11:15 AM
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