It is wonderful to finally get the Americans back, but the terms we know (and the stuff we don’t) should give us pause …

Four Americans held in Iran, including a Christian pastor, a former U.S. Marine and a Washington Post reporter, have been freed in a prisoner swap also involving seven Iranians held in the U.S. for violating international sanctions, a U.S. official confirmed Saturday.

Pastor Saeed Abedini, Washington Post reporter Jason Razaian, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati and Nosratollah Khosravi were freed in the dramatic exchange that comes as crippling sanctions on Iran are set to be lifted following years of negotiations to brig Iran’s nuclear program into UN compliance. […]

The announcement, which first came via Iranian state television, was later confirmed by a U.S. official.

“Through a diplomatic channel that was established with the focus of getting our detained U.S. citizens home, we can confirm Iran has released from imprisonment four Americans detained in Iran,” the official said. “We offered clemency to seven Iranians, six of whom are dual U.S.-Iranian citizens, who had been convicted or are pending trial in the United States.”

The U.S. also removed any Interpol red notices and dismissed any charges against 14 Iranians previously sought but not in U.S. custody.

Who are these people? What were they convicted of, or what charges were filed?

Iran is still a belligerent country, a supporter/financier of worldwide Islamist terrorism, and with the seizure of American sailors and using them for propaganda, has clearly demonstrated that they are in charge.

When, not if, the next time Iran seizes Americans, what will we give up next?

Compare and contrast.

The lessons of Reagan are lost.

The attacks began when six American ships destroyed two Iranian oil platforms in what the Reagan Administration said was retaliation for the mining that damaged a Navy vessel last week. […]

”We’ve taken this action to make certain the Iranians have no illusions about the cost of irresponsible behavior,” President Reagan said today. ”We aim to deter Iranian aggression, not provoke it.

”They must know that we will protect our ships, and if they threaten us, they’ll pay a price,” he said.

hostage iran obama