Back in 1979 when Ayatollah Khomeini took over our embassy in Tehran we “froze” $400 million in Iranian cash. The cash sat there, frozen, until last week when two things happened: Iran released four American hostages. And the President announced we were giving Iran back the $400 million plus $1.3 billion in interest.

The Republicans in Congress were outraged: Did the President, they demanded, pay Iran a $1.7 billion bribe?

The President’s aides said no while an Iranian General, Reza Naghdi, said yes.

So did the President pull off a diplomatic triumph thanks to his new policy toward Iran – or did he give us one more sign of weakness? We may not know until he writes his memoirs.

But one fact is clear: Ayatollah Khomeini must be smiling in his grave – thirty seven years ago he seized our embassy and imprisoned our diplomats and, last week, the President gave back every penny of his $400 million – plus interest.