Iran to put three US student hikers on trial

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

Iran is to put on trial three US citizens who crossed into Iran while hiking in Iraq, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said.

The three young Americans, who were detained in July, are charged with entering Iran illegally.

Their families say they were hiking and strayed across the border accidentally.

Iranian officials have alleged that the three US university students, Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, and Josh Fattal, were spying.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/8411621.stm

[sam sarrha]

1. who hikes in in a war zone..?? who hikes in that horrific desert.? who hikes in Muslim Tribal areas?

:shrug:

this is too weird to believe they were just camping out..

[ima_sinnic]

2. the answer is in the article:

Shane Bauer, 27, is a freelance journalist and photographer, who specialises in reporting on the Middle East and the Darfur region of Sudan. He lives in Damascus with Sarah Shourd, 31, a teacher and writer.

Josh Fattal, 27, an environmentalist and teacher, had travelled to Damascus in the summer to join them for the hiking holiday. He reportedly posted a Facebook entry on 17 July, saying that he was in the Middle East and planning a trip to Kurdistan.

[leveymg]

3. Either they used terrible judgment or they had a good cover.

I read some of Mr. Bauer's reporting. He appears to be a left-progressive. But, so did Judy Miller, when she started out.

Either way, this was just plain stupid of these three. I hope they're released soon.

[dysfunctional press]

4. 'spies' generally do have cover stories and 'real' life occupations...

i'm not saying that they ARE spies...only that if they were, they obviously wouldn't have it on their resumes.

[zeemike]

7. And that is why the CIA recruits people for jobs.

The better the cover the better the chances of success.

[leveymg]

8. Antiquities specialist, journalist, energy sector analyst, investor, diplomat, - all common covers.

So is academic, human rights activist, etc.

As these things go, theirs would not be atypical. Unfortunate for these three if they really aren't.

[Posteritatis]

15. And sometimes they, y'know, aren't covers.(nt)

[Odin2005]

5. Iran is full of shit.

[leveymg]

6. No shit.

But, these three were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the very least.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

20. Correction: The Iranian theocracy is full of shit. -nt

[Coventina]

9. Just curious, all those that think these three really were "spies"

What exactly do you think they were spying on? Iran's border security?

:shrug:

[dysfunctional press]

11. i'm not saying that they are spies- but it could be just about anything...

it wouldn't even have to be in that part of the iran- that could just be their method of entry into the country. :shrug:

i have no idea, one way or the other, as far as whether or not they were spying.

[yava]

14. Its degrading for that nation

Crossing a border without visa should at most cost you a fine and deportation.
Now I know it is not that way for many countries including the US where charges will be filed and if the trespasser is muslim, certainly other charges, but this makes it a sad world. After all, what is a big deal about a man crossing a line in the sand? Birds do it all the time!

Iran could have gotten a lot of good publicity by doing this right, setting them free and pointing finger to others' hypocrisy but they missed their chance.
Also unfortunately, a point the may play is that all or some of the three are jewish and the media has not reported if there was evidence of travel to Israel. They had been to Syria and Iraq. So, they may have also been to Israel.

That would certainly make the mulahs see red!

[dysfunctional press]

16. "Crossing a border without visa should at most cost you a fine and deportation."

that would DEFINITELY make things a LOT easier for the cia.

[Pavulon]

17. They pay well. They dont walk in

they fly in first class. there is a pretty long track record of how we do that business.

[dysfunctional press]

18. they do some of both.

air america didn't have a first class cabin going into cambodia or laos.

[Pavulon]

26. Just like "spies like us" except no russians

if they were cia folk we would trade them out for iranians we have. so are you maintaining these people are us intelligence operatives or just giving iran the benefit of the doubt?

[yava]

23. no fence, no border marks, just mountains

lets say if they are spies, iranians can take credit for detecting them even then.
But with no spy gears, just mountain gear, the charges are rediculus.

[leveymg]

12. Not convinced they are. More likely a wannabe or resume-padding expedition.

As I said, poor judgment.

These people are too young to be actual CIA or Mossad officers, and if contract agents they weren't very smart about it. Intelligence operatives do wander around remote border areas, but usually it's with a specific purpose, such as a clandestine meeting. It's possible they may have been attempting to meet with some separatist Kurdish figure, but I can't imagine what need there would be for such a face-to-face, and why anyone would choose to send these particular people.

I think these people were naive adventurers or wannabees on some self-assigned "mission". Maybe they wanted to be captured.

[FarCenter]

13. Just as in Iraq and Turkey, there are anti-govenment Kurdish separatist movements

Undoubtedly the CIA has been working with Kurds in Iran in the area that they crossed into. CIA also foments trouble among the Arabs in the south and the Balochis in the southeast along the Pakistani border.

[The Stranger]

22. We don't think they really were "spies," but spies.

Why don't you ask them what the fuck they were doing in a war zone? Who would go to a war zone except . . . YES, YOU GUESSED IT . . . SPIES!

:think:

[Pavulon]

27. and rich morons. the same people who fly balloons around

die in experimental aircraft and generally do dumb stuff. We play the spy game, it generally involves trading bodies.

[WriteDown]

10. These spies should face the gallows....

:eyes:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. Other than the straw men within what passes for your mind, who in this thread is saying that? -nt

[The Stranger]

21. Neocon story no. 2 on the boards right now. They must be upping their output.

Hikers in Iraq? Sure. I believe that.

:rofl:

[New Dawn]

24. I have a bridge to sell anyone who believes they were just "hikers."

[Pavulon]

28. Why walk in people who dont fit in to the culture

when there are so many better ways and people to do that job. I would assume we have people there now, I doubt they just walk in with no support or communications.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

25. My guess...

they wanted to sneak into Iran to help the students protest, as if it was the WTO or something.