US: Iran Took Hikers on Iraq Side of Border

[Elmore Furth]

Source: Associated Press

Published: October 22, 2010
Filed at 8:02 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — A previously secret U.S. military report says three Americans detained by Iran in July 2009 for alleged illegal entry were on the Iraqi side of the border at the time.

The report, written on the day of the hikers' arrest July 31, says the Americans ignored unspecified cautions about their travels. The report also predicted Iran would accuse the three of spying, which it later did.

The document, a field report not meant as a definitive account or a conclusive assessment, was first reported by The New York Times on its website Friday. It was among nearly 400,000 secret U.S. military documents revealed by the WikiLeaks website.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/10/22/us/politics/AP-US-Iran-Hikers.html?_r=1&ref=news

[ixion]

1. As someone who has traveled all over, I really have to say I can't understand

why a US civilian would want to hitchhike through a hostile territory. You're really just asking for trouble.

[David__77]

2. I was friends with the "fourth hiker" who was with them but stayed behind.

He stayed at their hotel that day. He was politically foolish, in my opinion. Borders are not play objects. They could have legally visited Iran, in fact.

[dballance]

3. Is the Report True or More Propaganda to Incite War With Iran?

Could just be more BS to make Iran look like an aggressive enemy. Besides, WTF are civilians doing hiking in such hostile territory? Why not go hike in a region of the world that's not killing US soldiers with IEDs? This whole thing makes no sense to me unless they really are working with the US government to provoke an international incident. The only thing they could have done that was more stupid is to be proselytizing Christian beliefs as they hiked through inhabited areas.

We only have so many former presidents to negotiate the release of idiots like you. Don't waste them.

[SkyDaddy7]

7. I think this report only cane to light due to...

Wikileaks.

[Drops_not_Dope]

4. They reminded me

of "the dancing Israelis"

[Pavulon]

5. Bet Assange would stroke out

if this was used as a precursor to snatch out people from Iran or grab people they may want to trade back.

Some redactor missed a line here.

[sam sarrha]

6. Iran needed Hostages to trade for terrorists in USA custody..

[provis99]

8. link?