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The Spectacle Blog
Today, an Iranian court sentenced Americans Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal to eight years imprisonment.
Bauer and Fattal along with Sarah Shourd were detained by Iranian authorities in July 2009 after allegedly crossing into Iran while hiking along the Iraq-Iran border. The three hikers were accused of espionage. Shourd was released last September after the Iranians were given half a million dollars. However, Bauer and Fattal remain in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
Despite Iran’s actions against American civilians, the Obama Administration is simply too timid to tell the world that Bauer and Fattal have been taken hostage by the Iranian regime. Disgraceful.
View all comments (24) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/08/20/iran-sentences-us-hikers-to-8
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Occam's Tool| 8.21.11 @ 1:25AM
What's disgraceful is that Teheran remains unnuked. In 1979 that should have been the rsponse of the carter administration. Yes, we would have lost hundreds of hostages. But 9/11 and the War on Terror would never have happened if Teheran was a pile of radioactive debris, the Middle East would be quiet and calm, we would not have had Gulf Wars I and II, and terrorism would NOT be a problem in the West.
Further, the Russians would have done nothing, as the seizure of an Embassy would deserve that type of retaliation.
That was Carter's best chance to get re-election, and he blew it, because, like Ron Paul and barack Obama, he's a puss.
WJ| 8.21.11 @ 9:05AM
You need to take your medications.
Clint| 8.21.11 @ 11:18AM
He's Zany.
winston| 8.21.11 @ 12:57PM
agreed
farmboy| 8.21.11 @ 2:02AM
While I find what Iran has done disgraceful this wouldn't of happened if 3 idiots hadn't decided that it would be a great idea to go traveling in an unstable area of the world near a border of a country that doesn't like us very much.
Lullabys, Legends and Lies| 8.21.11 @ 7:57AM
My thoughts exactly!! What the hell were they doing hiking in Iraq for anyway? Are they all stupid?
Rhetorical question!! Obviously they are stupid!!
Now I've been to Iraq three times myself, not to go hiking near the Iranian border, or to meet the locals, but because I was ordered too (now some might think that's stupid too, but that's an argument for another day). This entire area is a no-go zone for all Americans, and if you go there and something bad happens to you, you kind of brought it upon yourself. If you want to go hiking, that's cool, go hiking, but you don't go hiking in an area that hates Americans. We've got plenty of great hiking trails right here in American, and I'm sure they haven't hike them all yet either!!
So now I'm supposed to feel sorry for them? Or are we supposed to go to War with Iran for them? Or are we supposed to pay a hefty ransom for them now? When they brought this all upon themselves? No way!! You shouldn't of went there in the first place, unless you were wearing a Military Uniform, and I doubt any one of these three ever wore one of them before, or will ever wear one. Serve your sentence, or the time that the current Iranian Regime finds these Useful-Idiots to be good propaganda tools for, and then come home. Then don't do anything again for the rest of your life, without asking for permission from an adult first.
Hikers: Can we go to the bathroom?
Adult: Is there any chance, that this bathroom is in a Third World Country, run by a Dictatorship?
Hikers: Umm, yes, it's in Cuba!!
Adult: No, you may not go to the bathroom in Cuba!!
gretamcdowell| 8.21.11 @ 3:07AM
No sympathy from this American for those two people. http://bit.ly/qXhoGQ
martin j smith| 8.21.11 @ 7:41AM
Any Americans traveling in regions on their own that are not only foreign but essentially in enemy territory are fools. This does not mean that being a fool means jail time is justified.
Of course our State Dept should make efforts on their behalf--though what they can do is an open question.
Back to stupidity: Too many Americans are extremely naive and thus uninformed --and then get involved in issues abroad sometimes of a political nature. They can get killed as a result of their foolishness. How very sad.
USSAlabama| 8.21.11 @ 8:29AM
These three were not naive or uninformed. They knew the risk, they chose the trail.
Referring to them as 'students' is ridiculus as they are all 30-ish Berkely grads with little excuse for what they did other than it reflects the thinking of far left-leaning individuals who had been 'volunteering' and understood full well what they were doing.
USSAlabama| 8.21.11 @ 8:21AM
No sympathy. They not only understood the risk of what they were doing, they chose to flirt with the danger where the results were predictable.
Three Berkeley-ites which pretty much explains it.
Mike w| 8.21.11 @ 9:08AM
Tough luck for these boobs.
Also by all the actions that Iranians have taken against Americans maybe you forgot the Iranian Airliner that the US Navy blew out out of the sky in 1988.
USSAlabama| 8.21.11 @ 9:25AM
A little background information on these 'hikers':
Shourd described herself as a “ teacher-activist-writer from California currently based in the Middle East.” (Damascus, Syria) Where she was an anti-Israeli 'journalist' who called the Golan Heights "occupied territory" and wrote pro-Syrian articles.
Shaun Bauer: wrote for the far left "The Nation" and also reported for Al Jazeera. His Berkeley degree is in “Peace and Conflict Studies”; he also lived in Damascus,Syria. Here is a link to a story he wrote about how muslims love Obama but need to see him change American foreign policy toward Israel: http://tinyurl.com/4353sg2
Joshua Fattal: also a Berkeley grad is an environmental activist who hosted a “resistance” radio show from the non-profit Aprovecho ranch called Rhythms of Resistance. His dad is reported as Iraqi.
Journalists need to report the WHOLE story.
Don't come telling us about three seemingly innocent American hikers who decided to 'vacation' in Iraq during a war and hike the border of Iran and not include some supporting information on WHY any educated, supposedly rational human being would do that. Much less three of them.
It's fishy start to finish.
Truth to Power| 8.21.11 @ 10:29AM
Thanks. As is typical Aaron G. is clueless. His lack of curiosity or worse shows something about himself. He referred to them as hikers. As said something stunk of this whole affair. Who takes hiking vacations in Iraq? Aaron is either lazy or sympathetic with his fellow worthless graduates of our higher learning institutions. There are far more worthy people to invest sympathy. The three of these very smart college graduates believed things that are obviously false. In the face of facts they put their lives at risk. They are the leftist equivalent to the people who participate in Jackass the Movie. It is important to expose what they believed and how foolish they were and probably are. Bauer's Peace and Conflict Studies degree will be very handy in prison. I have a feeling that your average Iranian prisoner will be able to spot a line of crap better than the so-called educated class in America. I wonder if there are Berkeley professors who feel somewhat guilty about where they led their idiot students? Naw. These adult citizens of the world should serve as a lesson to lefties in general. Maybe they will lecture us on moral equivalence when they get out of prison. It is a sad thing when your ideological beliefs keep you from being able to make real world distinctions. Our universities and colleges need to be reformed today. As a start the departments that graduated these three idiots should receive the "Death Penalty". We hold our athletic programs to a higher standard and this isn't saying much.
Patriot| 8.21.11 @ 10:03AM
Why do the media call these people "kids"? They are aged between 29 - 32 years.
What was their gear? A SAT phone, high accuracy GPS, flashlights with red lenses, low-light goggles, a CIA map, and an iphone hacked for a transponder?
No more propaganda please.
Are we to lament the 'timidity' of the Obama administration on these "American civilians" (expatriated to Syria) as "a disgrace"? If they know more about them than we do, it might not be a disgrace.
We know the Iranian script well enough.
MM| 8.21.11 @ 10:57AM
Right ... and don't forget - Aaron called them "hostages". (!)
Calling these highly questionable actors "hikers" and the disgrace and timidity of the administration kind of says your attention is misplaced.
The Iranian regime is predictable, but calling these men hostages is sympathetic garbage.
Nolann Ryann| 8.21.11 @ 11:00AM
Get a grip. These three dolts wouldn't know what to do with any of the gear they were accused of poessessing. Plain and simple they were three leftist, anti american dolts that thought they were so clean and pure that no wonderful peace loving Muslim nation could do this to them. Hell they lived in freaking Damascus. In their fevered minds the only place this could conceivably happen would've been in the police state known as the US. They have reaped what they've sown. Maybe they can pen some more Muslim loving drivel from their jail cells in the next eight years.
Martine| 8.21.11 @ 11:28AM
Couple of sappy liberals. No sympathy here. Maybe they'll appreciate the U.S. when they get out. If they ever get out.
Sean| 8.21.11 @ 11:30AM
They were one of two things. One they were stupid leftist activists who were sticking their nose in the wrong place. Or they were CIA agents recruited in college and posing as leftist. The government often infiltrates groups of people like this and uses them for either spying on foreign countries or spying on the groups of people they associate themselves with. We know for example that during the Black Panther movement many of the people were paid by the government to do what they did. Hal Turner was paid by the FBI to spy on conservatives ect.
winston| 8.21.11 @ 12:54PM
These were anti-American leftists... I have no sympathy for 'em.
burt| 8.21.11 @ 1:17PM
These left wing nutters were spying ON the US military and looking for dirt to smear them. I recall reading they were spying to uncover rumoured secret CIA -military activities along the border regions.
I find it delicious that the Radical Muslims they were trying to help NOW have them in prision for spying.They were spying alright on their own homeland's soldiers .Its a shame the left winger female isn't with them afterall her wealthy parents bought her freedom and how funny her poorer comrades were shafted by her.
Oldefarte| 8.21.11 @ 2:04PM
My sympathies go out to the families of these imprisoned people, but the stupidity of them even being in Iraq and/or Iran is simply beyond belief. If they were not spies, what mental processes would allow for someone to go '''hicking''' in a foreign country control by Muslim extremists? There is an old saying of BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, and sadly/unfortionately it applies in the cases of these individuals!!!!!!
Dai Alanye | 8.21.11 @ 2:46PM
You are all missing the point. These three maroons are merely pawns, but the US let Iran knock over three of our pawns and we haven't retaliated. The crisis isn't about stupid leftists who deserve their fates, but about the prestige of America, which under Obama has again notched down.
This is a perfect excuse to go after the mullahs in a way that would truly hurt them, and once again we've voted "present." Not as bad as Carter abandoning an entire embassy staff but bad enough. With a real President we'd give them a week to release these poor fools, then take out their lone gasoline refinery.
While you're pondering foreign policy, think of a Ron Paul Presidency where this sort of thing would happen every week.
Clint| 8.21.11 @ 4:06PM
Dr.Ron Paul's Foreign Policy Advisor, Michael Scheuer, Former CIA Chief of The bin Laden Unit.
" On Iran, The President should:
2.) Publicly state that there will be no U.S. surprise attack on Iran, and no U.S. attack at all on Iran unless the president asks for a formal declaration of war and the Congress votes its approval in a constitutional manner.
4.) Speak to the American people and tell them to expect to be brutally propagandized by U.S. citizen Israel-Firsters through AIPAC, their ubiquitous media shills, and the men and women they own in the U.S. Congress and federal bureaucracy. Urge Americans to ignore this effort by U.S. Israel-Firsters to get them to send their soldier-children to fight in a religious war in which the U.S. has no genuine national interest at stake, and in which U.S. participation would further bankrupt the country, require the reintroduction of conscription, and put America at war with all of the Muslim world -- Shia and Sunni -- for the foreseeable future."
carol| 8.21.11 @ 3:05PM
I think they wanted in to Iran. Hiking? what a joke I think they wanted to get in with the youth in Iran and the Iranian reality hit them like a ton of bricks. I equate them with the best thing that happened to us was Obama. Woke us up If they survive the prison will they love freedom, America? I doubt it. Berkley is the university that loves to hate America.