Iran Jails American Hikers For 'Spying'

Skynews ^ | 08/20/11 | skynews

[winoneforthegipper]

Two American hikers who were detained in Iran have been sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of "illegal entry" and "espionage," the state TV website says.

[Tzimisce]

A bunch of dumb liberals trying to do some kind of braindead publicity stunt.

I don’t feel sorry for these idiots.

[Nitehawk0325]

Berkeley = stupid libs = hiking = Iran = foreign jail time. All of that equals, they get what they deserve. I sympathize they are Americans and that kinda pisses me off but they are liberals. Less for us to deal with here in the states.

[nuconvert]

I understand & appreciate those sentiments.

[americanophile]

I don't consider the Iraqi government hostile - I don't parituclalry like them, but they're not hostile like Iran. Iraq is full of dangerous people, yes, but I'm talking about the government. Iraqi-Kurdistan, BTW, has been the most pro-American spot in Iraq, if not the entire Muslim world for some time. These kids were terribly unwise to travel there, undoubtedly have incredibly naive views of the world, but I will never side with Iran in locking them up on trumped on espionage charges and I sure won't take pleasure in it like some on this forum.

[John D]

They were in Irak first, certainly to look for atrocities that American soldiers did there. Not one ounce of pity for these “jane Fonda” piece of s...t. May be they will like America if they ever come back here?

One of the kids mother lives in my home town. I have no doubt what you are saying is what happened. They just had the bad luck of having Jimmy Carter II in the White House.

[Chode]

they could of done all that AND stayed farther away from the border... or did their GPS just quit working or something???

[americanophile]

It doesn't matter to me, nor do I concede that they ever entered Iran at all. It doesn't give Iran the right to abduct them and incarcerate them on trumped up charges. Period.

[American Dream 246]

Thank you :-)

[americanophile]

I appreciate your sentiment, but one of the most indespensible lessons of American liberty is the value of our citizenship and the duty to defend your fellow citizens' right to freedom, even when you believe they are wrong.

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."
- Abraham Lincoln

"He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." - Thomas Paine

[FreedomPoster]

I think it’s “Pomeranian grenadier” (at least that’s what you find on the quotes sites), but close enough.

[Carry_Okie]

Zero should "at least talk to them," then things will be all better.

Talk to them Zero, let them feel the magic... TALK to them!!!

[Carry_Okie]

No doubt, but I must confess that I have no sympathy for Berkeley students who go out hiking in these of all places secure in the knowledge that if anything were to happen, the United States military would put themselves at risk to save their Peace Studies butts.

Do you feel similarly about "American interests," you know... oil wells and other stuff even more likely to need subsidized military protection??? How about all those shipping lanes? Where do you draw that line?

[cherokee1]

Oddly, to me anyway, their parents haven’t had a lot to say about the whole deal. They obviously fronted some of the bucks that financed the “most excellent adventure”. I charged the whole thing up to the success of the Darwin Theory-—these morons have taken themselves out of the gene pool for 8 years at least

[odds]

Thanks for the elaboration. They’ve held many kangaroo courts over the last 3 decades. Often, thereafter, promptly executed people too. The hikers being alive is a blessing.

[hinckley buzzard]

They were not students, but leftwing pro-Pali activists. 28 years old. The chick was 32. They obviously believed their political correctness protected them from harm, since "hey, Iranians we're on your side."

These idiots remind me of the guy who thought he could live with bears and they wouldn't hurt him because after all he meant them no harm.

Let them stay in Iran, get a good dose of the kind of people they have been pimping for. Most likely they will develop a strong case of Stockholm Syndrome and elect to stay there, which is a win- win in my view. Besides, they look like creeps.

[definitelynotaliberal]

I draw the line at stupidity. Don’t go out and get a degree in ‘Peace Studies’, then go hiking on the Iran/Iraq border while living in Damascus. There had to have been a sense of invincibility - we’ll be alright, these are peaceful people, don’t fear the terrorists, they’re mothers and fathers, insert other liberal drivel here - and it is provided by the US military. They know that it is there even as they curse at and denigrate it and try to weaken it at the polls.

[Chode]

i never said Iran had the right to do anything...

i'm saying they are a known element like a rabid dog that will do vicious and unpredictable things, and you don't need to get near it to see if it will do something You will regret later

[americanophile]

We agree there. I concede the despotic nature of the Iranian government as well as the foolishness of the hikers. They should be released.

[WoofDog123]

honestly, hiking in iran is so patently stupid and dangerous on the face of it that I am not totally against the notion that they may have indeed been sent to look at something/etc. What other reason to say you are hiking in iran?

[Carry_Okie]

I draw the line at stupidity.

As opposed to rescuing investors who develop resources in a "host" country that then steals that investment and even cuts off shipments, while those same "investors" simultaneously use their tax-exempt "charitable" foundations to suppress development of competing resources in this country in the name of "environmental protection"???

"Stupidity" is in the eye of the beholder, and therefore a fuzzy line indeed.