[macquire]

I guess all those Peace Study classes didn't do them any good when they encountered their first hard line thug in the world...

[DIRTYSECRET]

Iran should keep them.

[ilovesarah2012]

Does anyone know what “Peace Studies” qualifies you for after graduation?

[Starboard]

They have 20 days to appeal the sentence.

Translation: 20 days to come up with enough money to buy a reduced sentence or freedom.

[Flycatcher]

They should have taken a geography class instead of "peace studies."

Then they might have known where the Iranian border was...

[BradyLS]

I dunno. You gotta be some kind of stupid or up to something fishy to be “hiking” on the Iraq-Iran border in the middle of a big war. If they were simply guilty of being stupid, Iran won’t suffer those sorts of fools gladly. At least they let the woman go. She’s got a long wait if she was serious about one of them.

[Baynative]

It looks like political idealism has given them a taste of reality. ... another Rachel Corrie type story.

Shane Bauer, who grew up both in Onamia, Minnesota and San Leandro, California, is a freelance photojournalist and journalist who has worked for Pacifica News Service, Mother Jones, The Nation and other left-leaning media outlets, using his fluency in speaking Arabic.

Sarah Emily Shourd, who grew up in Los Angeles, California, worked in education and social justice in Damascus where she provided educational opportunities to refugees from the war in Iraq and taught English. Shourd was released by Iran on September 14, 2010 on $500,000 bail. Shourd's bail does not require that she remain in Iran, and her case will still go to trial along with Bauer and Fattal. Shourd's mother has said she had been denied treatment for serious health problems, including a breast lump and precancerous cervical cells. In May 2011, Shourd announced that she would not return to Iran for trial, citing acute ill-health.

Joshua "Josh" Fattal, who grew up in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, an environmentalist and educator, had been from January to May 2009 a teaching fellow for the International Honors Program (IHP)'s "Health and Community" study abroad program. Prior to traveling with the IHP, Fattal lived and worked at Aprovecho in Oregon, USA, exploring and promoting sustainable living practices.

At least, as we say, "they were doing what they love."

[Lockbar]

Somebody needs to send them a DVD of “Midnight Express”. I know that was Turkey, but Iran can’t be any better.

[A_perfect_lady]

Welcome to the Real World, boys. Turns out America’s not the worst place to get arrested after all, eh?

[ken21]

i doubt that liberal-progressives of their pedigree would spy for the u.s.

i could be wrong.

[G Larry]

It is possible that 8 years in an Iranian prison could offset 4 years at Berkeley, and they could emerge conservatives.

[Truth29]

This is just funny, assuming it is accurately reported. However, it has always been peculiar that these three liberals were just hiking along the Iran/Iraq border.

[yorkie]

LESSON:

Tresspass into Iran - get arrested, lose 1/2 your body weight and end up in prison for 8 years.

Tresspass into the United States of America - get free food, subsidized housing, free education, free medical care, jobs, throw your trash everywhere, spit on the citizens, and you don’t even have to speak English.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***I guess all those Peace Study classes didn’t do them any good when they encountered their first hard line thug in the world... ***

About them! “Shane Bauer, a 2007 honors graduate in peace and conflict studies,....”

http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/08/03_hikers.shtml

Wonder how “mush for brains” is going to like “squeeling like a pig” in his Iranian prison cell FOR THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS! A lot of good those “Peace and Conflict” sutdies did him, and Berkeley did a real good job of preparing them for the REAL WORLD! ;-D

Wonder if he has paid off his school loans yet!

[RJS1950]

“Peace Studies” my ass. Man, karma sure is a bitch now isn’t it.

[PALIN SMITH]

Stupid is as stupid does!

[crosshairs]

Sounds like a good lesson for them to learn.

[GreenHornet]

They may be guilty of being stupid, of being incredibly naive, or they may have been up to something more than just hiking. Regardless of the reason they were there, the Obama administration isn’t doing anything on their behalf to try to secure their release. The President’s primary duty is to protect the citizens of this country. The message here is that foreign governments can do whatever they want to our people, and the U.S. will do absolutley nothing about it.

[utax]

Two fewer Obama voters for the next election.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Hard to feel sorry for these wankers. The only good thing for them is Iran has no homosexuals.

[Harley]

It’s too bad that they didn’t capture peace studies grad student Michael Moore. He could have used the weight reduction plan plus had 8 years to think of how to spin his next movie to show Iran had great health care.