Sean Penn helped secure release of U.S. hikers in Iran - after bringing plight to Hugo Chavez

Daily Mail ^ | 12:40 AM on 24th September 2011 | Daily Mail Reporter

[Niuhuru]

U.S. actor Sean Penn engaged in attempts to secure the release of two Americans freed by Iran this week, flying to Venezuela to ask President Hugo Chavez to intervene with Iran's leader, a source close to the release process said on Friday.

Since Tehran freed Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer on Wednesday details have emerged about the efforts to win their freedom, which involved the United Nations, Iraq and Oman - as well as Chavez, who is a fiery critic of the United States.

Venezuela's deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Chavez brought up the case with his Iranian ally Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after being alerted to the Americans' plight by friends in U.S. 'intellectual circles.'

[elkfersupper]

As soon as these "hikers" or Sean Penn show up on U.S. soil, they need to be shot.

This was a stunt gone bad. I know it, everyone reading this knows it, the "hikers" know it and Sean Penn knows it.

[Chode]

[Dallas59]

This story hasn’t smelt right from the get go. People hiking in the mountains of Iraq during a war? Give me a break. Iran should’ve kept them idiot butts.

[Bender2]

Whoa! Had to get radical with those gnarly Iranian dudes... but when I gave them some bitching Panama Red, they saw the awesomeness of my way--

[A_perfect_lady]

LOL... who knows how many months those two putzes kept assuring the Iranians, "No, we aren't spies, we don't even love our country, we're on your side!!" And no one believed them till Sean Penn said "Guys, it's cool, they're one of us."

Now those hikers will be celebrities in the Berkeley circlies forever. Getting laid will never be a problem again. Ah, what a happy ending.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Perhaps they could have been freed earlier if they had just converted to Islam. That would have been funny

[ColdOne]

'The American "intellectual" who took up the case with him was Sean Penn,' the source said. "intellectual" and Sean Pean in the same sentence..............Just wrong!

[FrdmLvr]

People hiking in the mountains of Iran - period! Who the h-e-double hockey sticks goes hiking in Iran!???!!!

[ml/nj]

Did he come up with the million dollars too, or is that something "we" did?

ML/NJ

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The $500,000 “bond” posted on each of them probably had more to do with it than Penn.

[max americana]

Did he use his red cup from Katrina to help in the release?

[BuckyKat]

Leno had a good line - that the female released earlier and her boyfriend are getting married soon. They’ve planed to take their honeymoon on a cruise off the Somali coast.

[elpadre]

Who paid the million dollars for release? Please don’t tell me the US tax payers!

[Revolting cat!]

Sultan of Oman paid it. As for these three being mere “hikers”? We’ll have to take their word for it.

In any case CIA or no CIA, they’re in the money now. Nothing like notoriety for having the media at your door with money offers.

[Paradox]

All I know is that if I was the parents and family of these guys, I would kiss Penn’s feet.

[FrdmLvr]

This is the way I see it: Achmadinijad knows 0bama is out in a little over a year. He doesn’t want to have to deal with the wrath of a real American president over the hostage situation with these hikers. He’s made his point by taking them and holding them for three years.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

“will be celebrities in the Berkeley circlies forever”

And they got $1,000,000 donated to the Iranian destroy Israel fund.

[FrdmLvr]

The American “Intellectual” according to the article! Shows you what the UK thinks of us!

[FrdmLvr]

GREAT line!