Hiker Sarah Shourd criticizes Iranian, American policies

SFGate ^ | 12/27/11 | Ellen Huet

[SmithL]

Sarah Shourd, one of three UC Berkeley graduates that were detained in Iran, spoke out Monday against the Iranian government as well as American policies that she said kept her and the two other hikers in prison for months.

When Shourd was released in September 2010 after more than a year in prison, she thanked Iran’s president and Ayatolla Khomeini for her “compassionate release from detention,” expressing gratitude because she feared for the fate of the two other hikers, who were still imprisoned, she wrote in The Daily Beast. The two hikers, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, were released in September.

In her article and in light of Fattal and Bauer’s release, she revised her thanks to Iran.

“Perhaps it wasn’t dishonest of me to thank the Iranian government 16 months ago, but now I can be more specific,” she wrote. “Thank you for using us to further deepen your own crisis of legitimacy around the world and with your own people. Thank you for laying bare your total disregard for justice, fairness, and human liberty.”

[SES1066]

Ayatolla Khomeini .... is DEAD!

Given that the current Leader of the Supreme Council (head of the Iranian Theocracy) is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, this could be a case of tomato-tomato! It is a common problem and I would give both the benefit of the doubt.

[SECURE AMERICA]

“Like I’m going to take notes on foreign policy from somebody who was stupid enough to be hiking in Iran.”

BING BING BING We have a winner!!!!!

[Jim Scott]

If you read the short article, Sarah Shourd takes a pretty hard shot at Iran but seems to lament the fact that the U.S. is likely going to end up at war with that sad country, ruled by 'religious' fanatics that long for death and destruction even if it is their death and Iran's destruction.

Shourd is obviously conflicted. She knows now that Iran is a hell-hole and it's leadership is dangerously deluded but her knee-jerk anti-American leanings (she's a graduate of UC Berkeley) push her to find something to complain about regarding the country that helped get her out of an Iranian prison after Shourd and her two male companions stupidly went hiking in Iranian territory and were captured as spies. I submit that this young woman's comments are of little import and will be quickly forgotten.

[pfflier]

Sounds magnificent. I think I’ll just hike Northern Arizona though, same attributes, no hassles.

[Eva]

They’re from Berkeley, what do you expect?

[Yardstick]

You got it. Lefties are as predictable as clockwork.