Americans on Trial in Iran
Posted in Foreign Affairs by Robinson O'Brien-Bours
Almost two years ago, three young grads went on a hiking trip in the beautiful hills of Iraqi Kurdistan. During their trip, they allegedly crossed into Iranian territory and were subsequently arrested and charged with espionage (yes, the same regime that accuses unfavored cabinet ministers of witchcraft also believes that UC Berkeley is a hotbed of CIA recruits). One of the three, Sarah Shourd, was released last September on $500,000 bail, with the official report citing medical concerns as the reason for her release. Joshua Fattal and Shane Bauer are still being head in a prison known to hold mostly political dissidents somewhere outside of Tehran. They will be
standing trial for charges of espionage on July 31st, exactly two years after they were first captured.
Attempted interventions by various influential people ranging from President Obama to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon to Hollywood actors to Desmond Tutu to Amnesty International have all attempted to convince the regime to release the young Americans, but it is refusing to
free the hikers despite holding them for two years. This is but another example of that regime's oppression and disregard for the basic rights of human beings. Hopefully justice will be done and the last two hikers will be able to finally return home by the end of this summer.
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Berkeley, eh? You think they'll blame the Iranian regime for their unjust imprisonment or America's imperialist foreign policy?
I don't know how anyone with a true awareness about Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, or the CIA black sites scattered around the globe can actually type such tripe with a straight face:
"Attempted interventions by various influential people ranging from President Obama to UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon to Hollywood actors to Desmond Tutu to Amnesty International have all attempted to convince the regime to release the young Americans, but it is refusing to free the hikers despite holding them for two years. This is but another example of that regime's oppression and disregard for the basic rights of human beings. Hopefully justice will be done and the last two hikers will be able to finally return him [sic] by the end of this summer."
Well, golly, ROB, maybe Iran is just dead certain about their accusations?
They "know" these people to be guilty so they hold them as long as they want (one would be lucky to get 2 years at Gitmo) without trial. Imagine your outrage if they would deny them a (kangaroo court) trial and instead insist upon military tribunals.
Sadly, what Iran has done w/ these students is something that could very easily happen in the US.
yeah craig, under obama your statement is much closer to the truth then even an idiot like you imagines.
thedaddy.
The average prisoner gains 20 lbs at Gitmo. Do the Americans have access to Bibles [or any other non-Quran holy books], routine medical examinations, libraries, workout/recreational facilities, and lawyers? All of those things are made available to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
Have you ever met a service member who has captured an enemy combatant or detained a suspected combatant? Do you have any idea what the process entails?
It's one thing to criticize the wisdom of certain American policies or lament the fact that there have been innocent people killed or detained since the wars of the War on Terror began. It is another thing entirely to ascribe these mistakes to the maliciousness of the American regime and military generally (rather than the isolated bad actors) or pretending there is some kind of moral equivalency between the Iranian regime and the Bush and Obama administrations (I assume you lump those two together, since President Obama has changed none of the policies for which Sen Obama criticized President Bush). Whether Code Pink or Tea Partiers, America doesn't shoot protestors in the streets, nor set up show trials for with no evidence of malicious intent or action. Claiming we don't have a leg to stand on is absolutely ridiculous and is very instructive of just how out of touch with reality your views are.
"Claiming we don't have a leg to stand on is absolutely ridiculous and is very instructive of just how out of touch with reality your views are".
Bulls Eye!