Monday May 28, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Iran sentences 2 American hikers to 8 years in jail

World Aug. 21, 2011 - 06:41AM JST ( 10 )

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

Order by Time Order by Popularity

10 Comments

0

AsagaoAug. 21, 2011 - 12:14PM JST

Why are they called "American hikers"? They are convicted spy's. Normal American people don't just wake up one day and decide, "I know, why not go to the civil war in Iraq where Americans are hated, and go for a tramp along the border of Iran where, America is also hated".
0

OracleAug. 21, 2011 - 02:21PM JST

Well Asagao, I don't think Americans are hated in the Kurdish regions, and I think the nearby areas of Iran are pretty remote.

I think the main reason they are not being called spies in our press is because being a little bit over the border surrounded by nothing but nature is not proof of spying, unless Iran has some state secrets hidden in trees and rocks.

Of course, some people are too quick to assume that American would never send spies to Iran. But in this case, I think its safe to conclude they were not spies. Even if they were, what's the proof? Far more likely they are just political footballs created by bad luck.
0

AsagaoAug. 21, 2011 - 03:00PM JST

Come on, their is no Kurdistan no more, just a fractured Iraq thanks to Bush Inc. They are most obviously spies, convicted spies. Just call them heroes and negate a swap instead of making America look foolish. Spies get caught all the time. They have families so get them back to, do it for their sake.
0

lostrune2Aug. 21, 2011 - 06:41PM JST

Who believes Iranian theocracy evidence? They say their own people protesting are foreign interlopers. It's like Burmese government evidence against Aung San Suu Kyi - it's junk bonds!
0

LagunaAug. 21, 2011 - 06:51PM JST

They'll be freed - once the revolution comes!
0

SuperLibAug. 21, 2011 - 07:06PM JST

The US should arrest Ahmadinejad next month and offer a swap, but I'm not sure Iran would really give anything of value for him.
0

FoxieAug. 21, 2011 - 11:38PM JST

I remember that they went there on their hiking vacation. What a strange idea in the first place. Next time, go hiking to NK, only they seem to be nicer. Once met an American guy at immigration in Guatemala who did the same thing and was asked by the autorities to translate. He claimed that he didn't have a passport and was sent to his embassy. Once outside, he asked me to help him sell numerous fake American passports. I told him to get lost.
0

NolivingAug. 22, 2011 - 01:40AM JST

I don't think people realize just how safe the Kurdish controlled areas of Iraq were, which is where these American's went hiking. Kurdish controlled areas in a lot of ways were just as safe as Europe or North America. The Insurgency just simply didn't exist in the Kurdish controlled areas of Iraq.
0

MadvertsAug. 22, 2011 - 03:25AM JST

Noliving,

I'm not question your claims, but it is still a dangerous place for 3 Americans to be doing whatever it was they were doing. Dangerous and dumbass if you ask me.

Anyone expecting compassion from the bearded barbarians running Iran needs a head-check.
0

presto345Aug. 22, 2011 - 10:03AM JST

I think its safe to conclude they were not spies. Even if they were, what's the proof?

Exactly. What and where is the proof? Not likely to be forthcoming as there isn't any and don't expect justice from a judiciary controlled by religious zealots.