# Three American Hikers Detained in Iran **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2010, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815 "2010-05-09T15:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/21 "2010-05-10T09:11:40Z")
Innocent, stupid and I have incredible sympathy for them. If you think prison life in the US is hard, I can only imagine how bad it is for three Americans in an Iranian holding center. I wonder if they’re being “interrogated.” I don’t believe in the power of prayer, but if I did, I’d be praying for these guys. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/22 "2010-05-10T20:52:14Z")
Personal responsibility - as in take some. Sure, you can go for a stroll on the Iranian border. If it’s really want you want to do, go for it. You also have the option of climbing Mt Everest, or diving into the shallow end of your swimming pool. I’m even ok with trying to rescue your from your own bad decisions. I’m also all for sending you the bill for that rescue attempt. Innocent and stupid. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/23 "2010-05-10T22:19:16Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I won’t answer the poll. They were innocent, very very stupid, but I certainly do sympathize for them. Exactly my feelings. I wonder why this choice was not an option. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/24 "2010-05-10T22:44:42Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > I didn’t vote because there’s no option for “Innocent, stupid, and should be released.” I don’t think they had a right to be there and I do have sympathy for the way they’ve been treated after being arrested. This. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/25 "2010-05-10T22:47:56Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I think that there’s at least one missing option. They can be not innocent and not US agents (stupid or not). They may have had another agenda, agitating politically or for religious reasons.. Excellent point. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/26 "2010-05-10T22:58:45Z")
I just did some googling and found this: [http://www.debbieschlussel.com/5868/let-em-rot-hiking-americans-detained-in-iran-are-pro-syrian-anti-israel-left-wing-journalist-activists/](http://www.debbieschlussel.com/5868/let-em-rot-hiking-americans-detained-in-iran-are-pro-syrian-anti-israel-left-wing-journalist-activists/) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/27 "2010-05-10T23:24:32Z")
Are we supposed to take something from that? “Oh my god! They’re liberals! They deserve to rot!” ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/28 "2010-05-10T23:31:29Z")
> [@OccamsTaser](#): > > I just did some googling and found this: > > [http://www.debbieschlussel.com/5868/let-em-rot-hiking-americans-detained-in-iran-are-pro-syrian-anti-israel-left-wing-journalist-activists/](http://www.debbieschlussel.com/5868/let-em-rot-hiking-americans-detained-in-iran-are-pro-syrian-anti-israel-left-wing-journalist-activists/) If she really hates Israel so much, that ought to score her some big points with the Iranian President… ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/29 "2010-05-11T00:34:52Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I’m assuming that the people who voted for the second option must all have some magic shields which prevent them from ever making a blunder with tragic consequences. Otherwise you all don’t just seem like heartless assholes, you seem pretty hubristical as well. Not a “magic shield which prevents…tragic blunders”, but a down to earth shield that at least _helps_ prevent such reckless stupidity: it’s called a “brain.” Common sense, in other words. And: If someone chooses to skate on thin ice, they’re stupid, and stating the obvious doesn’t make one a heartless hubristical asshole. . ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/30 "2010-05-11T00:58:45Z")
For all we know, they are sitting there saying “We made a calculated risk, and we got called on it.” People do risky stuff all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/31 "2010-05-11T02:21:35Z")
Somehow the wrong radio button got pushed when I voted. I meant to vote #2. As I recall, these women were specifically told not to go where they went by locals, specifically because you cannot tell where the border is, and were also informed specifically that if they put a foot wrong the Iranian govt would summarily incarcerate them. There is no chance they “accidentally” went where they shouldn’t. I don’t believe they are spies, but I do think they pretty much did everything in their power to make it most appear that they were spies. \ yep, that’s at least reckless on every element of the charge. I also think an Iranian who blundered across the US/CAN border after being told on the CAN side not to risk it with the border patrol would expect treatment equal, if not worse, than what these individuals got. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/32 "2010-05-11T18:18:17Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Are we supposed to take something from that? “Oh my god! They’re liberals! They deserve to rot!” What I took away from it is that they are “activists” who, more likely than not, have a political _agenda_, versus simply being tourists on holiday. Whether they are liberal or conservative, or anywhere in between, is entirely irrelevant. ---
**Author:** ![OccamsTaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ec8ea/32.png) [@OccamsTaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OccamsTaser)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/33 "2010-05-11T18:21:45Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > If she really hates Israel so much, that ought to score her some big points with the Iranian President… You would think so, but the reality is probably that her being a US citizen trumps all. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/34 "2010-05-21T00:20:40Z")
> [@OccamsTaser](#): > > What I took away from it is that they are “activists” who, more likely than not, have a political _agenda_, versus simply being tourists on holiday. I imagine that most Americans travelling in that area would be ‘activists’. You are not going to get many causal tourists. Do you agree with the article that you linked: “Let ‘Em Rot: “Hiking” Americans Detained in Iran Are Pro-Syrian, Anti-Israel, Far-Left “Journalist” Activists”? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815/35 "2010-05-21T02:28:20Z")
It is possible that the leader may have been a CIA informant\* and/or a journalist. I think the other two are 100% dupes. - the CIA recruits quite a few travelers to bring back reports, but that’s not quite the same thing as FT real Agents. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-american-hikers-detained-in-iran/538815.md?page=1)