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.
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.
Exactly my feelings. I wonder why this choice was not an option.
This.
Excellent point.
I just did some googling and found this:
Are we supposed to take something from that? “Oh my god! They’re liberals! They deserve to rot!”
If she really hates Israel so much, that ought to score her some big points with the Iranian President…
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.
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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.
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.
<checks mens rea chart> 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.
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.
You would think so, but the reality is probably that her being a US citizen trumps all.
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”?
It is possible that the leader may have been a CIA informant* and/or a journalist. I think the other two are 100% dupes.