Ahmadinejad: 2 Americans Accused of Spying Could Be Free ‘In a Couple Days’
- Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:16am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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NEW YORK (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says two American hikers arrested and convicted on spy-related charges there could be freed “in a couple of days.”
Ahmadinejad announced the upcoming release on NBC’s “Today” show in an interview aired early Tuesday, saying it would be a humanitarian gesture.
The announcement comes after an Iranian court Tuesday set bail of $500,000 each for the two American men arrested more than two years ago and convicted on spy-related charges, clearing the way for their release a year after a similar bail-for-freedom arrangement for the third member of the group, their defense attorney said.
Lawyer Masoud Shafiei said the court would begin the process to free Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal after payment of the bail, which must be arranged through third parties because of U.S. economic sanctions on Iran. But the timing of the court‘s decision is similar to last year’s bail deal mediated by the Gulf state of Oman that freed a third American, Sarah Shourd.
“They accepted to set bail to release,” Shafiei told The Associated Press after leaving the court. “The amount is the same for Sarah.”
The Americans were arrested in July 2009 along the Iran-Iraq border and accused by Iran of espionage. The trio have denied the charges and say they may have mistakenly crossed into Iran when they stepped off a dirt road while hiking near a waterfall in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Last month, Bauer and Fattal, both 29, were sentenced to three years each for illegal entry into Iran and five years each for spying for the United States. They appealed the verdicts. Shourd’s case remains open.
Shafiei said he has passed along details of the court’s decision to the Swiss Embassy, which represent U.S. interests in Iran since there are no diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington.
Iran may have timed the court decision to coincide with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit later this month to New York for the general assembly of the United Nations. Last year, Shourd was released on bail just as Ahmadinejad was heading for the annual gathering of world leaders.
This story has been updated with new information.
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Comments (42)
proliance
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:41pmOMG, these kids went hiking on the Iraq/Iran border!! They should be home in their mom’s basement like the rest of the Blazers hiding behind their computer screen. And they went to Berkeley?! Off with their heads! Burkhas and Sharia law for everyone!
Seriously folks, stop supporting Iran and show a little real patriotism for American citizens.
Report Post »Contrarian51
Posted on September 14, 2011 at 12:52amSo you equate pointing out stupidity with supporting Iran? Wow.
Report Post »Rational Man
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 3:58pmJust in time for them to start training for a hiking expedition in North Korea.
Report Post »obama-mecca-me-sick
Posted on September 14, 2011 at 9:34pmAnd all it took was a million in ransom.. I mean bail and lunch with progressive college students in one of our best indoctrination centers…. I mean Universities.
Report Post »Al J Zira
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:42pmKeep them, we don‘t want two idiots that hink it’s cool to hike along the Iranian border. You have to be missing a lot of brain cells.
Report Post »Crazy Times
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:32pmI remember when this nuthead was first interview by Ann Currey acouple of years back.. then he was interviewed by her again, giving her access to his life other journalist have never seen before….
Report Post »one has to wonder
Enuff Zenuff
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:20pmWe already have more than enough UCLA-Berkeley morons here, so we should make Iran pay us to take them back! I don’t want any more of my taxpayer dollars spent on ‘rescuing’ idiots who supposedly blunder into terrorist countries so they can make an easy fortune duping gullible leaders and writing about their reckless misadventures.
The assertion that they were merely innocent ‘hikers’ is simply not credible. Who in their right mind would choose to vacation in a war zone like Iraq – along a border with a terrorist nation like Iran?
Most likely they wanted to get caught so they could write books – inspired by Bill Clinton’s unconvincing “private humanitarian mission,” of those two idiots from North Korea that cost taxpayers a fortune in man-years of State Department back channel negotiations and was a huge publicity coup for terrorist-dictator Kim Jong Il. Why didn’t our treasury get reimbursed from their book proceeds?
If these ‘hikers’ write a copycat book, the State Department must seize their profits on behalf of the taxpayers or we’ll just be encouraging more irresponsible behavior at taxpayer expense. Paraphrasing Jefferson, I say ‘Millions for defense but not one penny for idiots’. They‘re Iran’s problem now – let them keep them!
Report Post »oneyejack
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 12:29pmAmerica, take a lesson on how to control borders and raise money to reduce the deficit!
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 11:22amObama could pay the ransom with the monopoly
Report Post »money hes been printing , i mean its just ink and paper ,
right ?
dsm
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:42amDoesn’t anybody else see what i sgoing on here. First, we all know or should know Ahmadinejad is pure EVIL. Yesterday, The Blaze covered the story of NBC running the warm fuzzy feeling story about him, then today’s segment he says he is going to release the hikers. He is also coming to Columbia to have lunch with students. He is trying to portray himself as being about peace and love and we can all live together on this earth. Only if everybody subverts to Islam. People need to wake up a connect the dots.
Report Post »Ahmadinejad should be feared by every American. He has said numerous times he wants to kill all Jews and Americans. I am pretty sure most people on here fall into that category.
raggie
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:25pmWatch http://www.thethirdjihad.com/ to know the truth about the radical muslims taking over the world and it’s in our back yard.
WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!
Report Post »Tyler520
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:35amYes, they ‘could be free in a couple of days’…assuming they pay their $1 million bail.
Its kidnapping and randsom, through and through
Report Post »American_Made
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:17amI agree these three clowns should have never been in Iran in the first place, but it is obvious this is nothing more then a ransom demand by Iran and as such should be considered an act of war. We should immediately demand their release or we will wipe one Iranian city off the face of the earth. If they still are not released we will wipe another Iranian city off the face of the earth each day till they are. That is all these camel mating neanderthals understand.
Report Post »Enuff Zenuff
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:32pmAre you kidding? We already have enough UCLA Berkely graduates here to fill thousands of bags of hammers! These two must be the bottom of the ‘stupid’ barrel to vacation in a terorist war zone. Pay Iran to keep them!
Report Post »supercars34
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:06amPlease don’t tell me the US govt. is going to pay their ransom. That would be a great precedent.
Report Post »supercars34
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:03amAside from all the comments espousing stupidity for these 3 fools being in Iran in the first place,all of which I agree with, What appears to be unanswered is who paid the 500 big ones to release the girl & who is spitting up twice that,in 2 days time no less, to release the guys. Please don’t tell me “we” are. And if so, when did the govt. take over dispensing ransom monies to foreign governments?
Report Post »acesandnates
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:47amTo everyone that is saying that they should be forced to stay in Iran, I have one thing to say… “SHAME on you.”. These are Americans. I think we should trade them for you, because you are despicable human beings.
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:46amObviously these idiots were TOO FREAKING STUPID to hike somewhere safe OH NOOOOO these fools HAD to hike into iran. I have no pity for them .
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:01amSo Mr Obama what have you promised the madman President of Iran in exchange for this happening; the actual selling of nuclear missile warheads and technology?
Report Post »http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (cat folk art)
Apodictic
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:31am“Tehran Ann” Al-Qurry: Useful Idiot
In today’s “exclusive” interview with Iranian terrorist and murderer Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, NBC’s “Tehran Ann” proved once again that she’s a hard-hitting sock puppet for the Iranian dictator. First came the announcement that Iran would be releasing the two American hikers as a humanitarian gesture, while calling for the release of Iranian prisoners held in the U.S. Conveniently omitted was the $500,000 “bail” being demanded by the Iranian regime in exchange for said humanitarian gesture. What a guy!
Then, “Tehran Ann” gifted the dictator with plausible deniability by asking if the IAEA was correct that Iran is developing a nuclear warhead. Of course he denied the allegation. I’m guessing that “Tehran Ann’s” fawning and pandering has earned her a lifetime pass to attend the “Death to America” rallies that are routinely staged in Tehran.
Report Post »Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:42amIn 1935 a reporter innocently asked Hermann Goering if it was true that Germany was developing an air force. “Oh no!” Goering answered, “We already have one!” That is probably how it will happen with Iran.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:23am.
Report Post »PLEASE Keep them……….2 less votes for Obama………..
heavyduty
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:17amTell Iran that we have heard this crap before. I am really sorry that they got caught in Iran playing around. But they weren’t force to go there. They did of their own free will and got caught. So if they get out fine, but if they don’t, fine.
Report Post »It’s like idiots that want to climb real high mountains or jump out of perfectly good airplanes. Yes, you can do it. But why would you want too? It sure doesn’t make you smart by any means. I pray that they do get out and they and others will learn to stay the hell out of Iran. But if they don’t then I guess they need to learn Iraneese.
rabblechat
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:14amI have a hard time believing that these were just three college kids out on a hike.
Report Post »Who in their right mind would think it was a good I idea to go hiking in the middle of a war zone?
and how would you get there? Its not like you are going to pop over to hotels.com and book a flight to Bagdad with a couple of nights stay at the Howard Johnson…
Lloyd Drako
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:43amThey were hiking in Kurdistan, the semi-sovereign northern part of Iraq, which made some efforts to gin up investment and “adventure” tourism a few years ago. Probably the simplest explanation for why they were there.
Report Post »Enuff Zenuff
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:36pmActually Lloyd, the ‘simplest’ answer is that they wanted to get caught so they could get rescued and write a book about it – Instant wealth at taxpayer expense.
Report Post »Blight14
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:00amLets see, three joos ‘accidentally’ sneak into Iran and 90% of America is shedding crocodile tears…….Do the ‘right thing’ Iran! Pssssst, I THINK they’re gay too so make it spectacular!
Report Post »captainbars
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:46amIran made their point; if you’re uninvited, stay out; America is weak and they’re strong; and the money will be used to buy more weapons. There was a time when an American could trust that their government would rescue them from such danger as this…that time has passed. Whether or not we think these young people are idiots, our government should’ve delivered an ultimatum…hand them over, or else. We dropped the ball on the Cole incident, and Black Hawk, too. The image of a half naked, dead American soldier being dragged through the streets in Somalia is burned in my brain.
Report Post »trolltrainer
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:58amWell said.
Report Post »CurtisH
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:04amI’m sorry, but I have to strongly disagree with you on this point. If they had in fact been kidnapped from a free area I could possibly see going to war. I will not condone risking American lives because some Americans don’t use common sense when they travel overseas. Why were they there? It is well known to most people that this area of the world is probably the most dangerous right now. They have to take responsibility for a stupid decision the same way a drunk driver has to take responsibility if he decides to get behind the wheel drunk. To compare this to the Cole is not right.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 8:21amI honestly don’t think our government should be responsible for rescuing imbeciles that hike on the Iraq-Iran border for kicks. This falls under the heading of personal responsibility. I don‘t even want the bail money coming out of tax payer’s wallets, it should be raised privately, though I doubt it will be.
Report Post »Enuff Zenuff
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:39pm@GONZO
If you’re raising money to keep these idiots over there, count me in!
They‘re Iran’s problem now – why would we possibly want them back?
Report Post »I can‘t believe we’re still even talking about them.
itsmyfirstday
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:46amI bet they are no longer liberals….
Report Post »RightUnite
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:49amYou would certainly hope not…. Sometimes Liberals just don’t get it though.
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:07amYou want to bet on that? I would venture to say that hardly anything has changed with these three nitwits. Wait and read their books that I am sure are forthcoming after their eventual release.
Report Post »mrw
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:44amSeriously, keep them. 2 contenders for the Darwin Award.
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:40amSo basically they are no better than the Somali pirates. They kidnapped three (stupid kids) Americans and now if we pay the ransom they will send them back to us. Iran should have been a smoking sheet of radioactive glass a long time ago.
Report Post »RichNGadsden
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 9:13amLOL, in ‘79 when our BN Chaplain at Bragg was asked what should be done with Iran. His comment was that the country should become a navigational aid for UFOs. I think that is still a common sentiment.
Report Post »Enuff Zenuff
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 2:51pm@perspective
These three kids were hardly ‘kidnapped’… Illegal trespassing is a crime in most countries. The US is the only country I know that rewards trespassers.
Say what you want about about Ahmanutjob, but at least he expects his borders to be respected. Let him keep them.
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:36amSorry , but i wish they would keep em. California libs,
Report Post »vacationing on the iran iraq boarder….. You have got to
be kidding !!!! Idiots
Gonzo
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 7:35amSend them a million inoculated with bubonic plague. Here you go, enjoy.
Report Post »