British Boaters Set Free by Iran: What About the American Tourists? UPDATE: 3 to Stand Trial Yet No Charges Filed
The three American tourists who accidentally strayed into Iranian territory in July, and have been sitting in an Iranian jail cell for months, probably thought that they were about to get some company in the form of a crew of British sailors. A vessel competing in a yacht race from Bahrain to Dubai inadvertently strayed into Iranian waters and was stopped at gunpoint by the Iranian Navy. Fortunately for the British crew, and perhaps unfortunately for the Americans still in captivity, the British sailors were released yesterday after Iranian military officials determined that their intentions were legitimately stated and had genuinely just ventured off course. The release comes even as Iran refuses to release the American tourists similarly situated – who are now being accused of espionage. British sailors were questioned and released in an expedient fashion while the American tourists are being referred to as “spies” rather than characterizing them as what they truly are – a group of innocent Americans with bad map reading skills and a poor sense of what constitutes a good vacation. Something bigger must truly be at play here.
Amidst the President’s big troop decision two nights ago, this story has gone relatively unreported – at least here stateside and it got me to thinking a bit. Wasn’t it just earlier this year that the Obama administration called upon Former President Bill Clinton to travel to North Korea to free Lisa Ling’s sister, Laura Ling and friend Euna Lee, from captivity? I am curious why similar efforts are not underway by now to free these American prisoners as well. Is it because they aren’t related to a famous, administration-friendly, journalist?
Regardless of the reason for their continued captivity, it appears that Iran has realized that it has a very powerful weapon at its disposal in the form of using these Americans as political bargaining chips. As the US clamps down on Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, how coincidental it is that they refuse to release American prisoners in the same expedient manner in which they sorted out the problem with the British sailors. Has Mahmoud Ahmadinejad finally figured out yet another delay tactic to prevent our administration from taking any real action against his rogue nation?
The story behind the story here is likely the most simple of all conclusions unfortunately. The American tourists are “nobodies” and accordingly, the administration cares not one iota about their freedom. No former president will be sent to their rescue, and little will be reported about their situation in the main stream media. The best thing that ever happened to them was this group of British sailors steering off course and heading into Iranian waters, because now the absolute lack of concern for these American citizens’ well being is on display for the world to see as Britain was successful in returning its citizens to safety, and after more than 5 months, the Obama administration has yet to do so.
Ahmadinejad is once again out-maneuvering the administration and making this President’s position on talking to rogue nations all the more ridiculous by the day. The latest evidence of this failed policy in foreign affairs comes in the form of three innocent Americans sitting in a jail cell serving as political bargaining chips.
In case you forgot about the American tourists being held in Iran, you can read about their story here and their mothers pleas for their safe return here or their website here. You can even sign a petition asking for their release. FreeTheHikers.org
A letter to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed by more than 80 international leaders and dignitaries sent yesterday here
The elite Revolutionary Guard, whose navy had stopped the vessel, interrogated the yachtsmen and found that their “illegal entry” into Iranian waters had been a mistake, the official IRNA news agency said.
The release is an overture to London, which has been trying to keep the incident from getting tangled up in politics — not only in the rancor between Tehran and the West over Iran’s nuclear issue but also the country’s own internal postelection turmoil, which has pumped up the leadership’s fears of foreign plots.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he received confirmation of the release and that the five Britons were being towed to international waters.
“I welcome the fact this has been dealt with in a straightforward, professional way by the Iranian authorities,” Miliband said. “Obviously this has been a real ordeal for the young men and their families and I’m really delighted that it’s over for them and that we can call the matter closed.”
A spokeswoman for Sail Bahrain, the group operating the yacht, said the five are to be met by a representative of the company, who will then tow them to Dubai. She said they expected the yacht to be out of Iranian waters in the next hour, and that it would make good time to Dubai, likely arriving before noon British time.
David Young, whose son Oliver is also among the five, said he was “very relieved” by the news. “We thought it would be over quickly. This is what we were hoping for,” Young said.
The vessel was on its way from Bahrain to Dubai last Wednesday for the start of its first off-shore race when it had a problem with its propeller, according to Andrew Pindar, whose Team Pindar owns the yacht. It drifted into Iranian waters and was seized by the Revolutionary Guard near the Iranian island of Sirri, which lies near the mouth of the narrow Hormuz Strait off Dubai.
UPDATE: DECEMBER 14, 2009
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki did not say when proceedings would begin or specify the charge other than to say the Americans had “suspicious aims.” In November, however, authorities accused the Americans of spying. There are concerns in the U.S. that Iran could use them as bargaining chips in talks over its nuclear program or in seeking the return of Iranians they say are missing. Relatives and the U.S government say the three were innocent tourists on an adventure hike in northern Iraq and accidentally crossed into Iran, where they were arrested on July 31. “They will be tried by Iran’s judiciary system and verdicts will be issued,” Mottaki said at a news conference, without elaborating in detail.
I am glad to see that someone is pointing this out. When I heard the british sailor story I thought it was a story about these kids being released. I feel for their parents. Lets pray for their safe return.
Is it theoretically possible to be completely wrong on 99% of issues and to be totally right on this one? I have visited your website twice via an email from a coworker and was ready to tell her to take me off her mass email list and saw this one today. I am really grateful someone is talking about this. As a mother I cannot imagine what it would feel like if my children were in that position and I was helpless.
I have not heard a word about this story in months. I can admit that my first reaction was that they were just stupid hippies – vacationing in Iraq – heading into Iran? I don’t call that a vacation at all, but to each his own I suppose. After this story got filed in the rubbish bin, I too began to wonder why it wasnt receiving any attention from the main stream news media. Even fox doesnt talk about these kids. Is this one of those situations where the news outlets know the real story and in the interest of national security or their safety they decide to shelf it? I am not making apologies for ABC NBC CBS I just thought about it since even Fox is quiet on the issue.
Mk you are crazy. Just because Fox isn’t reporting every day about an issue does not mean that they have joined forces with the other three in covering a story for some noble purpose. It means that they too are not a perfect news network. They do an admirable job but even Fox gets it wrong some time.