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Sunday, February 6, 2011

Suspending Disbelief




Suspending Disbelief-Hiking in Iran?

Apparently three young American hikers were out for a stroll in Iraq one day when they made a wrong turn and crossed into Iran. Oops! The Iranian authorities picked them up and charged them with being on a spy mission. Now, that government is under pressure to let them all go. They have already released the woman, who became engaged to one of the young men while in detention. (How did that happen?)

The trial has begun in Iran, in which the two men are in custody and the woman has been released back to the United States, but is being charged in absentia.

That is the public story, and the “hikers” have declared that they are simply adventurous and innocent young people. They apologised for trespassing, and the young woman has thanked the rich man who posted bail for her, which is an outright gift because she won’t be going back Now they all want the same thing to happen for the two remaining detainees, and that is supposed to be that.

The last time I looked Iraq was a country engrossed in war and internal strife, so why on earth would three innocent young Americans find themselves going walkabout there as though they were in Kansas? Did they miss the fact that thousands of people were dying while the bombs and IED’s were going off? Are we supposed to believe that they simply walked into a travel agency and asked to be booked to fly into Iraq? How the hell did they get into the country in the first place?

The Iranians think that they were in their country to spy. What would be so interesting in Iran to collect information about? Well, there’s just a little matter of the Iranians developing nuclear weapons that is of paramount interest to the U.S. So, sure, is there a case to answer? I think so, and I also resent being fed the line of bullshit that they want me to accept.

I have no way of knowing who the three people really are, but the one thing is for sure, and that is, I don’t buy their story. Do you?

Copyright © 2011 Eugene Carmichael