Saturday, June 04, 2011
The Three Hikers
The other day on the radio I listened to Patt Morrison interviewing a woman who was one of the three hikers who, about two years ago, were captured while they were hiking close to the border between Iran and northern Iraq. This woman had been released on bail recently because she was a woman. The two male hikers are still in prison in Iran with no prospect for a trial. They have been accused but not formally charged with spying.
The woman that Patt interviewed said that the three of them did not believe they were anywhere near the border with Iran at the time they were picked up by some Iranians in uniform, presumably members of the Army. They had been assured by their Kurdish friends that the area in which they planned to hike was safe and was not near the border. The border itself in unmarked.
The thought came to me that they were still miles from the border and within Iraqi Kurdistan when the Iranian soldiers picked them up. It came to me that perhaps it was the Iranians who were "spying" and didn't want their present to be reported. Therefore, they had to take the hikers with them. They are now an embarrassment to some factions within the Iranian government. Appeals for their release or at least for their trial have been sent to the President of Iran. The woman being interviewed stated that the President had told her that her friends would be released soon, but nothing has happened.
My theory: A platoon of Iranian Revolutionary Guards were spying in Iraq Kurdistan and came upon the hikers. They took the hikers captive to prevent them from revealing to the world the presence of the Iranians in Kurdistan. The President of Iran doesn't have the authority to go against the Revolutionary Guards. The only person who can release the prisoners is Ali Khomenei, the ultimate authority in the country and the one person who can keep the Revolutionary Guards in line. (Perhaps even he does not have that authority.)
The woman that Patt interviewed said that the three of them did not believe they were anywhere near the border with Iran at the time they were picked up by some Iranians in uniform, presumably members of the Army. They had been assured by their Kurdish friends that the area in which they planned to hike was safe and was not near the border. The border itself in unmarked.
The thought came to me that they were still miles from the border and within Iraqi Kurdistan when the Iranian soldiers picked them up. It came to me that perhaps it was the Iranians who were "spying" and didn't want their present to be reported. Therefore, they had to take the hikers with them. They are now an embarrassment to some factions within the Iranian government. Appeals for their release or at least for their trial have been sent to the President of Iran. The woman being interviewed stated that the President had told her that her friends would be released soon, but nothing has happened.
My theory: A platoon of Iranian Revolutionary Guards were spying in Iraq Kurdistan and came upon the hikers. They took the hikers captive to prevent them from revealing to the world the presence of the Iranians in Kurdistan. The President of Iran doesn't have the authority to go against the Revolutionary Guards. The only person who can release the prisoners is Ali Khomenei, the ultimate authority in the country and the one person who can keep the Revolutionary Guards in line. (Perhaps even he does not have that authority.)
