Iran: Three U.S. hikers were spying

Iran: Three U.S. hikers were spying

www.upi.com

TEHRAN, May 24 (UPI) -- Three U.S. hikers who crossed into Iran from Iraq were involved in a spy operation, Iranian intelligence officials said.

Joshua Felix Fattal, 27, Shane Michael Bauer, 27, and Sarah Emily Shourd, 31, have been held in an Iranian prison since their arrest July 31 in the western Iranian district of Marivan.

They were charged with espionage, Iranian Intelligence Minister Heydar Moslehi said.

"It is clear that the three Americans are spies," Moslehi told reporters Sunday adding there have been no talks of a prisoner swap, as of yet.

As a humanitarian gesture, I

(visit the link for the full news article)

HA I do not for sure if this is true but I would not doubt it one bit. This happens all the time. I would not be surprised if this is all put under the rug.

The CIA does work ALL over the world and if a few get caught what is the MOST logical excuse? Oh we are lost! come on people. I am reserving final judgment until later but right now I would not be surprised if this is true.

www.upi.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

this was posted on ATS a few days ago.

This is far from breaking news. LOL

It's really hard to know... I mean, the families seen innocent and humble enough. They don't think for a second they are spies working for the gov't..

If they want to get someone "inside" downtown, Tehran.. They can.

It's sad really.. The mothers who went to visit had to were a full gown veil or they were to have been refused...

The Iranian administration needed to accuse them of something, for if not they'd have to let them go. The prisoners will be kept in good health and shape, for they are just bargains tools is all... In case Amadjihad needs to renew his U.S visa, or something to that extent.

It sucks.. But they will be fine.

reply to post by Vinveezy

Obama Gives Commanders Wide Berth for Secret Warfare

The New York Times reported on one major operational plan, which authorizes intelligence gathering and reconnaissance activities in the Middle East, the Horn of Africa and Central Asia. A Joint Unconventional Warfare Task Force Execute Order, was signed on September 30, 2009, by CENTCOM commander in chief David Petraeus. It was marked "LIMDIS" -- as in "limited distribution," and hard copies were delivered to about 30 people. The Times did not report its original classified codename, "Avocado." The name has since been changed.

It is unusual for a combatant commander to be given the ability to ask civilians to collect intelligence in countries like Iran. It is not clear under what legal authority he can do so. The CIA's National Resources Division regularly keeps touch with academics and business people who travel to hostile countries, and occasionally requests from them specific tasks. The Department of Defense, at Petreaus's request, set up a parallel organization called the Civillian Expeditionary Workforce that hires non-soldiers and non-contractors for temporary military-type tasks using detainee interrogations. White House and Pentagon spokespeople declined to comment.

www.theatlantic.com...

It's quite possible that they were tasked with spying.

The thing that makes me wonder if they actually were spies is that who in their right mind would go backpacking in Iraq and Iran?

With the way the view of Americans is in both countries you would have to be either crazy or have a death wish to travel to those countries as plain old tourists.

I don't feel sorry for them at all if they were dumb enough to make such a decision.

reply to post by CanadianDream420

It's really hard to know

...Dude.

You don't go hiking in a country that is currently going through a war, on the border of a country that your country does not have good relations with.

These weren't hikers, they are full of #. I'm flabbergasted people really think these people were hikers.

I find it hard to believe that hikers could just wander across a heavily armed border. And why would American tourists be hiking in Iraq?

reply to post by Chamberf=6


To be fair, the article was only from yesterday.

reply to post by InvisibleAlbatross


I know right? Why not hike in the USA? At least in the US you wont get your ass shot off by terrorists haha

They should have known better than to go into Iran for a "hike". However, what were they spying on, the mountains?

That being said, when you go into a foreign country, you must abide by their laws and be prepared to pay the consequences of breaking the rules, including being there illegally.

More discussion here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Figured I'd just link it instead of repeating the same points...

I always Laugh at the "they are spies"BS!

If these people are spies, than I am Santa Claus.

If the Iranian leadership can not tell the difference between a REAL SPY and a couple of back packers, then they are worse off than I thought.

Yes, these people were stupid for doing what they did, but they are HARDLY spies.

These three people are ONLY being used as political chess pieces.
They are NO threat to Iran, and Iran knows this, yet they are playing
that card anyways because thats the only barganing chip that they have.

If we were to "spy" on the Iranians, the LAST thing that we would do, is send a couple of nerdy looking backpackers dressed American as American can be, to walk along the border, to gain "intelligence".
We are already spying on Iran, guaranteed, but the way we are doing it is a little more advanced than sending a couple of kids up to the border with no 'spy gear'.

What I want to know is, WHAT EVIDENCE does Iran have that PROVES that they are spies?
Thats right, they have none.
Its all a game.

So the next big question is spying on what? They must have been in the bottom of their spy graduation since they are extremely bad at their profession...hehe

I’m sure it would take, oh, about 30 seconds of torture on them to get them to admit to anything if that is how they came to this conclusion.

Iran and Iraq have some of the best hikes to be seen in the world. I agree its pretty dumb to hike them currently but it still an amazing area.

If it wasn't for what is going on in the world I would probably go there and check it out a bit.

Do a search on "backpacking Kurdistan" or "adventure travel Kurdistan" and you may come to understand why many people desire to go there...

Many tourists as well as the Kurds who live in that area travel that same route these 3 did. These 3 took a very wrong turn, for an unknown reason and crossed a non-defined border in the middle of nowhere that is accessible and used routinely by those in the area who are blackmarket and pirating goods. It's conceivable that they saw the traffic and didn't realize where they were, it's possible they went to take a peak and crossed, it's possible that a lot of little wrongs, turned into a very bad situation. Bad maps, bad or no directions, inquisitive nature - whatever - I'm not convinced they are spies. I highly doubt it.