American tourists in Iranian custody, official says

Source: CNN

From Arwa Damon

— Three American tourists are reported in Iranian custody after they may have strayed across the border from Iraq during a mountain hike, Kurdish officials told CNN Friday.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said it was checking into the reports but could not confirm them.

A senior Kurdish official told CNN that four U.S. tourists had entered Kurdistan in northern Iraq from Turkey, staying in Sulaimaniya for about two nights. Three of the tourists traveled on to a tourist area near the Iranian border called Ahmed Awa, where they intended to go backpacking.

A Kurdish security official said that the group was in contact with the fourth American, who stayed behind until Friday afternoon, when they told their friend they were lost and surrounded by military personnel speaking Farsi.

Kurdish authorities have received information that the three were picked up by the Iranians and are now in Iran, the senior official said.

Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/31/american-tourists-in-iranian-custody-official-says/

There is NO excuse for anyone to want to go 'backpacking' in Iraq near the Iranian border, none.

It makes me wonder who these people really are. :eyes:

DainBramaged

Someone say Central Intelligence Agency?... My guess is that this fellows, who have been picked up by iranian security, are less backpackers, and more CIA or other of the alphabet soup, of american intelligence agency who have taken a more "direct" action against Iran than other parts of the US intelligence community.. Not everything can be known, by INTEL, HUMINT are also needed.. And specially if the US wanted to provoke Iran to do something stupid...

This americans who have been arrested is so likely backpackers, as I am the next US president - unlikely to the infitite...

Diclotican

whomever they are, their excuse if true is just downright dumb. Backpacking in a war zone.

Now I HAVE heard everything!

:freak:

:hi:

I wouldn't rule out CIA though...

Iran will parade them as CIA and say that they are there to foment unrest against Mahmoud, the People's Choice.

And the US is still liked there, for fairly obvious reasons - Kurdistan's effectively independent these days, which is just how they've wanted it for awhile.

Now, if someone was backpacking around the south...

:freak:

and I have some swampland in Basra to sell you. :rofl:

Great - more morans to make life difficult for the US.

it's obviously OK if Sibel Edmunds or Valerie Plame were CIA, since they against the "regime". If those guys are CIA they work for the current one. Besides it can be true that they are a bunch of foolish naive youth, those exist too.

We, the French, have two of our guys caught in Somalia. We don't make fun of it. We have a teacher taken hostage in Iran, and she is not from the DGSE.

Frankly I don't understand that attitude, even one is against mingling with Iran. What about the two journalists hold by North Korea ? are they "CIA" too ?

Those people are your citizens and hold by thugs.

Where are the priorities ?

tocqueville

Someone rembember the former Republican Administration, who both vokal and in writing again and again have told the world, that the protection of soldiers, by the different Gevena Conventions was old an queint? And not nessesary for the future, as everything shanget after 911 2001?

Someone still rembember the arrogance the former Republican Administration showed the many iraqi soldiers captured in the invantion of Iraq?.. Putting them in boxes with barbed wires and scaring schildren and their wifes at the scene to show HOW was in controll?.. Someone still rembember the rumors, who was proven more true than everyone feared when the pictures from Abu Girab and other places surfaced?.. Someone still rembember the more than 1500 pictures and sound who are still to be given out, becouse as some republicans hve said it, it could "damage" the reputation the US have in the world....

I for one is stil hoping that the Iranian goverment, in strict contrast to the US government, present and past is respecting the Geneva Convention, and are respecting what they are obligated to do - in stark contrast to the US government, who more or less have told the whole word, that protection accoring to the Geneva convention are not what the american government is caring to mutch to anymore.. That is is okay to violate every known aspect of everyone of the Geneva konventions ever written - even when they are the LAW OF THE LAND as both 1 2 and 3 Geneva Convention in fact are in the US...

You claim that the Iranian government are thugs - what is the sitation on the other side from the Iraq border if I have the currage to ask for it?.. Who is REALLY in Controll when it came to controlling Iraq today if I may ask. The iraqi goverment ? Or the US forcers who outnumber the Iraqi "security forcers" allmoust in the double?

Diclotican

1) the 3 were in Kurdistan which is completely autonomous today and controlled by the Kurds without ANY US assistance. They are probably foolish youth that climbed over a peak to say "I've seen Iran from my window". They were formally in Iraq but all your rethoric about "control" falls flat. You can't compare Kurdistan's current rule with Iran's.
2) In the improbable case they were CIA, they are still US soldiers even without uniform. Iran is a theocratic fascistic dictatorship threatening the West and the US has every right to gather information to protect itself. Gathering information on the ground is very important, more important than electronic devices. It can avoid getting a plane flying in a skyscraper a September morning, a lesson that ought to be taught long ago.
3) the current administration isn't Republican. In any case, even if you disagree even with Obama's administration, you cannot make fun of individuals sent by it if it was the case.

tocqueville

Do you really believe for a second that the autonomous area of what is known as Iraqi Kurdistan have NO direct and indirect help from Old US of A?.. Do you REALLY that the kurdish popupation had been autonomous if it was not for the fact that for the last 15-20 year Iraqi authority over the north have been more or less denied, in fact because US an UK fighter jets have closed the area out for the iraqi government who was in control in Iraq until O dear Leader mr Bush decided to be the decider and make a case for war, who was false and full of lying... An by the way, the claim that the Kurds had to be protected from the evil hands of Saddam Hussein was NOT right in 1988, when, the Iraqi security forces gassed 5000 kurds in one single City on one single day.. And that with the blessing from the then Republican Administration of Ronald Reagan - who Pop George Herbert Walker Bush jr was the Vice President - a man who's former work had been as the head of the same Agency I would more than Guess is part of the cover up today when Iran police and security agency had discovered this "backpackers"..

There is NO COUNTRY hamed Kurdistan today.. It is AREAS IN IRAQ, in TURKEY And in Iran where kurdish people live.. But no COUNTRY named Kurdistan.. Many have the misunderstanding that this area who are split between 3 different nations are a country.. But never less, the fact here is that KURDISTAN is not exist and have not been existing for maybe 1000-1800 year now... And for other fact of things, neither Turkey Iraq and Iran are the sleight-es interesting in given away land to a minority who for the most part have been a royal plain n the as for the last 500 year - at least...

You claim that this young fellows who the irani security have just been misplaced youth who should have the fancy claim to have seen Iran from a mountaintop.. Today if the youth have some brain, they are not sitting on a mountaintop in Iraq - a country in war with itself and others - but are wisting Iran itself.. Even the REGIME IN IRAN are not that extreme as many still believe the Iran government to be. And even if they have a nuttcase as their president, that is not the same as most iranians are in the same category, I know a few iranian, and i would say they are quiet the same as the rest of the world - and they have for the most a far better education than I ever would have made if I ever got back to school... Most americans have no clue that Iran have scanged drastic, the last 30 year, and still believe that Khomeini are in power - even that he died in 1989... And they most sertently have no clue what so ever that most iranians would love a change, to better contact with the West - and ironic enough also the US.. But Iran would very vel do it in a way that are given IRAN control overt how the first contact are made after 30 year of hostility and more or less non spoken war between US and Iran.. And we have to face it, both the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, and other facts in the 1990s was because of the enmity between Iran and US.. The whole Iran-Iraq war was made possible because a man named Saddam Hussein Al Takriti was "couraged" by the new republican Administration to "force the issue" with Iran - because everyone in CIA and elsewhere believed that Iran would break down because of the intern problems the new regime had. The new regime survived 8 year with a bloody horrible wastefully war, which Iran still feel hard today, more than two decades after the war ended because neither side was powerfully enough to make the other buckle under the pressure...

To be honest, to claim for a second that IRAN could to the same as the 19 hijacks, who ALL WAS STATE CITIZEN OF SAUDI-ARABIA is just bulloc.. Or a flight out lie... If the US for a second should have spied on another country in the Middle east, they should do a far better job of infiltration of Saudi-Arabia who is KNOWN TO have large groups of the population hatefully of both the West, and of the US in this case... 18 of the 19 high jackets who hit World Trade Center 911 in 2001 was not from Iraq, not from Iran, but from SAUDI-ARABIA and from Yemen.. Two country WHO to this day still are "deep friends" with both he UK and the US. UK still have right of passage, and harbor rights in Yemen, even with the fact that Yemen have many times over been known to be hatefully of the UK connection.. And the same is the fact in Saudi-Arabia, where kids still learn that the west, and the US are the evil, and that the only salvation is from the Wabbit sect of Islam.

One of the reason that the US spy in Iran is because US - or at least many of the higher ups in Pentagon and other places want a war with Iran to get even with old scores.. It have nothing with produce democracy for the iranian population by a mile.. It have everything with getting even from the time the Shan was thrown out, and a new regime, who was rather unfriendly to US interest in the area was born and have gown since 1979.. And for eh neo-conservatives of the world Iran are after Iraq the single most important project to get even with.. the Neo-conservative have "won" the Iraq war the first secon the first US soldiers got to the border to get over it.. Today more than 6000 and unknown hound res of thousands of americans would pay the price for the madness of making war with Iraq under the pretext who was been made but he former Republican Administration from right after the first of the Two Towers was hit... And long before the Pentagon was hit by th way...

By the way, do you not know that the US have a lot of equipment going on on both borders of Iran today as it is?.. Iran have been on the forefront for many, many years now, and the US have possible used the US Navy, for all it have been worth and keeping a good aye on every possible way to get information out of what is in the inner working of the Iranian governance.. Who by western standards is like going back to the Byzantine Court of the 11 century..

Then you Should PRAY that the Iranian regime, who you claim to be devil on who shoes in fact respecting the 3 Geneva convention, and NOT using the same tactics that the US have been using to torture, sodomize, children, woman and grown men for the last 7 year or so.. Then you should PRAY that the Iranian regime in fact respect that POWs have the RIGHT to be protected against misuse and violence by their captores... The US have NO moral ground what so ever to even suggest that the Iranian government and their security agency's to treat their prisoners with respect and dignity.. The US have given every violence against if possible US soldiers a new boost not known for the last 60-70 year... The Iran government can just claim the "spies" to be "unlawfully comb andantes" and keep them for the rest of theirs life - AS THE US HAVE CLAIM IS THEIR RIGHT TO DO AFTER 11 SEPT 2001..

The CURRENT US administration are not Republican that is right - but most of the current POLICY is indeed made by the former REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION of mr George Walker Bush jr.. And I would still claim that the former REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION have a great deal of influence over the democratic administration where Obama is the president.. A man who I but he way supported long before he was elected - and whose victory I celebrated witht the rest of the world - that BIG world who is outside the US... 8 year with he insanity of mr Bush was enough if you ask me...

Diclotican

no matter who is in the White House.

but you cannot make individuals sent by it on a mission accountable, specially when prisoners. And besides nothing proves that there are "lies and propaganda" in that case.

which is not likely (despite the well known stupidity of some) your Government isn't going to admit it. The "lie" is to cover them, which is normal.
But of course you can choose not to have any counter-intelligence, so there won't be no "lies".

Agreed. They're American citizens and they need our support. I think it's pretty sad to just immediately write them off as a "CIA Operatives", screw them. Seriously? While they may be naive youth they are your fellow countrymen people, show some loyalty. Holy crap.

We know they've been taken into custody, as happens to most people in any country when they've been found after an unauthorised border crossing. Making such a crossing from one country where your own troops are stationed, much to the annoyance of most of the population, into another where your country is actively hated by the government, and where you don't have diplomatic representation, isn't just 'naive', it's monumentally dumb. Or there were other motives behind it.

nothing else

Besides they are not in area where US troops are stationed.

Ahmed named the three as Shane Bower, Sara Short and Joshua Steel, while Shaun Gabriel Maxwell stayed behind in their hotel in the Kurdish region's second largest city of Sulaimaniyah.
"On Thursday, three of them went to the summer resort at Ahmed Awa," Ahmed said of an area about 90 kilometres (55 miles) northeast of Sulaimaniyah.
Ahmed Awa is a cool and heavily-forested area popular with Iraqis seeking to escape the country's high summer temperatures.
The mountainous region has several youth hostels, one of which the three American tourists stayed at, but the nearby border with Iran is not clearly marked.
"The (Kurdish) tourist police in the area asked them not to climb the mountains because the Iranian border was very close," Ahmed said.
"On Friday, they went close to the mountains, and climbed them. Then they called their friend in the hotel telling him that they were arrested by Iranian forces at the border," Ahmed said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090801/wl_mideast_afp/iraqiranusarrest_20090801135612

and naivity isn't a crime

They're probably held by border guards, seeing as they wer picked up near the border.

'Naivity' clearly doesn't come into it now. They were warned not to go close to the border. They're not 'naive', they're stupid and reckless. Or, again, they had a hidden motive.

So far, we haven't heard they've been accused of any crime. They have, however, been detained, as would happen in any country when people entered where they're not allowed to.

is monitored by a bunch of custom guys looking for smuggled cigarettes ? They are probably Pasdaran and there is probably a Basidji unit in the nearest town to check that everything is religiously correct.

and to use your words, stupidity isn't a crime.

Any "normal" country that sees a bunch of hikers coming over the border obviously by mistake, control their identity, might do some body search and ask them to go back the same way and not to come back.

I strayed myself at 19 into Albania with a friend because of a lousy map during the Cold War under similar circumstances, and what happened was no more than above.

Of course I can imagine that straying over the US border isn't that simple. I am only referring to "any country".

I checked on Google Earth and the probable area is a desertic plateau-like mountain with open sight, no trees. Seeing the guys coming in broad day light can be very easily averted with some shots in the air and some signs. UNLESS YOU WANT TO ABDUCT THEM (probably warned by your local spy at the hotel).

Um, right. What do they take us for?

Why do people instantly assume that lost hikers getting arrested by a foreign country absolutely must be CIA agents? It was the same thing with North Korea.

Not to say that it's not possible they're CIA, but everybody assuming that they are is somewhat interesting.

how long do you need?

Kind of one track minded. Let's all jump to a conclusion before all the facts are in.

I guess this must be a CIA operative, too: http://baghdadbureau.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/if-its-ctuesday-it-must-be-ctesiphon/


American tourist David Chung with Iraqi guards at the historic site of Uruk.
Photo supplied by David Chung.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/25/world/20090325-iraqtour-audioss/index.html?ref=middleeast">David Chung's slide show with commentary

Everyone who gets arrested in Iran is accused of being CIA.

Yea maybe the CIA used the UFO's they have in hangers out at Area 51 to fly in ... the aliens dropped them off

with their backpacks to explore the backcountry of Iran.

:rofl:

Prob. the same type of idiots that walk around or go rock climbing in Kyrgyzstan and get kidnapped.

Some people dont get that there are some places YOU DONT GO unless your armed (heavily).


There was a 4th "A Kurdish security official said that the group was in contact with the fourth American, who stayed behind until Friday afternoon, when they told their friend they were lost and surrounded by military personnel speaking Farsi."

Also from Arwa Damon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3bPywEN9k

Export Alcohol to Iran




http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b6a_1209656657

whiskey buisness

:rofl:

By YAHYA BARZANJI, Associated Press Writer – 11 mins ago

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq – Iran state TV confirmed Saturday that it has detained three Americans who crossed the border from northern Iraq, saying they failed to heed warnings from Iranian guards.

Kurdish officials from northern Iraq said the three — two men and a woman — were tourists who had mistakenly crossed into Iranian territory Friday while hiking in a mountainous area near the resort town of Ahmed Awaa.

"The Iranians said they have arrested them because they entered their land without legal permission," said Qubad Talabani, the Kurdish regional government's envoy to Washington.

Iran's state owned Arabic-language al-Alam TV station cited a "well-informed source" in the Interior Ministry that the three Americans were detained Friday after crossing into Iran's Kurdistan province.

The report said the Americans were arrested after they did not heed warnings from Iranian border guards.

=snip=

The three Americans had traveled with a companion to Turkey, then entered the Kurdish region Tuesday through the border crossing at Zakho, the official said. They visited the Kurdish cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniyah on Wednesday. The next day, three of them took a taxi to Ahmed Awaa, a Kurdish security official said.

=snip=

The area where the three disappeared is a popular hiking destination known for a picturesque waterfall and rocky scenery as well as a thick growth of fruit and nut trees. The official said it appeared they were hiking above the waterfall when they accidentally crossed the border.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090801/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_missing_americans