Originally Posted By skinnerbox <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/09/amir-mirzaei-hekmati-iran_n_1193425.html" target="_blank">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...425.html</a> <> TEHRAN, Iran — A former U.S. Marine interpreter arrested while on a trip to visit his Iranian grandmothers has been sentenced to death as a CIA spy, state radio reported Monday, in a case likely to become a new flashpoint in the escalating tensions between Tehran's defiance over its nuclear program and Washington's efforts to impose more crippling sanctions. It was the first time an American citizen has been sentenced to death in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. "We are seriously concerned regarding the death sentence, secrecy, and continued lack of transparency surrounding the prosecution," said Hadi Ghaemi, a spokesman for the New York-based group. The espionage charges against Arizona-born Amir Mirzaei Hekmati were similar to previous prosecutions against Americans who were sentenced to jail time and later freed, including an Iranian-American journalist in 2009 and three U.S. citizens detained along the Iraq border. Iranian prosecutors, however, had stressed Hekmati's links to the U.S. military in calling for capital punishment. In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor described Hekmati, 28, as a victim of false charges and said the U.S. was working with allies to "convey our condemnation to the Iranian government." "Allegations that Mr. Hekmati either worked for, or was sent to Iran by the CIA, are simply untrue. The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions, and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. Regardless of the facts of the case, Iranian officials may now see Hekmati as a potential bargaining chip in efforts to fend off tighter U.S.-led sanctions that could undercut Iran's oil industry. Iran has recently ramped up its warnings about U.S. economic pressures and military involvement in the region, including threatening to use warships to close off vital oil tanker traffic in the Gulf and displaying a captured CIA surveillance drone last month as evidence of what it called covert plots by Washington. Swiss diplomats – who represent the U.S. interests in Iran because Washington and Tehran have no diplomatic relations – have tried unsuccessfully to gain access to Hekmati, who graduated from high school in Michigan. Hekmati claims dual citizenship, but Iran considers anyone born to an Iranian father to be a citizen solely of the Islamic Republic. <> There's more to the story at the link. OK, I'd like to hear from those WE posters who chastised the three American hikers that were captured and charged with espionage (just like this man) for being careless and crossing the border. Do you still think they were stupid for going near Iran? Do you think this former Marine should have avoided visiting his Iranian grandmothers because he's American? How exactly do we deal with this issue, going forward? Should every single American be forbidden from visiting Iran now? Should there be a 50-mile non-habitation zone for Americans surrounding the border outside of Iran? Seriously... where should the line to be drawn?
Originally Posted By Donny We should do nothing.I feel for this Marine but he should have known Iran is just not a place you go.
Originally Posted By u k fan I do feel this may have been one of those occasions where a Hallmark card and a box of chocolates by mail may have been a wiser choice than a visit. As someone with duel citizenship he probably felt safe, but it's not a chance I'd have taken. I do hope that he is somehow able to return home safely.
Originally Posted By mele Yes, I do think that people should stay away from Iran. It's not safe there for anyone, let alone a US citizen.
Originally Posted By gurgitoy2 I certainly don't think he should be sentenced to death for that though. He should not have been near, and then in Iran, but this is now a really bad situation. I'm not sure what can be done that will be diplomatic at this point...
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >> Should every single American be forbidden from visiting Iran now? << I'm afraid so. It is an unstable country lead by unstable leaders spoiling for war. At some point, we have to just advise people that going there must be done at their own peril until such a time as more normal relations can be established. In fact, we already do: <a href="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5583.html" target="_blank">http://travel.state.gov/travel...583.html</a>
Originally Posted By fkurucz >>It is an unstable country lead by unstable leaders spoiling for war.<< Are we talking about Iran or the United States? Or should I keep my mouth shut since the NDAA became law?
