3 Americans arrested and detained in Iran

[BirminghamExaminer]

Excerpt from article:

Three American college students have been captured in Iran after crossing the border from Iraq where they were hiking the mountains in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, a tourist destination.

The three Americans have been identified as two men and a woman. According to ABC news, they are identified as Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd, both of California, and Joshua Fattal from Pennsylvania. Another member of their party who stayed behind because he wasn't feeling well was Shon Meckfessel.

Iran State TV has confirmed the reports that it has detained the three Americans and claims that Iranian border patrol guards warned the hikers not to cross the border. Iranian officials claim that they only arrested three of the hikers and sent the fourth hiker back to Iraq.

Officials of the Kurdish regional government said that the Americans had "lost their way due to their lack of familiarity with the location" and accidentally entered Iran. The fourth hiker, Shon Meckfessel was reportedly sick and didn't attend the hiking trip at all.

(As an aside, I noticed the Freepers are all saying the 3 Americans got what they deserved. It's a bit early to say that I think. My article gives a bit of background on the four Americans involved. They are all writers.)

[theoldman]

1. I would not go on a hike near the Mexican border much less the Iranian border.

Now Obama has to waste his time getting them back home.

[BirminghamExaminer]

2. I have ambivalent feelings about it.

On the one hand, I want to believe they really were just hiking in the gorgeous Kurdistan mountain region but on the other hand, after learning a bit more about who they are, I'm not convinced they accidentally walked over the border. Still I want to give them the benefit of the doubt but as you say, this is the last thing President Obama needs to deal with right now.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. You couldn't pay me enough

to go to Iraq, much less Iran. Areas of safe travel are getting fewer all the time. That said, I hope they get them out and soon.