November 9, 2009

Iran repeats 1979 hostage-taking under color of trumped-up charges of “espionage”
by Bill Levinson

Iran Accuses American ‘Hikers’ Of Spying reports that Iran arrested three American citizens who strayed over the border and charged them with espionage. (Does a country with satellites that can read license plate numbers from low orbit REALLY need to send three hikers across the border in a region with poorly-defined or nonexistent border markings to gather intelligence information?) The article adds that Iran’s real motive might in fact be to demand the release of Iranian “diplomats”–probably agents provacateur whose job is to foment violence–who are in the custody of American troops in Iraq.

There is little doubt that Iran feels free to do this sort of thing because its dictators know that the current occupant of the White House will do little more than bleat like a confused sheep. This is in contrast to the situation in 1981, when Iran released the hostages a minute after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration. Some of the mullahs probably believed Reagan’s first act upon taking office would have been to reach for the nuclear switch, thus showing that it is better to be hated and feared than held in contempt.