Obama on US Journalist Held in Iran: No Espionage

by Blue Crush | April 19, 2009 at 09:32 am

493 views | 86 Recommendations | 17 comments

At the end of his closing speech at the Fifth Summit of the Americas today, President Obama spoke of US journalist Roxana Saberi, who was just sentenced to 8 years in prison in Iran, saying he was confident she was not involved in spying.

"Obviously I'm gravely concerned with her safety and well being," Obama told a news conference in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, where he was attending the Fifth Summit of the Americas.

"We are working to make sure that she is properly treated and to get information about the disposition of her case. She is an American citizen and I have complete confidence that she was not engaging in any sort espionage," he added. "She is an Iranian-American who was interested in the country which her family came from and it is appropriate for her to be treated as such and be released."

He said that Washington will be in touch with Tehran about this case through Swiss intermediaries.

Recommended reading also, from the NY Times, Jailed American gets Support from Obama and Iran's President.

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jazzyzazzy

at 10:36 on April 19th, 2009

Naw Obama thats just not good enough, if it were one of your precious children you would be over there like a shot, To release her imediately despite protocal. So once again you have failed to convince me you are the man for the job as President. Get that wee lassie oot o there NOW! She is being used as a fall guy. Iran are awful with woman they consider them as nothing more than baby bearers and housewive skivvies. To show respect to woman all over the world and release the young woman,is that really too much to ask.

Roy C

at 13:15 on April 19th, 2009

Scotland forever!

QueensHart

at 12:03 on April 19th, 2009

You are damned right JazzyZazzy. I

He is not going to fight. We need a 'warrior' now. Not an academic talkhead. I am

scared for anyone in another country now that gets captured like this. Talk is cheap.

Your point is perfect : if it was his daughter? His day will come around that he will

learn very painfully how naive his spirit is . I speak of spirit energy not physical harm.

He will experience great emotional , internal grief over his arrogance that he is the

great know it all. Our countries ignorance deserves unfortunately to see the fallout

and despair that will come from their ridiculous projection on this college grad with

no experience even working a business. We have to pray that he will wake up and

get decent evolved souls to guide him before it is too late. He thinks he can talk to

devils and make them change?

They better get in there and get her out like they did the guys from the ship. We have

the intelligence to save her.

Blue Crush

at 12:10 on April 19th, 2009

You think maybe he should just jump on the next plane to Iran? :-O

Hmm ... I don't think that worked too well for McCain last year.

Karen Hatter

at 13:06 on April 19th, 2009

Good question, Blue Crush.

Obviously, diplomatic maneuvers would be the first steps in any process to attempt to free the journalist before staging an invasion of Iran to try to find her and bring her home.

Roy C

at 13:17 on April 19th, 2009

Well, let's put it this way: if there were fear of consequences, then this wouldn't happen. What will the consequences be? Nada.

Will we end up sacrificing the life of this woman for "world peace"?

Obama's charm offensive may have just hit its first roadblock. How will Obama react to that?

René

at 14:16 on April 19th, 2009

Poor child is the scapegoat that Iran is rubbing in our face. What horrors is she facing while all debate?

Amy Judd

at 13:44 on April 19th, 2009

I just really feel like Iran is not going to back down easily on this one, whether Obama wants to open talks with them or not.

Roy C

at 13:48 on April 19th, 2009

Threaten to bomb their harbors where the gasoline they have to import comes through and do this in a non-public way so that they don't have to save face by not giving in: that will do it.

Roy C

at 14:29 on April 19th, 2009

If we bombed their harbors and ended the importation of gasoline, the Iranian economy would collapse. It is close to collapsing now.

There is tremendous opposition among the young to Iran's mullahs and religious conservatism, and any pretense might allow them to come out and fight.

And, yes, the Iranian soldiers would be busy in Iran, and they couldn't get involved outside of their own country.

I had some friends in the California who had been part of that movement. It is real and needs support.

Amy Judd

at 14:37 on April 19th, 2009

This could work in some cases I think, as for example in the Sudan, because if China pulled their buying of Sudan's oil, the government would not be able to fund the genocide in Darfur and it would be given a good chance of ending. Often it's a good idea to hit countries where it hurts, in their economy.

I'm of course not sure how to go about it, but it's an idea that's worth entertaining.

Jennings David L

at 14:31 on April 19th, 2009

Good reporting on a case that should stay in the forefront until the woman is released. If this slips from the headlines it will be too easy to not put the full focus on getting a quick and successful resolution. As others have indicated, if America is weak now it will only get worse for journalists and travelers throughout the world.

Roy C

at 14:33 on April 19th, 2009

" As others have indicated, if America is weak now it will only get worse for journalists and travelers throughout the world."

YES.

Blue Crush

at 16:08 on April 19th, 2009

Interesting thoughts. No one has commented yet on the link I posted from the New York Times, which, BTW, has been updated - these points in particular:

"Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had sent a letter to Tehran’s chief prosecutor instructing him to ensure that Ms. Saberi is given the opportunity to present a full defense — presumably during her appeal."

"Observers have speculated that Ms. Saberi’s case is now part of a struggle taking place inside the opaque world of Iran’s complex power structure over how to respond to recent overtures from the United States to repair relations."

Maybe I'm being hopelessly naive here, but I'm thinking this might work in her favor?

Roy C

at 17:03 on April 19th, 2009

Yes, and thank you, BC.

""Observers have speculated that Ms. Saberi’s case is now part of a struggle taking place inside the opaque world of Iran’s complex power structure over how to respond to recent overtures from the United States to repair relations.""

Fred Miller

at 17:39 on April 19th, 2009

Jesse Jackson's track record

In 1983, Jackson traveled to Syria to secure the release of a captured American pilot, Navy Lt. Robert Goodman who was being held by the Syrian government. Goodman had been shot down over Lebanon while on a mission to bomb Syrian positions in that country. After a dramatic personal appeal that Jackson made to Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, Goodman was released. Initially, the Reagan administration was skeptical about Jackson's trip to Syria. However, after Jackson secured Goodman's release, United States President Ronald Reagan welcomed both Jackson and Goodman to the White House on January 4, 1984[19].

This helped to boost Jackson's popularity as an American patriot and served as a springboard for his 1984 presidential run. In June 1984, Jackson negotiated the release of twenty-two Americans being held in Cuba after an invitation by Cuban president Fidel Castro.[20]

He traveled to Kenya in 1997 to meet with Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi as United States President Bill Clinton's special envoy for democracy to promote free and fair elections. In April 1999, during the Kosovo War, Jackson traveled to Belgrade to negotiate the release of three U.S. POWs captured on the Macedonian border while patrolling with a UN peacekeeping unit. He met with the then-Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević, who later agreed to release the three men.[21]