Text 33021, 165 rader
Skriven 2009-06-04 11:45:01 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Roy Witt (1:397/22)
Ärende: Saberi vs Blom
======================
Hello Roy,

On Wednesday June 03 2009 09:01, you wrote to me:

 RW>>> She didn't actually violate any laws.

 MvdV>> She violated the law, got convicted end sentenced to eight years
 MvdV>> of prison.

 RW> She didn't get 8 years for buying alcohol...she got 8 years on trumped
 RW> up charges that were dropped.

No more trumped up than the charges against Menno Blom.

Byung the alcohol is what got her the attention of the authorities. When they
took a closer look, they found her in possession of classified documents.

And the charges were not dropped, Her sentence was reduced to two yeras and
converted into a suspended sentence, so she wad set free on parole. If she
viloates the conditions of the parole, she can still go back to jail. If she is
stupid enough to go to Iran again...

At least she got a trial. Contrary to Sami Al-Haj, an Al Jazeera cameraman who
was held for six years in Guantanamo by the U.S. government. Without at trial
and without being charged.

 RW>>> He did. We've already been there, done that, he violated the law,
 RW>>> got convicted, sentenced to two years in prison, went home a smarter
 RW>>> person.

 MvdV>> Same with saberi.

 RW> She didn't do more than a few months time.

Because under political pressure from the US her sentence was suspended.

 RW> She openly admitted that she bought a bottle of wine.

So contrary to what you claimed she violated the law.

 RW> "She said that she had bought a bottle of wine and the person that
 RW> sold it had reported it and then they came and arrested her," her
 RW> father said, adding that the wine purchase was just an excuse to
 RW> arrest her.

Hearsay.

 MvdV>>>> In Iran it is against the law to work as a reporter without
 MvdV>>>> proper credentials.

 RW>>> She had the credentials, which were revoked in 2006.

 MvdV>> If they were revoked, she did not have them.

 RW> "National Public Radio, the US radio station for which Ms Saberi
 RW> reported, confirmed that Iran had revoked her press credentials but
 RW> said that they had tolerated her continuing to file short "on the
 RW> spot" news stories."

So she did not have credential at the time of her arrest. The claim that it was
tolerated is meaningless. Anyone can make such a claim.

 MvdV>> She was born in the US. All the reports speak about an
 MvdV>> "American Journalist".

 RW> "Ms Saberi is the latest of several Iranian-Americans and other dual
 RW> nationals holding Iranian passports"

Iran does not recognose dual nationality. She was in iran when she was
arrested.

Saberi was born in the US. She was raised in the US. For all intents and
purposes she is American.

In the US they do not like young man who respond to the mating call of willing
young American females. Menno Blom made the mistake of not taking that into
account.

In Iran they do not like gorgeous young American females that issue mating
calls. Roxana Saberi made the mistake of not taking that into account.

 RW> Maybe you should brush up on your knowledge of 'dual nationals'...

Maybe you should brush up on your knowledge of Iranian law.

Iran does not recognise dual nationality.

 RW> "Ms Saberi, who holds an Iranian passport in addition to her American
 RW> one, has lived in the Islamic republic for the past six years."

That does not unmake her an American. Iran does not recognise dual citizenship.

 MvdV>>>> Same story, both were in violation of the country they
 MvdV>>>> visited.

 RW>>> She wasn't a visitor, she is a resident, holds an Iranian
 RW>>> passport and a US passport. Which isn't illegal.

Iran does not recognise dual citizenship.

 MvdV>> The Iranian passport was only because of her Iranian father.
 MvdV>> Who lives in he USA. For all intents and purposes she is
 MvdV>> American.

 RW> "Ms Saberi is the latest of several Iranian-Americans and other dual
 RW> nationals holding Iranian passports"

Iran does not recognise dual citizenship.

 MvdV>> If you ask me  I'd say she was even more stupid than Blom.

 RW> Nobody could be stupider than Blom.

 MvdV>> Blom fell into a trap.

 RW> Blom built his own trap...

Then so did Saberi. Man, look at her. She is gorgeous! In Iran Islamic law
rules. Saberi is exactly the kind of woman that the Iranians do not want to
walk free on the street. In their culture women should stay indoor and
certainly not work as a reporter.  She was asking for trouble.

 MvdV>> Saberi could and should have known that iran is a VERY
 MvdV>> unfriendly environment for a women. What on earht made het
 MvdV>> leave the USA to go live in Iran and work as a journalist for
 MvdV>> an American news agancy?

 RW> Some people have a cause they must follow. Young Iranians who get a
 RW> taste of freedom will return to Iran to help out those in the country
 RW> who also have a cause.

Bullshit. She was not "returning to Iran" She is born and raised in America.
She is an American.

 RW> Young people are like that.

And sometimes young people are stupid. Like Blom and Saberi.

 MvdV>> Not only is Iran womanunfriendly, it is also American unfriendly.
 MvdV>> If you walk into a snake pit, don't complain if you get bitten.

 RW> I'd say you're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong. What she
 RW> does is none of your business.

The truth hurts eh?

 MvdV>> She was born in the USA.  She *went* to live there. Her own
 MvdV>> decision.

 RW> She's now 31 years old, free to make such decisions 13 years ago...

Of course she is free to make her own decisions. But if she makes stupid
decisions, she has to accept the consequences.

 MvdV>> She deserved to spent the full eight years in prison for that
 MvdV>> stupidity.

 RW> Just as Blom deserved to be shot by firing squad for his stupidity.

That is not how the US court ruled.

Cheers, Michiel

--- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20070503
 * Origin: http://www.vlist.org (2:280/5555)