Posted on 09/24/2011 3:16:24 PM PDT by Niuhuru
U.S. actor Sean Penn engaged in attempts to secure the release of two Americans freed by Iran this week, flying to Venezuela to ask President Hugo Chavez to intervene with Iran's leader, a source close to the release process said on Friday.
Since Tehran freed Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer on Wednesday details have emerged about the efforts to win their freedom, which involved the United Nations, Iraq and Oman - as well as Chavez, who is a fiery critic of the United States.
Venezuela's deputy foreign minister said on Thursday that Chavez brought up the case with his Iranian ally Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after being alerted to the Americans' plight by friends in U.S. 'intellectual circles.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
This was a stunt gone bad. I know it, everyone reading this knows it, the "hikers" know it and Sean Penn knows it.
This story hasn’t smelt right from the get go. People hiking in the mountains of Iraq during a war? Give me a break. Iran should’ve kept them idiot butts.
but when I gave them some bitching Panama Red, they saw the awesomeness of my way--
Now those hikers will be celebrities in the Berkeley circlies forever. Getting laid will never be a problem again. Ah, what a happy ending.
Perhaps they could have been freed earlier if they had just converted to Islam. That would have been funny
People hiking in the mountains of Iran - period! Who the h-e-double hockey sticks goes hiking in Iran!???!!!
ML/NJ
The $500,000 “bond” posted on each of them probably had more to do with it than Penn.
Did he use his red cup from Katrina to help in the release?
Leno had a good line - that the female released earlier and her boyfriend are getting married soon. They’ve planed to take their honeymoon on a cruise off the Somali coast.
Who paid the million dollars for release? Please don’t tell me the US tax payers!
Sultan of Oman paid it. As for these three being mere “hikers”? We’ll have to take their word for it.
In any case CIA or no CIA, they’re in the money now. Nothing like notoriety for having the media at your door with money offers.
All I know is that if I was the parents and family of these guys, I would kiss Penn’s feet.
This is the way I see it: Achmadinijad knows 0bama is out in a little over a year. He doesn’t want to have to deal with the wrath of a real American president over the hostage situation with these hikers. He’s made his point by taking them and holding them for three years.
“will be celebrities in the Berkeley circlies forever”
And they got $1,000,000 donated to the Iranian destroy Israel fund.
The American “Intellectual” according to the article! Shows you what the UK thinks of us!
GREAT line!
It was a complicated deal, but I think Sean got the movie rights, and will direct, with Hugo producing and splitting domestic and foreign with Harvey Weinstein, while Mahmud gets an exec producer credit and a cameo playing himself.
Has anyone in the ultra liberal media commented on the “coincidence” that these two hikers were released on the day that Obama and the putz of Iran spoke at the UN General Assembly.
Were Iranians trying to imitate Reagan and the release of the Embassy hostages on Jan 20, 1980? That memory must have loomed large in Achmadinijad’s mind ever since he was instrumental in taking them hostage, when he was a young man.
“Now those hikers will be celebrities in the Berkeley circlies forever. “
So will Penn; just look at the fawning comments left by so many easily fooled sad sacks and the number of green arrows. Penn will parlay this into being a top authority on diplomacy in Hollywood and then go figure, probably angle for an award from the UN. I wonder how much the idiot will charge for speeches after this little triumph.
I’m more than sure it’ll win plenty of Oscars and it’ll be lauded by PEOPLE, TIME, and NEWSWEEK magazine.
And the Sultan who’s out a cool million?
I think you’re right about that; this is a face saving measure more than being convinced by Chavez or Penn or some other idiot. They want to be done with it now and avoid being seen as buckling under the authority of a Republican president.
Smith Act? What Smith Act?
Don’t kid yourself. Those hikers are activists. Maybe we should have left them there.
The Omani dude who put up the seed money will get a piece of the backend, distributor’s gross.
Cr*p, I meant the Logan Act (although Spiccoli might well be dancing on the edges of the Smith Act too).
So Penn helped arrange the ransom drop?
Compared to Obumma, Penn may be considered an Einstein over there.
[or at least an idiot savant]
:)
I think they are CIA spys; it’s a perfect cover to act like you are just idiot kids hiking along the Iranian border. So Spicoli saved two CIA spys, what a patriot he is. And now he should receive the Nobel Peace Prize, as well, like that other American intellectual, Barack Obama.
Kinda like the Carter/Reagan thingy?
;D
I for one think that it’s just as well that we didn’t try to rescue them; sane people have no business placing themselves in that kind of danger and I personally think that there is no point to ending up risking our troops or taxpayer money on getting them out of a situation they placed themselves in.
Well, if Penn gets that, the Nobel has officially become the diplomatic version of the Oscars.
Don’t underestimate Sean Penn, he is one of the CIA’s top assassins, and is so convincing in his role as a useful idiot that he could have taken out half the world’s bad guys, if he had been ordered to do so.
Haha, it wouldn’t surprise me if Penn had been manipulated by the CIA into doing this. It would actually make perfect sense, pointing out that this man is truly both an idiot, but perfectly useful .
I heard Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s favorite movie of all time is “I Am Sam”. He was so thrilled to finally meet Sean Penn.
Oh please....rescue?? It’s a million dollar ransom...Please note that the hikers said they hoped the US will free prisoners.
Is that the one where he went full retard?
It always seems to take a movie star to get Iran to release captured Americans
Yep! Exactly what I’m thinkin’. Didn’t that Carter/Reagan thingy also happen in a little out of the way spot called Iran, too? just sayin’
Sure did.
Iran couldn’t get those hostages outta there fast enough when Ronnie won.
Life gets different *fast* when you swap a poodle for a pit bull.
Cause there’s no place good to hike in the US. No big forests or canyons or anything like that. A warzone is much better.
I thought the US had a “no money for hostages” policy?
Oh...wait...that was a different president.
Never mind.
Exactly! And the Alps are like soooo unpicturesqe and stuff, too!
Maybe they were wandering around looking for Barry’s passport.
Call me a sceptic but I doubt Penn had anything to do with this
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