White House Uses Cautious Language on Iranian Prisoner Roxana Saberi

I pray for two things:
First, for Ms. Saberi’s health and safety; and
Second, that the right-wing noise machine,unlike its conduct in the Capt. Phillip’s incident, can keep their mouth’s shut long enough to let moderate Iranian officials secure Ms. Sabeir’s early release.
Finally, another good post, Jake. You’re having a good day.

R Wood define “moderate Iranian officials”. You probably include Khatami or Rafsanjani – hah, tools and two-faced players of the Supreme Council and Khamenei. And also out of luck, Khatami had to drop out of running for Prez again. Is your hope in Mousavi, good luck, he’s either a stooge or a token and probably alienated the poor with being against potato giveaways and the elitist mullahs for being mushy on attacking Jews.

What a lark? Thinking right wing “noise” is what might harm her???!!!
Just like with Haleh Esfandiari, Iran tweaks the sensibilities of liberals, journalists, and women by detaining a representative of “tolerance and compassion” and charging her with treason for little cause. Sounds like they know exactly who the target is and how wimpy the response.

Ohh, so it was because we NEVER mention Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and Andrie Sakharov’s name, kept it hush-hush that they were released.
Ooh, it was because we worked so QUIETLY to deal with the emigration of Soviet Jewry from their oppression.
Ooh, it was because the Helsinki human rights organization NEVER PUBLICLY worked to make Soviet leaders accountable to their promises of reform.
Was it then a mistake for the Nobel Prize to be given to Shirin Ebadi for her brave work for justice and human rights in Iran?
Is it foolish to bring up Iran at forums and describe their nonsensical positions on everything from the Holocaust onward?
Should the president of Columbia University, no right wing noisemaker he, have insulted Ahmadenijad by bringing up the failings of the regime?
Should the American audience held their mmocking laughter when Mahmoud went on to claim there are no homosexuals in Iran?

Nicolas Sarkozy recently summed it up: Obama is weak, inexperienced, and badly briefed. Ms. Sabeir is wise not to expect much from Obama.

robert b: You submitted two well written, articulate posts. (Is your real last name Bolton or Feith?) However, none of your arguments address the issue of how to best ensure Ms. Saberi’s earliest release and at the same time protect larger U.S. interests. You make the assumption that only public and loud condemnation is effective. The truth is that the actual release of the two Soviet dissidents and other political prisoners you mentioned was accomplished by serious, hard-ball but quiet diplomacy. This is the heart of my argument which you intentionally ignored. Linda’s post is a good example of the problem. She and her neo-con ilk, are ready to throw this young women under the bus for political gain. There is a time for vociferous public condemnation and military responses. There is also a time for quiet, effective, talk. This is one of them.
Finally, your inference that I believe Ms. Saberi is less deserving of help because she is a progressive woman journalist is quite offensive. You get the last word, it’s a beautiful night here in the northwest and I’m headed outside to look at the stars and say a quiet prayer for the Saberi family.

on terry anderson I’ve read his bio. gee it was ap and journalists that kept him in the news. I noticed no pattern lesser knowns got held a long time too. if anyone was good at quiet and soft talk it was terry waite the mediator they kidnapped him too!!!! oh and betancourt another negotiator with farc spent five years with 3 continents sending envoys for her relaease. my answer is still don’t hold back and play hardball good cop bad cop and mean it!!!

Why do we have the outcry that American Iranian Roxana Saberi was jailed after a “show trial”, where she was not allowed to present a full defense when we do the same exact thing to Charles Lynch here in the USA.