Saturday, April 18, 2009

Saturday April 18 -- Got news or an update?

If you have news or an update, leave it in comments.
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20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iran convicts US journalist of spying...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - An American journalist jailed in Iran has been convicted of spying and sentenced to eight years in prison, her lawyer said Saturday, dashing any hopes for her quick release

Anonymous said...

Tyrants. Here's the NYT's lead editorial yesterday:


There is nothing resembling justice in Iran’s prosecution of Roxana Saberi. The government’s accusations against Ms. Saberi, a journalist with dual American-Iranian citizenship, have fluctuated wildly — culminating only last week with charges that she spied for the United States government. Her one-day trial this week was held in secret, and state officials have not revealed any evidence against her.

Iran’s government needs to release Ms. Saberi and end this dangerous farce.

Ms. Saberi, whose father was born in Iran, grew up in North Dakota. She moved to Iran six years ago and worked as a freelance reporter, including for National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corporation, while also pursuing a master’s degree in Iranian studies.

When she was arrested in January, Ms. Saberi was first accused of buying wine (illegal in Iran but hardly meriting imprisonment) and then of working without press credentials. While the government revoked those credentials three years ago, it tolerated her filing of news stories for months afterward, according to NPR.

On March 6, in comments that seemed to suggest the case had been resolved, an Iranian prosecutor told the Iranian Student News Agency that Ms. Saberi would be released from custody “in the next few days.”

Then last week, the government suddenly charged Ms. Saberi with espionage.

Iran has played this absurd game before. In recent years, other Americans, including two scholars, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent and an American democracy activist, were unjustly detained. Thankfully all were eventually released but only after enduring months of deprivation under house arrest or in prison. In 2003, Zahra Kazemi, an Iranian-born Canadian photojournalist charged with espionage, suffered an even worse fate: According to the Iranian doctor who treated her, she died after being beaten and tortured while in Evin prison, the notorious facility where Ms. Saberi is being held. A former F.B.I. agent who went missing in 2007 while on a business trip, Robert Levinson, is also believed to be imprisoned.

We do not know why the government decided to go after Ms. Saberi. One theory is that Tehran may want to try to “trade” her for three Iranian diplomats arrested in Iraq by United States troops in 2007 and charged in connection with attacks on Iraqi and American forces. Another is that government hard-liners may be trying to sabotage President Obama’s effort to engage Tehran after 30 years of mutual isolation.

The two countries have a lot they need to talk about, including their shared interest in controlling Afghanistan’s narcotics industry and ensuring that Iraq’s civil war does not again spin out of control as American troops begin to withdraw.

They also have many difficult areas of disagreement, starting with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Tehran has often demanded that Washington not interfere in its internal affairs. By using Ms. Saberi and many of its own citizens as political pawns, Iran is ensuring that its shockingly poor human rights record will remain a contentious issue between the two countries and make finding rapprochement even harder.

Anonymous said...

Never fear, after Obama is all done kissing Hugo's ass, I am sure he'll be more than happy to go kiss some arab ass too.

Snuggling up to our enemies appears to be what he is good at.

Anonymous said...

She's a former Miss North Dakota. No one is allowed to do this to Miss North Dakota.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget the Ling reporter lady and the assistant held by the North Koreans.

Anonymous said...

McClatchy W-
Re: Tyrants. Here's the NYT's lead editorial yesterday:

Is this a total copy of the editorial? The NYT is very strict about copyright restrictions. They allow an excerpt and link to the original article.

Anonymous said...

Iran and North Korea? Proud members of the Axis of Evil.

Anonymous said...

Come on folks. This is a cultural thing. If we are going to rejoice in our multicultural world, we need to stop trying to impose our cultural values on other cultures. Diversity is, well, diverse and we need to embrace our differences.

Stoning women who are raped because they bring dishonor to their families might be strange to someone living in Minnesota (oh, wait... bad example) er, living in Arizona, but it is a part of their cultural fabric and we should celebrate the richness and diversity of other cultures without being judgmental. Unless, of course, they are Christian, Jewish and/or conservatives.

Anonymous said...

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY!

Except veterans, small-business owners, practicing Catholics, gun owners, talk-radio listeners, tea-party attendees, Texans, smokers, limited-government proponents, pro-lifers, taxpayers, NASCAR fans, Boy Scouts, oil-company employees, secure-border advocates, capitalists, global-warming agnostics, Cuban refugees, school-choicers . . .

Anonymous said...

Managing editor relieved he lost his job.
-----
Sun-Times Media Group cuts more jobs to trim payroll by 15%
Chicago Tribune

Daily Southtown managing editor Dennis Robaugh [feels relieved to lose his job.] "It's been difficult working under these circumstances at a company that had all this hanging over it," he says.

Anonymous said...

Ms. Saberi was "working without press credentials. While the government revoked those credentials three years ago, it tolerated her filing of news stories for months afterward, according to NPR."
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If NPR knew her credentials were revoked, and they paid her to continue to write, then they are to blame. They should pay all the costs involved. Trust liberals to think obeying laws doesn't mean them, just other people.

John Altevogt said...

Re: 9:20 I'm so sick of these weasels coming on here trying to intimidate people with this copyright infringement crap.

What exactly are the damages for increasing the readership for something offered freely on the web at no cost?

Indeed, usually when I quote something, I use the entire thing so they can't whine that I've taken them out of context.

Indeed, in this case the column is actually offered up as if it had some credibility and believability. For the NYT these days that's high, and probably undeserved, praise.

Anonymous said...

Steady, John, steady. Take it easy, big guy.

McClatchy Watch said...

I think this is the first time a reader has favorably posted a York Times editorial in comments.

Anonymous said...

_ I'm so sick of these weasels coming on here trying to intimidate people with this copyright infringement crap--

John, why don't you get with the modern ways of intellectual property. Our forefathers did.

"the author and authors of any map, chart, book or books already printed within these United States, being a citizen or citizens thereof....shall have the sole right and liberty of printing, reprinting, publishing and vending such map, chart, book or books...."

The Act was signed by the Speaker and the President of the Senate on May 25, 1790. It was signed by George Washington on May 31, 1790.

Anonymous said...

The law applies to intellectual property. A Nuevo York Times editorial does not meet the minimum qualification.

Anonymous said...

-A Nuevo York Times editorial does not meet the minimum qualification.--

?

explain- can you site some reference on this?

Anonymous said...

Walking by a local paper machine and saw a price sticker of $ 2.00 on the machine instead of $ 1.50.

Looks like the price of the Kansas City Star is going up to $ 2.00 starting tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the price of the Kansas City Star is going up to $ 2.00 starting tomorrow.



2.00 everywhere? I thought is was staying 1.50 in the hood!? Wait till I get my hands on that husband of mine. I'll be the laughing stock of the West Bottoms.

John Altevogt said...

3:45 It's humor. Humor. The inference is that the NYT does not meet the minimum standards for an intellectual product because it isn't intellectual. Get it? Tee hee hee, or for those with a lisp hoff, hoff, hoff.