Get a Map, Guys
Sometimes news stories can teach us valuable lessons. The moral of this month's story about the three detained hikers in Iran: know what country you're in. On July 31, three Americans — Joshua Fattal, Sarah Shourd and Shane Bauer — were detained after accidentally crossing the Iranian border from Iraq's Kurdistan region. Shon Meckfessel, a friend of the trio who had become ill and remained behind, told CBS News that the tourists had embarked on the trip at a local's suggestion and had no idea they were near the Iranian border.
The three were arrested and charged with illegal entry into the country. Swiss diplomats are pressing for their release on behalf of the U.S., as America and Iran have not had formal diplomatic relations since the hostage crisis of 1979. Meckfessel has stated, "I hope that people understand my friends' presence in the area for what it was: a simple and very regrettable mistake." Maybe it's time to send in Bill Clinton?