Unmarked Borders, Hikers as Pawns……….
“Now a five-month investigation by The Nation and the Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute has located two witnesses to the arrest who claim that Bauer, Fattal and Shourd were on Iraqi territory when they were arrested—not in Iran, as Iranian officials have asserted. Two additional sources report that the Revolutionary Guards officer who likely ordered their detention has since been arrested on charges of smuggling, kidnapping and murder. The witnesses are residents of a Kurdish village in Iraq called Zalem, which lies a few miles from the Iran border; they declined to be identified, fearing retaliation from Iranian forces, who have been known to conduct missions across the border. The witnesses separately reported noticing the three Americans as they hiked up a mountain in the scenic Khormal region, which straddles the border. Part of the mountain lies in Iraq and part in Iran, but except for a few watchtowers and occasional signposts, the border here is largely unmarked, although local residents are familiar with its boundaries……” The Nation
It is possible that they were inside the Iraq border, or maybe they inadvertently unknowingly crossed to the other side. Maybe the two Kurdish “witnesses” are credible, or maybe they are not. That doesn’t matter, given the unmarked border and the ease of making a mistake. These three unfortunate hikers are now being used as pawns, three more pawns, in an ancient game that has nothing to do with them directly. They are now hapless pawns in a diplomatic and propaganda and intelligence chess game that spans the Persian Gulf region, Europe, Israel, and perhaps North America. Perhaps.
Cheers
mhg
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