Q&A
Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Why Release U.S. Hikers Now?
The decision by Iranian President Ahmadinejad to release two imprisoned American hikers is primarily part of an attempt to garner good will and demonstrate his political strength.
Published on Sep 13, 2011
Source: CNN International
Speaking on CNN International, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour explained that the decision by Iranian President Ahmadinejad to release the two imprisoned American hikers is “certainly not coincidental.” Last year, days before Ahmadinejad’s trip to the UN General Assembly, he released the third hiker, Sarah Shourd, to garner some good will. Sadjadpour sugegsted that it would appear he is doing the same thing this year.
Moreover, Sadjadpour added, Ahmadinejad has recently been weakened domestically, so he is trying to prove that he can still deliver politically. Iran has a long history of hostage taking, Sadjadpour concluded. In the years since the Islamic revolution, “Turkey and Dubai have built thriving economies based on the trading of goods and services while Iran has continued to trade in human beings,” he said.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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