Why Release U.S. Hikers Now?

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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.

By Karim Sadjadpour

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.

Recent Work

Q&A
Iran Wanted to Survive the War. Now What?
- Suzanne Maloney, Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour
Q&A
What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright

Political Reform Security Middle East Iran Gulf

Carnegie India 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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