Roxana Saberi Returns Home To U.S.

WASHINGTON — An American journalist who spent four months in an Iranian prison was greeted Friday afternoon with cheers and hugs from friends as she returned to the United States.

Roxana Saberi told reporters upon her arrival that singing the national anthem helped keep her going. "And it may sound corny, but I'm so happy to be home in the land of the free."

The 32-year-old journalist spoke briefly with reporters after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport with her parents and a family friend.

She spent a week in Vienna recuperating after being released from prison in Iran. Asked how she was feeling, she said, "Very good."

"I wish I could personally thank all those who supported me during my 100 days in prison," she said. Among those she thanked were President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, North Dakota lawmakers, human rights groups and the Japanese government.

Saberi, who grew up in Fargo, N.D., and moved to Iran six years ago, has dual citizenship.

She planned to spend a few days in the capital before returning to her home state of North Dakota, according to Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., who issued a statement saying he was eager to welcome her home.

Saberi was arrested in late January and convicted of spying for the United States in a closed-door trial that her Iranian-born father said lasted only 15 minutes.

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She was freed May 11 and reunited with her parents, who had come to Iran to seek her release, after an appeals court reduced her sentence to two years suspended.

The United States had said the charges against Saberi were baseless and repeatedly demanded her release. The case against her had become an obstacle to Obama's attempts at dialogue with the top U.S. adversary in the Middle East.

Saberi had worked as a freelance journalist for several organizations, including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp.

After her arrest, Iranian authorities initially accused her of working without press credentials, but later leveled the far more serious charge of spying. Iran released few details about the allegations that she passed intelligence to the U.S.

Kevin Melicher, a neighbor of Saberi's parents in Fargo, said the community prayed for Saberi's return and planted flowers in her family yard earlier this week.

"They wanted to do something," he said. "We want to make their house look welcoming."

___

Associated Press writer Dave Kolpack in Fargo, N.D., contributed to this report.

Comments

[MosheDayanHero]

It is amazing how many people here are fuming mad at the girl simply because she's happy to be back in U.S.

[Pip1860]

A little off topic, but I've had Iranian pastries and they are amongst the best in the world.

[Babysnake]

The melons raised there are the best I've ever had.

[Pip1860]

I am amazed that they let her go. I also know for a fact that had Bush been in the White House they would have never let her go. She really was set free to make a gesture of goodwill towards the Obama White House - plain and simple.

[FrozenNorthObserver]

meanwhile from the land of "do as we say not as we do",,,,

"U.S. holds journalist without charges in Iraq"
"Reuters cameraman Ibrahim Jassam has been held since September. The U*S. mili
tary rejected a court order to release him, saying he is a 'high security threat.' No evidence has been presented.­"
http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fg-iraq-journalist24-2009may24,0,5984536.story?track=rss

[WilliamL]

first she went to Iran to do research then told she moved there?

strange how when she got in a jam after six years of research and/or living in Iran she called upon the US to bail her out?

[greenToBlue]

For good perspective, read "All the Shah's men"

[Baghooli]

She as "journalist" in spotlight can help other captive journalists which don't have access to lawyers and judicial system like she had, maybe opening a non profit organization by part of profit she will be making with her fame and by sending a national anthem text and apple pie to fellow journalist like the one bellow can help to set him free too.

Journalist held without charge since last year;
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-journalist24-2009may24,0,2581320.story?track=rss

[Baghooli]

Copy and paste entire web link, H.P. site fault!

[wereeverywhere]

It works! Thanks Ba_li. It gives more detail to the Reporters Without Borders link I gave. I lke the quote:
"No one is suggesting that journalists should have a get- out-of-jail-free card," he said. "But if you accuse someone of something there needs to be a fair legal process. That's what we said in the Roxana Saberi case, and that's what we say in the Ibrahim Jassam case."

[wereeverywhere]

I'd like to get a look at that list if you can work the bugs out.
Here's a link to Reporters Without Borders, who've strongly defended and called for Saberi's release from the beginning, on reporting in Iraq: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=31028

"As well as the violent crime to which journalists are exposed in Iraq, American forces have kept the local press under considerable pressure and have, since 1st September 2008, held Reuters photographer Ibrahim Jassam, despite a ruling by Iraq’s central criminal court on 30 November 2008 acquitting him and ordering his release."

And here's a generic link to the Committee to Protect Journalists: http://cpj.org/ Both sites have search engines built in.

[Baghooli]

Copy and paste entire web link, including black typed text at end of web link, thanks.

[CarlyHope]

Um........

you all seem to be missing the point

Thank god the poor woman is home with her family

enough said

[brit prof]

Er... you are assuming that she did no wrong aren't you? She was not an innocent caught up in something bigger than she knew. She was found guilty of spying and was given a very lenient sentence, even allowed to leave the country.
If the scenario were reversed--an Iranian caught spying in the US--I wonder if your sentiments would be the same.

[amistad]

Do youhave any proof that she was a spy?

[GunneraGirl]

found guilty after a 15 minute closed-door trial. yeah right, reeeeaallll guilty.

oh, and by the way, she's an Iranian citizen! So if the scenario was reversed it would be an American spying in America for who exactly?

[Otanes]

given the kangaroo judicial system in your beloved IRI, I can say with 100 percent certainty that she was innocent and caught in the stupid political games that mullahs play on daily bases.

[beaupritchard]

"100 days in prison" ... I know what I'd be looking for and I would want it "now"

[OKnight]

xbox 360,sure..­.

[brit prof]

I wonder how much torture she had to endure? Oh, she wasn't tortured? She was treated well, with respect?
Oh... er... but I bet they THOUGHT about torturing her though. And as Jesus says, (and I paraphrase), the sin is in the thought, not in the action.

[JulieSA]

They tor tured a female Canadian journalist to de ath. It was a legitimate concern.

[beaupritchard]

After a hundred days I'm not sure its "respect" she's looking for

[brit prof]

Don't you love this though:

"Saberi was arrested in late January and convicted of spying for the United States in a closed-door trial that her Iranian-born father said lasted only 15 minutes."

Oh, a closed-door trial? Are you implying that trials in secret are somehow tainted? Yes, perhaps that's true except that she was prosecuted for spying and the evidence involved government secrets.

And it took only 15 minutes? So, we are to take the father's word? Er... how did dad get into a closed-door trial?

She was caught with sensitive documents in her possession. She visited Iran's enemy, Israel with these documents. What for?

She's very lucky that she wasn't locked up for a very long time.

[OKnight]

so, u, with the local cleric, there, pal...

[brit prof]

Yes. And I suppose you are with the, "let's prosecute spies unless they're American ones"?

And Mr. Knight, you may wish to :

a. look at this link: http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html

b. reflect on your country's past viz a viz Iran. Just google Iran 1953 and see what happens.

[brit prof]

You can't seriously expect others to consider that you have any moral high ground, can you? You seem to hate Iran. Can you explain why? Simply because you were told to?
A few months ago you were instructed to be terrified of North Korea. Still waking up each day in a cold sweat in anticipation of a North Korean attack?

[wereeverywhere]

Looks like you hit a nerve, OKnight.

[JulieSA]

Yes, short secret trials are tainted.

[brit prof]

I'm confused: since when did America start allowing dual citizenship? I thought in order to become American you have to relinquish any other nationality you may have, (except for minors, that is. They can have two until they reach majority age and then have to take the plunge).
Some countries allow 2 passports, (France, Britain, Australia, Canada for instance), but I had no idea the US had joined this group.

[OKnight]

confused and wrong, not the best of qualities.­..just saying.

[PoohBear]

Plenty of people in the US have dual citizenship. It's fairly common.

[GunneraGirl]

if you are an american citizen, the only way to lose that citizenship is to enlist in a foreign army and fight against the u.s.

if you are born in america, you are an american, period.

same is true in many other countries; you can not void your citizenship which is often inherited from your parents.

[brit prof]

"if you are an american citizen, the only way to lose that citizenship is to enlist in a foreign army and fight against the u.s."

Not strictly true. It's a lot more complicated than that, there are a great many more ways to lose dual citizenship, for the US to revoke your right of return.

http://travel.state.gov/law/citizenship/citizenship_778.html

[kittyonice]

American does not, technically speaking, allow "dual citizenship", however other countries do, and the US doesn't care about citizenship held in other countries. Although they only *recognize* American citizenship, many people hold citizenship and passports from other countries, such as the ones their parents came from. So for example a person can be an American citizen, carry an American passport, but also hold citizenship and a passport from another country, and that other country recognizes dual citizenship, even though America does not. It is not necessary for both countries to 'recognize' the citizenship of the other country in order for someone to hold dual citizenship. In other words, even though the USA does not 'recognize' dual citizenship, they cannot stop a person from holding a passport from a different country, or being considered a citizen of another country. Make sense? Really it is one of those obsolete American laws - or protocols - that will probably eventually be repealed because it is in effect useless . . . . as far as I can tell, that is.

[brit prof]

Thank you. I think I get it now. Yes, the rules are somewhat convoluted, aren't they? The UK for instance allows its citizens to have dual nationality. Of course the downside is that you can't appeal to them in order to get out of trouble with your other nationality. Eg: if you're Israeli / Brit you still have to do your national service in Israel. The UK won't give you sanctuary on the grounds that you are also a UK citizen.

Anyway, thanks for your clarification. Much appreciated.

[persianadvocate]

On behalf of all Iranians, in the diaspora and the homeland, I say to Roxana, "Madaret jendeye badtarkeeb­... vaghan..!"

[JakeMontero]

love your country's bur ka gals -- not...

[GunneraGirl]

iranians don't wear burkhas.

[persianadvocate]

We have some of the most beautiful women in the world. Claudia Lynx, for example.

[Cinnamonape]

Bilal Hussein was released in 2008.

http://www.ap.org/bilalhussein/

[Snuffleupagus]

Hmmmm

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104104552

This very short article interviews the lawyer who defended her in Iran.

She was accused of meeting with a known CIA operative. She did not deny it, and admitted meeting with him and that he had asked her to do work for them. She said it was a joke......­.....quack­!

She was in possession of a document connected to the office of Iran's President from their Center for Strategic Studies...­.quack!

She went to Israel. When questioned about why, she gave two contradictory answers at different times.....­.quack!

She had another document, this one confidential and concerning the war in Iraq. From the office of their 'Supreme leader Al Khanenei, belonging to their Expediency Council...­.quack, quack quack!

This is a duck, a CIA duck.

[wereeverywhere]

That brilliant deduction could win you an award for Best Use of Shaky Charges in the war on terror paranoid logic awards. Too bad you rely on a six year old document that the IRI was smart enough not to air publicly. If the IRI thought they had anything, why did they let her go? Their fishing expedition, which started with arresting her for possessing wine and continued while she was stuck in Evin prison, reeled in nothing. Except for maybe a dead duck that refuses to fly.

Why turn your back on a victim of state repression, a reporter no less?

[Snuffleupagus]

Unlike you, I do not pretend to have the ability to understand why the IRI does what it does.

Maybe they were afraid of being nuked by the US? Or Israel?
Maybe they believed they could not prove her guilt in court?
Maybe they wanted to make a nice gesture to President Obama?
Maybe they wanted to attempt to show the world that the US does have many spies in Iran, and they wanted to score 'points' with the international community by letting her go?

Now, why don't YOU explain why she lied about her Israel trips, met with CIA operatives and had sensitive documents in her possession. Also note that NPR is a news source that used some of her work and has no axe to grind with her.

[Soori]

You are exactly right.

Why would she without any authorization take a document from the office of the Expediency counsel belonging to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamnei. Furthermore, she took another document from Khatami's office. She talks to CIA agent Mr. Peters who asks her to become and informant and she jokes about it; while in an earlier interview she says she did speak to CIA agent Peters and agreed....­. She then gives two different responses of why she went to Israel (1) for Fun?????? (2) to find a job as a journalist!!!!

And one is to believe that she shouldn't be a suspect and didn't do anything wrong.

I'd like to know if an American journalist could sneak a document out of VP Cheney's office what would happen and then state they went to Iran for visit and for fun??? and later switched her position to find a job as a journalist in Iran? And how would the US response from an American journalist that she was asked by an Iranian Intelligence Agent to work for them?

Would she be considered a "spy?", "an enemy combatant"?, a "a potential terrorist"?


Her activities are not as clear cut as they are made to be!!

[wereeverywhere]

"Why would she without any authorization take a document from the office of the Expediency counsel belonging to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamnei"

You've got the right question but you've got it upside down. Why would someone who's a US national and a reporter be given access to such a sensitive document? Oh, it turns out that document wasn't so sensitive after all. And it's six years old. And there's no evidence it was transmitted to US.

You're almost certainly right that Cheney and pals would've labeled an Iranian version of Saberi as a spy or terrorist or whatever. All the more reason not to use their logic and tactics.

"Her activities are not as clear cut as they are made to be!!" Yes, in the sense that her activities have exposed the legal horror show of IRI.

[postman66]

If Bush were still in office she would have done the entire bit.

[stefiz]

agreed!!

[brit prof]

If Bush were still in office, the bombs would be a-dropping and the sheeplike populace of the USA would be cheering from the sidelines.

[jimmy19]

I'd hit it! welcome home!