Comments on: Duality of Identity: Roxana Saberi on Iranian Society http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society The Official Student Publication of Claremont McKenna College Tue, 22 May 2012 03:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-16375 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:06:18 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-16375 Oops...here is the link. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/231-touchtable.html Oops…here is the link.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/231-touchtable.html

]]> By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-48607 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:06:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-48607 Oops...here is the link. http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/231-touchtable.html Oops…here is the link.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/231-touchtable.html

]]> By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-16374 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:05 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-16374 Karen...having been in the military and had a high clearance once myself, the reason the regulation about the clearance exists is so that someone who is in a position like her brother could not be blackmailed, tortured, etc. under the threat that their family member would be harmed. I assume that the family asked to keep her brother's occupation out of the press because it would only give the Iranians something else to throw about in the press, even though it really has no substantive link to what happened to her. Many people will assume a correlation when there is none. I don't speak for Ms. Saberi, but have read much about her case. I have seen other reporters who worked in Tehran who vouched for the fact that these credentials are only required in certain circumstances and also vouched that Ms. Saberi was very cautious about what she participated in to avoid that issue. The document that you mention was not marked with a classified stamp (which was widely reported) and my experience in the military was that properly marking such documents is almost a religion in itself as the consequences for mishandling and not marking it can be severe and career ending. I have seen interviews where Ms. Saberi took responsibility for her actions, perhaps you have not seen these. I also have not seen any claims about lying about a master's in Tehran. I have seen some report that she was working on one but I don't know if she was or not. There were also news reports that she was arrested for having a bottle of wine, which were false. The news cycle doesn't always have it right. I also read that upon her release she had stayed in Vienna as a guest of the Austrian govt. which had been key in obtaining her release and travel documents. An Austrian friend of the family (govt. official) had offered his home as a resting place after her stay in Evin and she was weak from fasting, etc. If, as you claim, she met with US officials there, why would it matter if she immediately came to the US to meet them or met them in Vienna? I'm not sure what the insinuation is. Can't speak to the Farsi comment..seemed unusual to me as well. I'm sure there are dialects and I work in a multinational company...some people's english is fairly good but you have to be careful about vocabulary for someone who is ESL to make sure they understand. There is speaking and there is mastery. I agree about your comments on the hikers. Ms. Saberi has spoken out asking for their release. I think the reason you see the difference is that Ms. Saberi has more friends in places where the story would get out. Obviously many friends in the press given her job. My personal opinion is that she was taken 10 days after inauguration as a challenge to Obama and the administration wanted to be at once tough, responsive, but show that they were willing to have a dialogue with Iran. Obviously many things have changed since her release (their elections, the missile tests, etc.) FYI...the US didn't "suddenly" learn of the nuclear facility. You don't build a facility like this in a mountain overnight and without satellite imagery noticing it. Check out this link from PBS that I was sent some time ago. Late in the clip, they show an Iranian nuclear processing plant (a different one) and how the facility is really more than 2x the apparent size as they hid part of it in a hill. The satellite imagery shows how we would have known about the recently revealed facility as well. Karen…having been in the military and had a high clearance once myself, the reason the regulation about the clearance exists is so that someone who is in a position like her brother could not be blackmailed, tortured, etc. under the threat that their family member would be harmed. I assume that the family asked to keep her brother’s occupation out of the press because it would only give the Iranians something else to throw about in the press, even though it really has no substantive link to what happened to her. Many people will assume a correlation when there is none.

I don’t speak for Ms. Saberi, but have read much about her case. I have seen other reporters who worked in Tehran who vouched for the fact that these credentials are only required in certain circumstances and also vouched that Ms. Saberi was very cautious about what she participated in to avoid that issue. The document that you mention was not marked with a classified stamp (which was widely reported) and my experience in the military was that properly marking such documents is almost a religion in itself as the consequences for mishandling and not marking it can be severe and career ending.

I have seen interviews where Ms. Saberi took responsibility for her actions, perhaps you have not seen these. I also have not seen any claims about lying about a master’s in Tehran. I have seen some report that she was working on one but I don’t know if she was or not. There were also news reports that she was arrested for having a bottle of wine, which were false. The news cycle doesn’t always have it right. I also read that upon her release she had stayed in Vienna as a guest of the Austrian govt. which had been key in obtaining her release and travel documents. An Austrian friend of the family (govt. official) had offered his home as a resting place after her stay in Evin and she was weak from fasting, etc. If, as you claim, she met with US officials there, why would it matter if she immediately came to the US to meet them or met them in Vienna? I’m not sure what the insinuation is. Can’t speak to the Farsi comment..seemed unusual to me as well. I’m sure there are dialects and I work in a multinational company…some people’s english is fairly good but you have to be careful about vocabulary for someone who is ESL to make sure they understand. There is speaking and there is mastery.

I agree about your comments on the hikers. Ms. Saberi has spoken out asking for their release. I think the reason you see the difference is that Ms. Saberi has more friends in places where the story would get out. Obviously many friends in the press given her job. My personal opinion is that she was taken 10 days after inauguration as a challenge to Obama and the administration wanted to be at once tough, responsive, but show that they were willing to have a dialogue with Iran. Obviously many things have changed since her release (their elections, the missile tests, etc.)

FYI…the US didn’t “suddenly” learn of the nuclear facility. You don’t build a facility like this in a mountain overnight and without satellite imagery noticing it. Check out this link from PBS that I was sent some time ago. Late in the clip, they show an Iranian nuclear processing plant (a different one) and how the facility is really more than 2x the apparent size as they hid part of it in a hill. The satellite imagery shows how we would have known about the recently revealed facility as well.

]]> By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-48606 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-48606 Karen...having been in the military and had a high clearance once myself, the reason the regulation about the clearance exists is so that someone who is in a position like her brother could not be blackmailed, tortured, etc. under the threat that their family member would be harmed. I assume that the family asked to keep her brother's occupation out of the press because it would only give the Iranians something else to throw about in the press, even though it really has no substantive link to what happened to her. Many people will assume a correlation when there is none. I don't speak for Ms. Saberi, but have read much about her case. I have seen other reporters who worked in Tehran who vouched for the fact that these credentials are only required in certain circumstances and also vouched that Ms. Saberi was very cautious about what she participated in to avoid that issue. The document that you mention was not marked with a classified stamp (which was widely reported) and my experience in the military was that properly marking such documents is almost a religion in itself as the consequences for mishandling and not marking it can be severe and career ending. I have seen interviews where Ms. Saberi took responsibility for her actions, perhaps you have not seen these. I also have not seen any claims about lying about a master's in Tehran. I have seen some report that she was working on one but I don't know if she was or not. There were also news reports that she was arrested for having a bottle of wine, which were false. The news cycle doesn't always have it right. I also read that upon her release she had stayed in Vienna as a guest of the Austrian govt. which had been key in obtaining her release and travel documents. An Austrian friend of the family (govt. official) had offered his home as a resting place after her stay in Evin and she was weak from fasting, etc. If, as you claim, she met with US officials there, why would it matter if she immediately came to the US to meet them or met them in Vienna? I'm not sure what the insinuation is. Can't speak to the Farsi comment..seemed unusual to me as well. I'm sure there are dialects and I work in a multinational company...some people's english is fairly good but you have to be careful about vocabulary for someone who is ESL to make sure they understand. There is speaking and there is mastery. I agree about your comments on the hikers. Ms. Saberi has spoken out asking for their release. I think the reason you see the difference is that Ms. Saberi has more friends in places where the story would get out. Obviously many friends in the press given her job. My personal opinion is that she was taken 10 days after inauguration as a challenge to Obama and the administration wanted to be at once tough, responsive, but show that they were willing to have a dialogue with Iran. Obviously many things have changed since her release (their elections, the missile tests, etc.) FYI...the US didn't "suddenly" learn of the nuclear facility. You don't build a facility like this in a mountain overnight and without satellite imagery noticing it. Check out this link from PBS that I was sent some time ago. Late in the clip, they show an Iranian nuclear processing plant (a different one) and how the facility is really more than 2x the apparent size as they hid part of it in a hill. The satellite imagery shows how we would have known about the recently revealed facility as well. Karen…having been in the military and had a high clearance once myself, the reason the regulation about the clearance exists is so that someone who is in a position like her brother could not be blackmailed, tortured, etc. under the threat that their family member would be harmed. I assume that the family asked to keep her brother’s occupation out of the press because it would only give the Iranians something else to throw about in the press, even though it really has no substantive link to what happened to her. Many people will assume a correlation when there is none.

I don’t speak for Ms. Saberi, but have read much about her case. I have seen other reporters who worked in Tehran who vouched for the fact that these credentials are only required in certain circumstances and also vouched that Ms. Saberi was very cautious about what she participated in to avoid that issue. The document that you mention was not marked with a classified stamp (which was widely reported) and my experience in the military was that properly marking such documents is almost a religion in itself as the consequences for mishandling and not marking it can be severe and career ending.

I have seen interviews where Ms. Saberi took responsibility for her actions, perhaps you have not seen these. I also have not seen any claims about lying about a master’s in Tehran. I have seen some report that she was working on one but I don’t know if she was or not. There were also news reports that she was arrested for having a bottle of wine, which were false. The news cycle doesn’t always have it right. I also read that upon her release she had stayed in Vienna as a guest of the Austrian govt. which had been key in obtaining her release and travel documents. An Austrian friend of the family (govt. official) had offered his home as a resting place after her stay in Evin and she was weak from fasting, etc. If, as you claim, she met with US officials there, why would it matter if she immediately came to the US to meet them or met them in Vienna? I’m not sure what the insinuation is. Can’t speak to the Farsi comment..seemed unusual to me as well. I’m sure there are dialects and I work in a multinational company…some people’s english is fairly good but you have to be careful about vocabulary for someone who is ESL to make sure they understand. There is speaking and there is mastery.

I agree about your comments on the hikers. Ms. Saberi has spoken out asking for their release. I think the reason you see the difference is that Ms. Saberi has more friends in places where the story would get out. Obviously many friends in the press given her job. My personal opinion is that she was taken 10 days after inauguration as a challenge to Obama and the administration wanted to be at once tough, responsive, but show that they were willing to have a dialogue with Iran. Obviously many things have changed since her release (their elections, the missile tests, etc.)

FYI…the US didn’t “suddenly” learn of the nuclear facility. You don’t build a facility like this in a mountain overnight and without satellite imagery noticing it. Check out this link from PBS that I was sent some time ago. Late in the clip, they show an Iranian nuclear processing plant (a different one) and how the facility is really more than 2x the apparent size as they hid part of it in a hill. The satellite imagery shows how we would have known about the recently revealed facility as well.

]]> By: Karen http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-16347 Karen Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:19:55 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-16347 Of course knowing her personally, you are to quickly jump to her aid, I understand that. However, it does matter when military regulations in and of themselves forbid such a situation - let alone a relative working in military intelligence. The article didn't assert that the brother in the miltary had anything to do with Roxana's jailing. It does, however, bring into question valid questions as to why the United States worked so hard for her freedom, while three individuals sit in Iranian prison as this moment with very little said about them. it asserts that Roxana's own actions by reporting without press credentials, traveling to Israel, meeting with different individuals for her book, and filming a movie underground all demonstrate foolish behavior on her part, which led to her arrest. The taking of the document was established when she admitted herself that it was not a document she was working on. Why did her family hide her brother? Why did she lie about her ablility to speak Farsi? Why did she deny the need for press credentials? Why did she lie about her Master's degree in Iran? Why did she not return to the United States immediately after being freed instead of going to Vienna where she met with United States officials? Why does she refuse to take responsibilty for any of her actions? Since you have a personal relationship with her, please ask her these things and get back to me. They are the same questions that everyone else is asking, particularly now since suddenly the US has information about a secret nuclear plant in Iran. Of course knowing her personally, you are to quickly jump to her aid, I understand that. However, it does matter when military regulations in and of themselves forbid such a situation – let alone a relative working in military intelligence. The article didn’t assert that the brother in the miltary had anything to do with Roxana’s jailing. It does, however, bring into question valid questions as to why the United States worked so hard for her freedom, while three individuals sit in Iranian prison as this moment with very little said about them. it asserts that Roxana’s own actions by reporting without press credentials, traveling to Israel, meeting with different individuals for her book, and filming a movie underground all demonstrate foolish behavior on her part, which led to her arrest.

The taking of the document was established when she admitted herself that it was not a document she was working on.

Why did her family hide her brother?
Why did she lie about her ablility to speak Farsi?
Why did she deny the need for press credentials?
Why did she lie about her Master’s degree in Iran?
Why did she not return to the United States immediately after being freed instead of going to Vienna where she met with United States officials?
Why does she refuse to take responsibilty for any of her actions?

Since you have a personal relationship with her, please ask her these things and get back to me. They are the same questions that everyone else is asking, particularly now since suddenly the US has information about a secret nuclear plant in Iran.

]]> By: Karen http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-48605 Karen Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:19:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-48605 Of course knowing her personally, you are to quickly jump to her aid, I understand that. However, it does matter when military regulations in and of themselves forbid such a situation - let alone a relative working in military intelligence. The article didn't assert that the brother in the miltary had anything to do with Roxana's jailing. It does, however, bring into question valid questions as to why the United States worked so hard for her freedom, while three individuals sit in Iranian prison as this moment with very little said about them. it asserts that Roxana's own actions by reporting without press credentials, traveling to Israel, meeting with different individuals for her book, and filming a movie underground all demonstrate foolish behavior on her part, which led to her arrest. The taking of the document was established when she admitted herself that it was not a document she was working on. Why did her family hide her brother? Why did she lie about her ablility to speak Farsi? Why did she deny the need for press credentials? Why did she lie about her Master's degree in Iran? Why did she not return to the United States immediately after being freed instead of going to Vienna where she met with United States officials? Why does she refuse to take responsibilty for any of her actions? Since you have a personal relationship with her, please ask her these things and get back to me. They are the same questions that everyone else is asking, particularly now since suddenly the US has information about a secret nuclear plant in Iran. Of course knowing her personally, you are to quickly jump to her aid, I understand that. However, it does matter when military regulations in and of themselves forbid such a situation – let alone a relative working in military intelligence. The article didn’t assert that the brother in the miltary had anything to do with Roxana’s jailing. It does, however, bring into question valid questions as to why the United States worked so hard for her freedom, while three individuals sit in Iranian prison as this moment with very little said about them. it asserts that Roxana’s own actions by reporting without press credentials, traveling to Israel, meeting with different individuals for her book, and filming a movie underground all demonstrate foolish behavior on her part, which led to her arrest.

The taking of the document was established when she admitted herself that it was not a document she was working on.

Why did her family hide her brother?
Why did she lie about her ablility to speak Farsi?
Why did she deny the need for press credentials?
Why did she lie about her Master’s degree in Iran?
Why did she not return to the United States immediately after being freed instead of going to Vienna where she met with United States officials?
Why does she refuse to take responsibilty for any of her actions?

Since you have a personal relationship with her, please ask her these things and get back to me. They are the same questions that everyone else is asking, particularly now since suddenly the US has information about a secret nuclear plant in Iran.

]]> By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-16328 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:58:43 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-16328 Many people have relatives in the military. This had nothing to do with Saberi's jailing. The article in Salon claims of being scammed but really has no opinions or assertions and asserts that the document she had was classified which has not been established. Saberi is working on a book and its possible that her book deal limits use of video (such as youtube) until the book is out. I don't think a woman who lived in Tehran for 6 years and was imprisoned is afraid of contents of a lecture that she presented....seems a bit farfetched. Knowing her personally, the conspiracy theories are humorous. Many people have relatives in the military. This had nothing to do with Saberi’s jailing. The article in Salon claims of being scammed but really has no opinions or assertions and asserts that the document she had was classified which has not been established. Saberi is working on a book and its possible that her book deal limits use of video (such as youtube) until the book is out. I don’t think a woman who lived in Tehran for 6 years and was imprisoned is afraid of contents of a lecture that she presented….seems a bit farfetched. Knowing her personally, the conspiracy theories are humorous.

]]> By: Jack http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-48604 Jack Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:58:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-48604 Many people have relatives in the military. This had nothing to do with Saberi's jailing. The article in Salon claims of being scammed but really has no opinions or assertions and asserts that the document she had was classified which has not been established. Saberi is working on a book and its possible that her book deal limits use of video (such as youtube) until the book is out. I don't think a woman who lived in Tehran for 6 years and was imprisoned is afraid of contents of a lecture that she presented....seems a bit farfetched. Knowing her personally, the conspiracy theories are humorous. Many people have relatives in the military. This had nothing to do with Saberi’s jailing. The article in Salon claims of being scammed but really has no opinions or assertions and asserts that the document she had was classified which has not been established. Saberi is working on a book and its possible that her book deal limits use of video (such as youtube) until the book is out. I don’t think a woman who lived in Tehran for 6 years and was imprisoned is afraid of contents of a lecture that she presented….seems a bit farfetched. Knowing her personally, the conspiracy theories are humorous.

]]> By: Karen http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-16161 Karen Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:36:40 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-16161 Ms. Saberi wouldn't be able to make money off of it that way, Charles. And she is probably afraid of what she has said during a lecture could be used against her --- which it seems that there is plenty to use against her. The real question is if we, as the American public, are going to allow that kind of manipulation of our morals or not. I would hope not, but well, you never know. Ms. Saberi wouldn’t be able to make money off of it that way, Charles. And she is probably afraid of what she has said during a lecture could be used against her — which it seems that there is plenty to use against her. The real question is if we, as the American public, are going to allow that kind of manipulation of our morals or not. I would hope not, but well, you never know.

]]> By: Karen http://cmcforum.com/opinion/09252009-duality-of-identity-roxana-saberi-on-iranian-society#comment-48603 Karen Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:36:00 +0000 http://cmcforum.com/?p=6466#comment-48603 Ms. Saberi wouldn't be able to make money off of it that way, Charles. And she is probably afraid of what she has said during a lecture could be used against her --- which it seems that there is plenty to use against her. The real question is if we, as the American public, are going to allow that kind of manipulation of our morals or not. I would hope not, but well, you never know. Ms. Saberi wouldn’t be able to make money off of it that way, Charles. And she is probably afraid of what she has said during a lecture could be used against her — which it seems that there is plenty to use against her. The real question is if we, as the American public, are going to allow that kind of manipulation of our morals or not. I would hope not, but well, you never know.

]]>