Two Years Later, American Hostages Released from Iran

How about some good news from the Middle East? Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, two American hikers who accidentally wandered into unmarked Iranian territory two years ago, were released from custody today. The two men, who are en route to Oman for medical checkups before a return flight to the United States, had been accused by the Iranian government as being spies for the United States. They were originally arrested with a third person, Sarah Shourd, who was released last year on medical ground. Shourd returned home and immediately began working for the release of her friends. According to CNN, Oman's envoy to Tehran, Salem al Ismaily, said the pair are now in the custody of the Omani government and headed to Oman, "where they will spend a couple of days before heading home." Shourd and the families of the men, were waiting for them in Oman. The story has a doubly happy ending: Shourd is now Bauer's fiancee. Bauer and Fattal, who had been accused of being spies but were, in fact, hikers who got lost in the unmarked border of Iran, were not easy to let go of by the Iranian government. They were excellent bargaining chips for a country whose political leadership is fractured, whose grip on power is waning, and who clearly fears becoming overshadowed by the burgeoning democracies in the region. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has pressed before to release the prisoners, typically when he is preparing to take the world stage. And, just on cue, the men were released today, just hours before Ahmadinejad was to make an appearance and speak at the United Nations building in New York City. The cost of their release was a handsome sum: $500,000 each for the two hikers. Their attorney, Masoud Shafiee, was in the prison earlier that day with signed paperwork, proving that the ransom money had been paid and the funds deposited. Earlier, a judge had signed bail papers. It is unclear at this time who paid the $1 million. Frankly, it doesn't matter where the money came from. Today is for the families of those taken hostage and now released. Today we celebrate the return to life, liberty, and happiness. Today we honor the love that grew stronger between friends, an ocean apart and separated by prison walls. Personally, I have been following the story seemingly forever, via a facebook page that had been set up to coordinate news and efforts to appeal to the Iranian and American governments to do something. The outpouring of support and love for people who have never met and likely never will meet, is heart-warming. You might want to check out the page for yourself. It is located here. In a world where bad news dominates, this is a story I hope none of us ever forget. Welcome home, friends. American missed you. To comment on this (or any of my columns), visit my user page at Benzinga. Each story has a comment section...and I would love to hear from you!