Thoughts on Shourd's Meeting with Ahmadinejad

Sarah Shourd, the American hiker who was freed from captivity in Iran earlier this month, met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York yesterday between sessions of the UN General Assembly.

On one hand, I can understand Shourd's desire to have an audience with Ahmadinejad. After all, her fiance and friend are still being held in captivity and it stands to reason that Ahmadinejad is in a position to do something about it.

But on the other hand, Shourd met with a man who 24 hours earlier accused the United States of orchestrating the attacks of September 11, 2001.

This isn't a man who is amenable to reason. Yet by meeting with him Shourd has given Ahmadinejad a propaganda bonanza. Here is an American currying favor with and giving legitimacy to an Iranian leader.

Meanwhile, I expect Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal to remain in Evin prison.

The only way Iran will release Bauer and Fattal is the same way they released Shourd.

Money.

In other words, ransom. Which is why I consider Bauer and Fattal to be hostages.