They seem in good health. Somebody paid their $1 million bail. And now Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, America’s highest-profile international hikers, are back home. As Americans, we are, of course, relieved. But we would also be remiss if we didn’t put this in perspective.
Why exactly would anyone want to hike near the Iraq-Iran border? So near, in fact, that they might well have “accidentally” wandered into Iran, as they claim. Whatever the reason–from the ultimate hike to the ultimate blog–their stupidly cavalier act risked putting the U.S. into a sovereign bind with Iran. You can bet that behind State Department doors, Hillary Clinton was not pleased about any perceived geopolitical leverage accorded the Ahmadinejad regime.
So, welcome home, Josh and Shane, but try the Alps next time.