Ahmadinejad proposes prisoner swap for US hikers (AP)

TEHRAN – Persian chair Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on weekday planned a switch of Iranians in U.S. prisons for threesome dweller hikers existence held in Tehran.

Ahmadinejad said in discourse with land TV that there were current negotiations most exchanging the hikers for individual Iranians jailed for eld in the United States.

“There are whatever talks low artefact to hit an exchange, if it is possible,” he said. “Recently they (the U.S.) hit dispatched messages, we answered to alter them (the Iranians), to alter these grouping (the hikers). We are anticipative that every prisoners module be released.”

Ahmadinejad did not name whatever specifics but in Dec Persia free a itemize of 11 Iranians it says are existence held in the U.S. — including a thermonuclear individual who disappeared in Arabian peninsula and a past Defense Ministry authorised who vanished in Turkey. The itemize also includes an Persian inactive in Canada on charges of disagreeable to obtain thermonuclear technology.

“I had said I would support in emotional them, but the knowledge of whatever of U.S. officials restitution the job,” said Ahmadinejad. “There are a super sort of Iranians in situation in the U.S. They hit abducted whatever of our citizens in another countries.”

Shane Bauer, wife Shourd and Josh Fattal were hiking in Iraq’s Federal carpet location in July when they unexpectedly decussate the abut into Iran, their families hit said.

Samantha Topping, a New royalty City-based spokeswoman for the threesome families, said they had no interpret on Ahmadinejad’s remarks.

The White House, finished a spokesman, titled the reports “fragmentary.”

“If President Ahmadinejad’s comments declare that they are embattled to hold these cases, we would recognize that step,” National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said. “But we hit not entered into whatever communicating with Persia most an exchange. As we hit indicated publicly, if Persia has questions most its citizens in U.S. custody, we are embattled to respond them.”

Iran’s external rector said in New Dec that the threesome would be proven in court, but he did not feature when a effort would begin or what the threesome would be live with another than to feature they had “suspicious aims.” Earlier, the country’s honcho functionary said they were accused of spying.

Their families hit said that’s humourous and terminal period hired an Persian professional to advise the case.

Ahmadinejad said there were “indications they knew they were crossover into Iran.”

The terminal instance anyone likable saw the threesome was at the modify of October, when land diplomats were acknowledged a brief visit. The U.S. has no smooth relation with Persia and is represented in much matters by the Swiss. At the time, the diplomats said the threesome were in beatific health.

Their jailing comes amid continuing enmity between the U.S. and Persia over that nation’s thermonuclear program.

When the itemize of 11 Iranians came discover State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said it appeared the Persian polity was disagreeable to declare whatever category of status between the hikers and Iranians that had mitt Iran.

“There rattling is no status at all,” he said at the time.

Three of the Iranians on the itemize hit been blameable or live in open suite transactions in the United States. The circumstances close whatever of the others are more mysterious.

Ali Reza Asgari, a old generalized in the selected Revolutionary Guard and a past help accumulation minister, disappeared patch on a clannish activate to Turkey in Dec 2006.

Shahram Amiri, an Persian thermonuclear scientist, went absent patch on a journeying to Riyadh in Arabian peninsula in June. Iran’s external rector has accused the U.S. of serving to seize him and has asked for his return.

The itemize also includes threesome Iranians who Tehran claims were abducted in aggregation and dispatched to the U.S.: distributer Mohsen Afrasiabi, who it says disappeared in Germany, as substantially as electrical field enrollee Majid Kakavand and a past diplomatist to Jordan, Nasrollah Tajik, who it says vanished in France.

French media hit reportable that Kakavand was inactive in March at the letter of the U.S. on distrustfulness he obtained electronic equipment. He was jailed, then touched to concern collar on Aug. 27. The land advise has reportable that Asian went absent in Britain.

Three of the Iranians Tehran is asking most hit visaged open jural transactions in the U.S.

One of them, Baktash Fattahi, is a jural U.S. resident. He was inactive in Apr in Calif. and live with band to goods American-made expeditionary bomb parts to Iran.

Another, Amir Amirnazmi, is a threefold U.S.-Iranian citizen who was blameable by a suite in university in Feb of playing reciprocation with Persian companies illegal low U.S. sanctions.

Amir Hossein Ardebili was sentenced to fivesome eld in situation on Dec. 14 by a suite in Wilmington, Delaware, after pleading blameable to plotting to board U.S. expeditionary profession to Iran. Persia has titled it a exhibit effort and said Ardebili was abducted in the past state commonwealth of Colony in 2007 before existence bimanual over to U.S. polity in 2008.

One of the another Iranians, Mahmoud Yadegari, was inactive in Apr in Canada after a render enquiry with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and live with disagreeable to beam thermonuclear profession to his autochthonous Iran.

Authorities assert Yadegari proven to obtain and goods push transducers, which crapper be utilised in the creation of enriched metal but also hit some lawful advertizement uses.

The another digit Iranians on the itemize are Amir-Shahrzad Amir-Qolikhani and Hassan Saeid Kashari. Persia gave no aggregation most them another than to feature they are existence held in the U.S. without charge.

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Associated Press illustrator prince Elliott contributed to this inform from Washington.

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