WHY, HOW DECENT - AT 9:10 A.M. ET:  From AP: 

TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said an American journalist sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of spying for the U.S. should be allowed to offer a full defense during her appeal, the state news agency reported Sunday.

The statement came a day after Iran announced the conviction and sentence for Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen. It was the first time Iran has found an American journalist guilty of espionage and her lawyer said he will appeal.

COMMENT:  Looks like a possible diplomatic trap, and an old-style one at that.  Ahmadinejad makes the grand gesture to give this innocent woman a defense, then can announce her release as an act of "good will" toward the new Obama administration.  The Obamans will then trumpet it as the "first success" of the new outreach policy, even though Iran would simply be releasing someone who should never have been held in the first place.  The amen corner in the press shouts, "The messiah has done it!"  Meanwhile, in Tehran, the mullahs laugh their heads off.

You watch.

April 19, 2009