WASHINGTON -- The Iranian government formally charged three American citizens as spies and propagandists this week, prompting vigorous reactions in Washington, first from the Bush administration, then the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, where one of the Americans heads the Middle East program. Calling the detention of Haleh Esfandiari "an affront to the rule of law and common decency," Lee H. Hamilton, the Wilson Center's president and director, said the "message to the Iranian government is simple: Let Haleh go." The Bush administration responded as well, with State Department spokesman Sean McCormack telling reporters that the chargers were "utter nonsense."
Iran Charges Three Americans as Spies; Woodrow Wilson Center Scholar Among Them
