These dangerous US spies - who no doubt were sending back state secrets via carrier pidgeons while trying to poison the entire granola supply of Iran - will be released after paying a ransom - er, bail - of $500,000.

Washington Post:

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he intends to release two Americans who have been jailed on charges of espionage for two years and grant them a "unilateral pardon."

"I am helping to arrange for their release in a couple of days so they will be able to return home," Ahmadinejad told The Washington Post in an hour-long interview at his office here. "This is of course going to be a unilateral humanitarian gesture."

Of course. But what do you call it when you capture them and hold them without reason for 2 years?

The Americans, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, both 29, were arrested along with another American while they were hiking along the Iran-Iraq border two years ago. In August, they were sentenced to eight years in prison.

The other American, Sarah Shourd, was released in September 2010 after posting a $500,000 bail.

Asked if Bauer and Fattal would definitely be released this week, Ahmadinejad said: "I hope so. I hope I will do that."

Sounds like he hasn't made up his mind. Or he's schizo.

Ahmadinejad said Bauer and Fattal will be "free to choose" how they return to the United States.

"It is a unilateral pardon," of the hikers, he said.

How thoughtful. One supposes that the elfin Iranian president would prefer the Americans return in body bags so giving the hikers the choice of how to leave that wretched country is probably a good sign.