September 25, 2006
PRETEND IT'S SEPARATE:
Officials: Barghouti will not be freed (JPost.com, Sep. 24, 2006)
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced on Sunday that as part of any deal for the release of kidnapped IDF Cpl. Gilad Shalit the PA would demand that Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti be freed. According to Israel Radio, the PA would also demand that Ahmad Sa'adat, who planned the murder of former minister Rehavam Ze'evi, be released.Abbas spoke in an interview to an Egyptian station, and also said that the Egyptian government was in charge of negotiating a prisoner exchange agreement.
Officials in the prime minister's office said in response to Abbas' announcement that Israel's position on Barghouti and Sa'adat was unchanged, and that they would not be released.
It makes sense to pretend to decouple the exchange, but the release of Mr. Barghouti serves Israeli interests. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 25, 2006 8:17 AM
Kowtowing to terrorists never makes sense. All that does is endanger the next wave of victims. If you don't deal they have no motive to take hostages.
Posted by: Lou Gots at September 25, 2006 3:12 PMIt almos always makes sense if they have coherent demands and a reasonable cause--the ANC, the Basque, the Kurds, the Palestinians, the Chechens. It makes no sense if you can't satisfy their demands--the Weathermen, al Qaeda, the Red Brigades, etc..