From: Ad 

Gee.....blimey they're quick off the mark.

Prior to the Palestinian parliamentary election I said the choice was
Barghouti or Hamas....so Israel chose to not release Barghouti & now
witters on about a Hamas gov....well....post Lebanon some sanity/reality
appears to be dawning in Tel Aviv...


http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881791554&pagename=JPost%2FJPArt
icle%2FShowFull

"Analysis: Olmert laying groundwork for Barghouti's release

In his speech at Sde Boker on Monday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised
the Palestinians that if the cease-fire holds and they cooperate in his new
diplomatic initiative, Israel will be willing to release large numbers of
prisoners, including those "who have been sentenced to long
periods."

Bearing in mind that the speech was intended both for internal and
international consumption, this was an interesting choice of words. In the
past, when Israeli leaders have been willing to go a long way toward the
Palestinians, the talk was of even releasing some prisoners "with
blood on their hands " - those who had been involved in murdering
Israelis.

What exactly constitutes "blood on their hands" - was it actually
pulling the trigger or also aiding and abetting - was never clear, but it
was always enough to cause a public uproar in Israel. For the Palestinians
it meant that the final solution to the prisoner issue was still far away.

But when Olmert is talking of prisoners who still have "long
periods" left to serve, this isn't just another way of saying that
murderers will eventually be allowed to walk in a future peace deal. What
he's actually doing is swinging the ultimate prize in front of the
Palestinians' eyes. There is one particular prisoner serving five life
sentences and 40 years, who every Palestinian was thinking about at that
moment.

It was only two-and-a-half years ago that Marwan Barghouti was convicted
for five murders and one attempted murder as leader of the Aksa Martyrs
Brigades and handed a sentence that should keep him behind bars until the
mid-22nd century. He's already a candidate for inclusion in the impending
prisoner exchange for Gilad Shalit. "

Blimey rays of reality are shining. Seems like Iraq & Lebanon may have
a silver lining


Adam

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