Saturday, April 15, 2006
But What's in it For Us?
This story is a little weird--Israel may propose freeing convicted Palestinian killer Marwan Barghouti in trade for us freeing jailed American spy (for Israel) Jonathan Pollard (and two first round draft picks). Weird because what in the World would cause Americans to want to have Barghouti freed? For that matter what in the World would cause the Israelis to want to have Barghouti freed?
I can see Israel wanting to get Pollard out; he at least helped them out. I went to school with Pollard--he was a year behind me at Stanford, and I recall his staged, silly entrance at a party once where two of his friends went through the milling-about partygoers shouting "make way for the Mossad agent," then Pollard, in dark glasses at midnight, came in. What a weird fantasy life he was leading, but he continued to lead it directly into federal prison for life. Even President Clinton wouldn't free this guy when he went pardon crazy at the end of his second term.
OK Israelis, propose the mutual freeing. Our answer should be swift and to the point. Go ahead and free Barghouti, if somehow that helps you out, but Pollard stays where he is.
This can't be a real story.
UPDATE: The Jerusalem Post is carrying the same story. Isn't this kind of a win/win for Israel (assuming Barghouti would somehow help the Israelis with the continuing problem of Hamas in charge) and lose/push for us?
I can see Israel wanting to get Pollard out; he at least helped them out. I went to school with Pollard--he was a year behind me at Stanford, and I recall his staged, silly entrance at a party once where two of his friends went through the milling-about partygoers shouting "make way for the Mossad agent," then Pollard, in dark glasses at midnight, came in. What a weird fantasy life he was leading, but he continued to lead it directly into federal prison for life. Even President Clinton wouldn't free this guy when he went pardon crazy at the end of his second term.
OK Israelis, propose the mutual freeing. Our answer should be swift and to the point. Go ahead and free Barghouti, if somehow that helps you out, but Pollard stays where he is.
This can't be a real story.
UPDATE: The Jerusalem Post is carrying the same story. Isn't this kind of a win/win for Israel (assuming Barghouti would somehow help the Israelis with the continuing problem of Hamas in charge) and lose/push for us?
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 5:47 PM 
