Posted on 10/18/2011 1:22:35 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
In an apparent about-face, US officials criticized Tuesday evening the deal brokered for the freedom of Gilad Shalit, which set hundreds of terrorists, including those who had murdered Americans, free.
The criticism came after it became clear that the released terrorists included those who had murdered Jews with United States citizenship.
Earlier on Tuesday, US President Barak Obama had said he was pleased with the deal that set Shalit free despite his own nation’s strict policy of not negotiating with terrorists for the release of its citizens.
Obama also expressed the hope Israel and officials in Ramallah would take the steps necessary to return to the negotiating table.
Previously, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton also praised Israel for negotiating with terrorists to secure Shalit's release.
French President Sarkozy welcomed the release of Gilad Shalit, saying France had breathed a sigh of relief. Visiting the port city of Nice, Sarkozy's opined Shalit's French citizenship helped keep him alive. He added that Gilad will visit France soon.
Britain's foreign secretary William Hague also welcomed the release of Gilad Shalit, and like Obama, added he hoped the terrorists-for-Shalit deal would provide positive momentum allowing the resumption of peace talks.
It is unclear why the Shalit deal would provide any such momentum. Israel's deal to release 1,027 security prisoners, some 450 convicted on terrorism charges, for Shalit was made with the Hamas terror organization in Gaza and not Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah. Hamas encouraged those who were released to go back to terrorist acts.
Hamas had vowed never to negotiate with Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
See why I had to emigrate, folks. America is simply no longer safe from lunacy. It's in the White House.
What, a single Jew is worth 1000 Arabs?....of course Obama criticizes it.......
But then 1000 Arabs have 1000 bio chips which radiate as drone targets...no wonder Obama is all wee wee’d up.
Oh I hope your right!
Good point. I thought the deal was odious but there’s always Mossad to make it right in the end.
Whether or not you believe the decision was the right one, I find it admirable that the Israeli government is that concerned with the lives of its own citizens.
If there is an American soldier hostage, generally families of service members might be for an exchange; while the non-serviceman-family population would be more in tune with seeing the downside of releasing murderers. In the US, with a volunteer army, a deal such as this is highly unlikely. In the case of Israel with basically EVERY family being a service-member family, the entire country is deal-leaning. In a democracy, this placed tremendous pressure on Netanyahu to deal, a guy who railed against such deals over years past.
Israel's deal to release 1,027 security prisoners, some 450 convicted on terrorism charges, for Shalit was made with the Hamas terror organization in Gaza and not Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah. Hamas encouraged those who were released to go back to terrorist acts.This says all that needs to be said about this "deal" IMHO. IMHO, tt was foolish an will cost Israel many more lives before all is said and done.
All due respect and thanksgiving for the one soldier's safe return...but Israel opened up a can of worms by dealing in this fashion with terrorists and can expect Hamas and others to routinely capture at least one Israeli soldier when they commit there terroristic mayhem for use as a negotiating pawn in the future. 1000 for one.
450 of them convicted on terrorism charges, some for out and out murder, and encourgaed immediately upon return by Hamas to take up the Jihad Sword again.
Bibi, however, is like an accordian. Squeeze him, and he folds.
No more Foreign Aid. If the Israelis have turned into surrender monkeys, then is there anyone else worth spending a dime on ?
Unfortunately, we have an ISLAMIST president in the USA who is the leader of the surrender money Democratic party. More whine with that cheese?
Obama first praises the deal - He has his cake
Now he criticizes the deal after the terrorists are released - He eats his cake too.
Obama loves that the terrorists are free to harm Israel again, but he doesn’t want his joy to hurt him in the polls.
That has to be it. You got him.
More Jews will die because of it.
Letting any of them go was appalling. But what’s worse is that the only murderers that Obama pretends to be upset about is those that have killed Americans. Other than that, he’s fine with it all. Insult+injury.
Letting any of them go was appalling. But what’s worse is that the only murderers that Obama pretends to be upset about is those that have killed Americans. Other than that, he’s fine with it all. Insult+injury.
HE is disgusting AND stupid.
If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.
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Perhaps I'm a cynic, but I won't be surprised if one of these releases returns to terror. And if history is a guide, the justice system will be a bit more swift. Should I be correct, I wonder if Obama-Hillary will be saying "about time", or be whining about disproportionate responses.
This didn’t poll well with the Jewish voters they’d sampled and now have to backpedal.
The regime is pro-Islamist and probably helped negotiate it.
1700 terrorists for ONE Israeli? Seems like an incredible incentive for the Palistinians/Hamas to INCREASE taking Irsraelis hostage. Why wasn’t it one for one? I’m stunned that Israel agreed to this. Or am I missing something?
Perhaps I'm a cynic, but I won't be surprised if one of these releases returns to terror.
Last time I checked, InTrade had the odds at 4 to 1.
The odds of GITMO releases last time I checked is 25 to 1.
I wonder what the odds are at InTrade of Shalit committing a terrorist attack?
5.56mm
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