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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Exchange of Kuntar for Shalit not off the table
2006-09-04
Israel has not ruled out the release of Samir Kuntar, the Lebanese terrorist whose freedom has long been sought by Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, in the framework of a deal to bring home captured IDF soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Kuntar, the longest-serving confirmed Lebanese prisoner in jail in Israel, is serving multiple life terms for the killing of three members of the Haran family and that of policeman Eliyahu Shahar in a raid on Nahariya in 1979.

Last month, relatives of Kuntar, who comes from a Druse family outside Beirut, urged the Goldwasser and Regev families to press Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to agree to an exchange, and some relatives of the Israeli pair have called on the government to do "whatever it takes" to bring home the two soldiers.

A senior Israeli source said on Sunday that Israel intended to ensure the implementation "to the letter" of UN Resolution 1701, which includes, in its opening, non-binding paragraphs, unlinked references to "the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers" and to "settling the issue of the Lebanese prisoners detained in Israel."

Asked whether Israel might free Kuntar in an exchange deal, the senior source did not rule this out, but said Israel would have to ascertain exactly "what is being offered." He declined to elaborate, but it is possible that this may have been a reference to the possible inclusion in a deal of information on missing Israeli airman Ron Arad.

Israel has previously shown a readiness to free Kuntar in the context of a deal involving news about Arad. Indeed, it was reported that Kuntar would be released in the second phase of a German-mediated prisoner deal with Hizbullah in 2004, in exchange for information on Arad. That phase of the deal was not implemented.
Posted by:Fred

#5  It says a lot that the terrorists Hezb'Allah want this lowlife scum back and the Israelis want their soldiers back. I'm sure they need him back to help with their fluffy bunny orphanage. If I were in charge of PR, I'd be asking the terrorists Hezb'Allah the Lebanese "government" this one question in a very pointed manner.
Posted by: gorb   2006-09-04 19:19  

#4  you don't have to trade ALL of him at once. Maybe a couple limbs or organs first, as an ice-breaking gesture?
Posted by: Frank G   2006-09-04 18:13  

#3  I hope they will never free this ugly terrorist, and that he will die in jail. He and his likes deserve nothing else.
Posted by: leroidavid   2006-09-04 17:37  

#2  Perhaps ought to bring up explicitly what sort of trades Israel might expect if in the future some Paleostinians accidentally got "kidnapped" by Israeli "militants". Theoretically speaking, of course. Not to affect present negotiations, only future. Might give the stone-throwers a little pause for thought.
Posted by: gorb   2006-09-04 17:03  

#1  This one is tough. It's heartening to see a whiff of sanity like this 1:1 exchange ratio pervade a prisoner swap. That it involves child-killer, Samir Kuntar, (I'll let someone else intentionally truncate misspell his last name.), makes me less than happy. That Israel continues to detain some one third of the Hamas "politicians" is a good thing.

Just make sure that any prisoner exchange includes a personal and final appearance by Nasrallah.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-09-04 02:00  

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