Releasing suspected terrorist murderers from Gitmo isn't an idea that originated with Barack Obama. He's just taken it to a whole new level. The previous administration's experiments in that regard have already come back to haunt us (via Solomonia), but somehow I doubt we're going to hear that this problem was "inherited" from Bush:
Note that two of the (now deceased) terrorists involved in the murder of Rabbi Meir Chai last week were the beneficiaries of an Israeli prison release and amnesty program, respectively. With a few exceptions, that doesn't seem to have damped down much of the enthusiasm for the latest proposed prisoner swap. Neither, however, is it being ignored.
Meanwhile, he does seem to be in a mighty snit over the new housing starts announced in the predominantly Jewish East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Har Homa, Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Ze'ev. What part of "Jerusalem is not included in the freeze" was unclear? And, um, what about this?
Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November, 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the Northwest bombing in a Monday statement that vowed more attacks on Americans.Well that worked out well. It may or may not give our current President pause in his relentless pursuit of engagement-at-all-costs. I'd bet on not.
American officials agreed to send the two terrorists from Guantanamo to Saudi Arabia where they entered into an "art therapy rehabilitation program" and were set free, according to U.S. and Saudi officials.
Note that two of the (now deceased) terrorists involved in the murder of Rabbi Meir Chai last week were the beneficiaries of an Israeli prison release and amnesty program, respectively. With a few exceptions, that doesn't seem to have damped down much of the enthusiasm for the latest proposed prisoner swap. Neither, however, is it being ignored.
The involvement of a released Palestinian prisoner in last week's murder of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai in Samaria underlines the dilemma Israel faces in concluding a deal to release kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday morning.But Obama is not Bibi, and it will be interesting to see if he even perceives a dilemma here.
Meanwhile, he does seem to be in a mighty snit over the new housing starts announced in the predominantly Jewish East Jerusalem neighborhoods of Har Homa, Neve Yaakov and Pisgat Ze'ev. What part of "Jerusalem is not included in the freeze" was unclear? And, um, what about this?
JERUSALEM, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barak Obama has reportedly agreed to exclude east Jerusalem from any future settlement freeze, Israeli and western officials said.The officials stressed the United States will not endorse the building of Jewish housing in the predominantly Arab part of Jerusalem but will not publicly condemn the construction either, Haaretz said Thursday.
Reportedly.
