AP: Iranian Official Suggests Prisoner Swap

[Eugene]

Associated Press
Iranian Official Suggests Prisoner Swap
07.17.2006, 08:41 AM

Iran's foreign minister said Monday a cease-fire and a prisoner swap would
be "acceptable and fair" in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was speaking after talks with Syrian Vice
President Farouk al-Sharaa.

"We believe that we should think of an acceptable and fair (deal) to resolve this,"
he said. "In fact, there can be a cease-fire followed by a prisoner swap."

On Sunday, Lebanese officials said that Israel had sent the terms of a possible
cease-fire through Italian mediators. The terms were the release of two captured
Israeli soldiers, and a Hezbollah pullback to roughly 20 miles from the Israeli-Lebanese
border.

<snip>

Full article: http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/feeds/ap/2006/07/17/ap2882975.html

[wakeme2008]

1. Iran is doing what Condi should be doing...

Who would have thunk that. :evilgrin:

[endarkenment]

2. Gee you think a bilateral cease fire and prisoner exchange

might actually get results? Of course it would have to be an actual cease fire by both sides and an actual release of prisoners by both sides. Most likely neither side is willing to do either of those things.

[Recursion]

3. They might do it, and it will be the same old story

They'll exchange prisoners again. Hamas will agree to disarm a buffer zone in south Lebanon. The world will applaud. Hamas will renege on its agreement but nobody will call them on it. Largely ineffective but still dangerous rockets will fall on northern Israel. Israel will overreact. The whole thing will keep repeating itself.

[endarkenment]

5. Well you left out the part where

Israel will continue to blow up palestinians through its 'targeted assasination program', shoot and kill kids throwing rocks, and randomly kill people for no apparent reason who happen to be near the border. Also that would be Hezbollah in the north not Hamas, and they were not lobbing missiles until the recent war started, although there was some ongoing low level conflict over a piece of disputed border territory.

The point is that both sides have a behavior problem, and as long as we keep pretending that one side is the good guys and the other is the bad guys we become part of the reason why peace is impossible in the middle east.

[daleo]

10. You mean Hizballah, not Hamas. n/t

[Recursion]

11. sigh... second time I've done that in 2 days...

[daleo]

12. It's a common enough mistake to make.

It's not always easy to keep all the names and actors straight.

[lovuian]

4. sounds like the smart thing to do

but really is not about a soldier being kidnapped

[Igel]

6. "Iran calls for Israeli submission to Hezbollah demands." n/t

[sugapablo]

7. Exactly...

This is what Hezbollah wanted in the first place when it kidnapped the two soldiers (killing a number of other in the process and dropping ~100 missles into Israel). They wanted to use the two kidnapped soldiers to trade for hundreds, if not thousands, of Israeli prisoners.

No shit Iran suggested this!

What IS shocking is that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have criticized Hezbollah! Hell might have just frozen over!

Although, we all know they're just protecting their own, but to not jump at a chance to do some Israel-bashing! Man! What a shocker!

[Ian David]

8. Prisoner Swap! Great idea for a Reality TV Show, too!

This week, we're putting a gay tax evader Richard Hatch from America into an Iranian prison, while the Iranians send us a man who got taught teaching women how to read!

[Eugene]

9. AP: Israel Sets Conditions for Cease-Fire

Israel Sets Conditions for Cease-Fire
By Associated Press

July 17, 2006, 11:09 AM EDT

JERUSALEM -- Israel would agree to a cease-fire in its six-day-old offensive
against Hezbollah if the Lebanese guerrillas withdraw from the border area
with Israel and release two captured Israeli soldiers, a senior official said
Monday.

The official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy,
said Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had conveyed Israel's position to Italy's
prime minister, who is trying to broker a cease-fire deal.

Israel had previously demanded the full dismantling of Hezbollah as a condition
for ending hostilities. However, the senior official said Israel would agree to
Hezbollah merely leaving the border area -- with the Lebanese army taking its place.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-israel-cease-fire-demands,0,134894.story