Talks under way for Israeli soldier held in Gaza: Mubarak

[bemildred]

CAIRO - Talks are under way for the release of an Israeli soldier held by militants in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian women and children held in Israel, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said in comments published on Saturday.

“Negotiations are under way between Palestinian and Israeli non-governmental organizations,” Mubarak told the leading state-owned daily Al Ahram.

“The Israeli side is waiting for an initiative from the Palestinians regarding Corporal Gilad Shalit so that they can finalise a proposal for the release of Palestinian women and children held in Israel.”

The state-owned weekly Akhbar Al Yom quoted Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit as saying that Egypt was “continuing its efforts to secure the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return for the release” of Shalit.

Khaleej Times

[The Magistrate]

1. That Is A Helluva Market Rate, Sir

"I'd give him one."

[bemildred]

2. I'd take it any day, Sir.

I am mostly wondering if anything will come to pass from this. One supposes that it is good that efforts continue.

[The Magistrate]

3. You Would Never See Me Offer It, Sir

Whether offering a thousand of mine for one of yours, or one of mine for a thousand of yours, there are too damned many worms in the can for me to wish it opened, ever....

[bemildred]

5. Does have it's pitfalls, no question about it.

But it's hard not to wish them released from captivity.

[The Magistrate]

12. True Enough, Sir

Captivity is always a trial, even for those who may richly deserve to suffer.

But anything that amounts to either confession or declaration one human is worth a thousandth of another human is best avoided from all sides....

[bemildred]

13. Indeed. I could not agree more.

Best to free them all on "humanitarian" grounds or as part of a "general amnesty" or that sort of thing. The horse-trading metaphor is pernicious and will cause you grief. In some respects the present situation is a good example of those pernicious effects.

[bemildred]

6. I was thinking yesterday, Sir...

That I have not seen any mention of captives or captive "remains" resultant from the recent unpleasantness. I remember some early mentions of captive Hiz'bullah "remains", but that is all. That seems odd somehow. Do you suppose there is some sort of policy at work there? Is it too early to bring that sort of thing up in public?

[The Magistrate]

9. That One Is Beyond Me, My Friend

It is more likely the Israelis are in possession of Hezbollah corpses than the other way around, but it is hard to see any real market value in them. There does not, for that matter, seem to me to be any compelling reason to believe the Israelis Hezbollah took captive are still alive, though of course they might be, this world being a strange place.

[bemildred]

11. Me too. Just thought I'd ask.

I suppose we shall have to wait on events. It just seemed odd that there should be none, and odd if there were some that they are not being bandied about for propaganda purposes, although it's depressing to think about. Let's just forget I brought it up.

[geek tragedy]

4. Well, Palestinians in general are more than a bit easier

to round up than IDF soldiers.

I also suspect that if we were talking about truly dangerous, Abu Nidal types, these negotiations wouldn't be happening.

I half-suspect that the Israelis will be helping themselves by not having to devote resources to keeping those chaps in custody.

[The Magistrate]

7. That, Sir, Is A Risky Line To Pursue, You Know

It skirts pretty close to acknowledging a great many Arab Palestinians in Israeli custody really do not belong in a jail, which opens the question of what are they doing there in the first place....

[geek tragedy]

8. There is a long continuum between truly innocent and truly

dangerous.

[The Magistrate]

10. True Enough, Sir

Just pointing out the opening you left, more gently than some might....

[geek tragedy]

14. I generall don't worry about being attacked

as anti-Israel. Here, anyways. Dealing with the Late German Fascists crowd is another deal entirely.

[bemildred]

15. Palestinian PM confirms prisoner swap talks

Efforts to secure the release of an Israeli soldier captured by militants in the Gaza Strip appear to be gaining speed, with reports Israel may release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return for the corporal.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, of the ruling Hamas movement, has confirmed published reports that Egypt is mediating talks on a prisoner swap between Israel and armed groups in Gaza that seized the soldier.

"The Egyptians are making a lot of efforts," he said.

"There are certain things going on to solve this question but there is nothing specific.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1731862.htm

[bemildred]

16. Israel makes no progress over release of abducted soldier

JERUSALEM, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli envoy has made no breakthrough in negotiations in Cairo over release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, the Ha'aretz daily reported Sunday.

Ofer Dekel, the prime minister's envoy, has headed a delegation of security and intelligence officials during the talks in Cairo.

However, Israeli defense and intelligence officials said onSaturday that no deal had been made yet in the negotiations. On Saturday, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that talks were ongoing.

Dekel has visited Cairo several times recently to discuss the release of a soldier held by Palestinian militants. Palestinian militants abducted Shalit in a cross-border raid in late June, demanding that Israel release Palestinian women and children prisoners.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/03/content_5043042.htm

[bemildred]

17. Israel ready to swap 800 Palestinian inmates for abducted corporal

TEL AVIV, September 3 (Itar-Tass) - Israel is ready to free 800 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Corporal Gilad Shalit, abducted in the Gaza Strip, reported on Sunday the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, referring to official sources.

According to the paper, their liberation is planned in three stages: first 300 people will be released a day or two after Shalit is handed over to mediators, while two other groups will be freed by the year-end.

At the same time, Israel flatly refused to release leader of the Tanzim grouping (military wing of the FATH movement) Marvan Barguti as well as ministers and deputies from the HAMAS movement. According to the newspaper, a release of HAMAS activists is preconditioned not by the fate of the captured soldier, but by the earliest formation of a national unity government in the Palestinian Authority.

Yediot Ahronot writes that the talks are conducted through officers of the Egyptian military intelligence. Israeli representatives met them in Cairo several times. Two Egyptian officers are in a direct contact with HAMAS in the Gaza Strip. Ofer Dekel, responsible in Israel for the talks on the kidnapped soldiers, already secretly visited Cairo and will go to the Egyptian capital again in the near future.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=10756693&PageNum=0