Rev. Jackson Offers To Negotiate Middle East Prisoner Swap

[sabra]

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17106653&BRD=1077&PAG=461&dept_id=237827&rfi=6

Rev. Jackson Offers To Negotiate Middle East Prisoner Swap

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Trying to build on a cease-fire in Lebanon, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson launched an effort Tuesday, Aug. 22 to arrange the release of prisoners held by Hezbollah and Israel.

"The cease-fire is a step in the right direction," Jackson said after talking to the Israeli and Syrian ambassadors here. "Release of prisoners would reinforce the positive direction."

Jackson, an experienced go-between, has brought Americans home from Syria, Cuba, Iraq and Yugoslavia. And, he said in an interview, "in each instance we had a no-talk policy in that country."

...

Jackson began his effort with a telephone conversation with Daniel Ayalon, the Israeli ambassador, appealing to his government to consider "some exchange of prisoners" as a goodwill gesture "if there is movement on the two abducted Israelis," Jackson said.

[CollegeDUer]

1. Sorry Jesse these people just don't want peace

And by these people I mean the Bush people.

[The Stranger]

3. So don't try to stop Jesse because of them.

I say go for it.

[CollegeDUer]

5. I do too but I'm very pessimistic

unfortunately.

[gratuitous]

2. Jackson has a pretty good record

He's arranged quite a number of abductee releases over the years, in situations even more intractable than this one. Part of his success, I think, has to do with his treatment of both sides with respect and dignity. He's not there to make judgments, or choose up sides, or create "winners" or "losers." He's interested in the parties going one step further down a very long, difficult road.

Jackson won't broker a peace, and won't stop all further violence in the region. But he's quite good at effecting a positive step out of a bad situation. Some folks say he's just grandstanding, but I don't think the families of the hostages think it's grandstanding when their loved ones come home.

[lumpy]

8. Too many people 'tend' to forget

Jackson's accomplishments in this area. I am skeptical how far he will get with Israel's far right leadership, but I can hope.

[Laughing Mirror]

4. Free all political prisoners Israel if you are serious about peace

for starters ...

[hoboken123]

9. And start with Samir Kuntar to show you're serious

Hezbollah's favorite 'political' prisoner even has his own website: http://www.samirkuntar.org/english.html


So great to see Hezbollah demand his release time and time again....


/sarcasm

[Vidar]

6. Go for it Jesse! Show 'em what a real diplomat can do.

[lumpy]

7. Go for it, Jessie.

This is a helluva lot more than Bushie and his crowd has offered to do. This man, who has been mercilessly berated by the political right as well as the left, is head and shoulders above his deriders.

[stepnw1f]

10. A Real Leader Doing Something POSITIVE

or at least trying, unlike the rightard's solution to bomb and kill pre-emptively before even thinking.