The main link for this article is a Power Line post from yesterday, but the Power Line post links to a Michael Ledeen article at Pajamas Media entitled "I'll Give You Dozens of Terrorists, You Give Me One Journalist, OK?". According to both articles, this is the story we are not being told:
"In early May, the deal was arranged: more than thirty Iranian "VIP" detainees would be released (first to the Iraqis, then to the Iranians), and then, in the fullness of time, several hundred (repeat, several hundred) others of less importance. Within days, Iraqi leader Maliki flew to Iran to work out the details. Saberi was quickly released, and the triumphal return to Iran for the Five was scheduled for shortly after the Iranian elections."
If this is in fact true, it is diplomacy at the expense of the lives of American soldiers. Not only are we trading terrorists for journalists, we are realeasing from prison the people who are responsible for making and smuggling into Iraq the particular type of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that has been most effective in killing American soldiers.
Please read the article at Pajamas Media--Mr. Ledeen goes into detail as to exactly what was involved in the decision to make the hostage-prisoner trade. We need to learn from the Israelis--they don't negotiate with terrorists.
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