Trading Future Killers for the Bodies of Dead Patriots

"Ehud Barak [Israel's defence minister] made a big promise that Israel would do anything to get any of their soldiers back again,"
-David Chater, reporting for Al Jazeera

Samir Kuntar, one of five Lebanese prisoners released by Israel as part of an exchange deal with Hezbollah, has said he had no regrets over his imprisonment in 1979 for the murder of three Israelis.

~~~

As Kuntar received a hero's welcome in Lebanon on Thursday, Israel buried the remains of two soldiers returned as part of the deal with Hezbollah.

Thousands of people attended the funerals for Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, who were captured during a cross-border raid which sparked a 34-day conflict between the Israel and the Lebanese movenment.

~~~

Kuntar was convicted and sentenced to five life terms for killing a police officer, a civilian and a four-year-old child in a raid in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya.

But on Thursday he told the crowds that came out to welcome to his home town: "I haven't for even one day regretted what I did.

"On the contrary I remain committed to my political convictions," Kuntar said.

~~~

Chater also said that Israel had acknowledged that Hezbollah had got the best of the latest deal.

"There is a lot of thought going on. A committee is being prepared by the Israeli government so that some kind of rule can be set for prisoner exchanges," he said.

Hezbollah also received the bodies of almost 200 Lebanese and Palestinian fighters from Israel.

Exchanging live prisoners for a couple of dead bodies.....?.....?......?! And that's going to accomplish what exactly?


A lot of activity going on in the Middle East.

I sense war is brewing.