Flying Pink Unicorns

Israel has a bad case of the stupids.

In case you missed it, one of the lead stories today (a day full of stories about the drowning American economy, more on that on a post coming to computers near you), is Israel trading a notorious terrorist murderer, several other prisoners, and the bodies of several prisoners, for the bodies of two soldiers captured by Hezzbullah in 2006.

To recap, in 2006, after a series of provocations, Hezzbullah crossed the border and kidnapped two Israeli soldiers. In a shocking response (I'm NOT being sarcastic) Israel began the 2006 Lebanon war. One of their stated war aims was the freedom of the 2 soldiers. As everyone will remember, Israel declared peace with precisely none of their war aims met (a war operation that makes our Iraq mission look like a brilliant success by comparison). So the two soldiers stayed in captivity.

They were apparently killed in captivity, and now Israel has traded a few bodies (fine) and some prisoners (not fine!) and a very live murderer for them. Now the murderer they set free, though unrepentent, is no more dangerous than the next murderer; this isn't some mastermind, from what I've heard.

But THINK about the precedent. You capture Israelis, you kill them, you wait for a Prime Minister under threat of indictment for corruption and you trade their bodies for prisoners, or perhaps something else you want. This precedent is beyond awful.

Apparently this exchange is relatively popular in Israel; has a good deal of support. Now I know you do whatever you have to rescue your own, dead or alive. And I know you never leave a soldier behind. But making this kind of deal with Hezzbullah is beyond awful. If Israel got a lot in return (a Hezzbullah leader willing to recognize it, for example), well to get a lot you may have to negotiate with terrorists, to encourage more kidnappings, to look weak, and to do all of the idiotic and reckless things that Israel has just done. But to get the bodies of two soldiers?

Nope, Prime Minister ME would have told Hezbullah just what to do with this "offer." Of course, had Israel followed MY war plan in 2006, none of this would have happened. The soldiers would still be dead, unfortunately, but Hezzbullah would be badly defanged, not openly welcoming home a cold blooded murderer as a conquering hero.

Israel, and not just its leaders, but especially its leaders, and double especially the Olmert government is just too stupid to root for. So very many of their security related decisions are so badly wrong. This is just the latest.