OLMERT DOESN'T HAVE THE POLITICAL CAPITAL TO MEET HAMAS'S TERMS, PULL OFF THE SHALIT DEAL

Are we crazy, or is this way beyond the ability of a Prime Minister hovering at single digits? There's no way Olmert gets the cabinet to let all of these genocidal lunatics out of jail. And if that's the case, then hasn't Hamas just indefinitely tubed a prisoner swap by leaking the full list, because now anything less seems like a compromise?

A Palestinian Web site affiliated with Hamas has published the names of some of the prisoners that Hamas is likely to request as part of the deal to free Shalit... Among the names are Abdullah Barghouti, a senior leader in Hamas' military wing, who was responsible for dozens of suicide bombings in recent years, Yihye Sanwar, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing, and Hassan Salameh, who helped plan the wave of 1996 bombings... Also listed was Fuad Shubaki, the Yasser Arafat aide who was responsible for financing the Karine A arms-smuggling ship... the website names senior West Bank Hamas official Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a Palestinian member of parliament. The list further names Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmed Saadat... and Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti

At most, he can get Marwan Barghouti out. Barghouti is kind of affable, kind of sort of moderate, and speaks Hebrew better than you do. For one reason or anther, Israelis think they can deal with him. But there's no way the rest of that deal is happening. Too much blood on too many hands.

Read an extended version of this post at Mere Rhetoric...

IF THE 15 UK MARINES GO UNPUNISHED, THEN THE BRITISH MILITARY IS FINISHED

In order for a military force to function, the members of that force must be able to depend on their fellow members - on their training, and their dedication.

If one troop cannot rely on another, then the entire force structure is rendered hollow.

This is exactly what will happen to the British military if the dishonorable British marines and sailors are not punished for acquiescing (in virtually every way!) to the enemy.

REPEAT: if they go unpunished, then this event becomes about more than merely the 15 active duty troops who failed; it becomes about how a once proud and strong military became the laughingstock of the world, a hollow force which no longer has the barest minimum martial esprit de corps. IOW: It now appears that when the going gets tough, the British get wimpy.

This is a shame, and Nelson and Montgomery and Churchill must be spinning in their graves. And Thatcher must be boiling.

I wonder how Prince Harry feels? Is this the kind of military he wishes to serve in?

TONY BLAIR SPEAKS OUT AGAINST IRAN

I can't believe how little coverage the Drive By Media is giving to Iran kidnapping 15 British soldiers. My local paper, The KC Star had a small article from the AP about it in Sunday's paper buried on the 18th page with this pathetic title, 15 Seized British Confess, Iran Says. Al Jazeera would be proud of the AP for taking Iran's side on the issue.

Tony Blair finally came out swinging, warning Iran. Here is an excerpt:

"It simply is not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters and I hope the Iranian government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us," Mr Blair said.

"We have certainly sent the message back to them very clearly indeed. They should not be under any doubt at all about how seriously we regard this act, which is unjustified and wrong."

Right Wing Rebel wrote an excellent post on this and I wholeheartedly agreed with his last 3 paragraphs:

"We already know that Iran has been helping the terrorists (I refuse to use the word insurgents) in Iraq, weeks ago ABC News reported about Iranian made weapons seized at the Iran/Iraq border. Also, Iran has vowed not to stop its nuclear enrichment activities and will limit its involvement with the IAEA.

Now they engage in what is nothing short of an act of war by holding prisoner British Sailors. How much longer is the US, Britain and the rest of the Western World going to stand by and let Ahmadinejad and the fundamentalist Iranian government bend us over throughout this long drawn out process of “diplomacy,” before somebody finally stands up to them?

Tony Blair is no Winston Churchill, but he’s no Neville Chamberlain either. Lets see if he has enough sack to stand up to the Hitler of Iran."