prisoner swap... mullahs as hostage takers

The escalation of warfare between Israel and the mullahs' shock troops in Lebanon is producing a flurry of "diplomatic" inititatives. We use the word with caution, as it appears, that the mullahs' top "diplomat", Mr. Mottaki, their foreign minister, has enterd the fray, by visiting his old pal in Syria to broker a "deal" What deal you may ask; "... there can be a cease-fire followed by a prisoner swap," (Wall Street Journal Online, July 17, 2006). Yes, the Hezbollah takes hostage, hands them over to their puppetmasters, the Iranian mullahs, and they orchesterate a "prisoner swap" for Hezbollah comerades in the hands of Israelis. This is not the first time, just as surely it won't the last time. In the 1980's, the mullahs and their proxies in Lebanon perfected the art of foreign hostage taking and exchanging them for "favors", e. g. guns and TOW missiles, and "incentives".

At the end of the day, unless the history does not repeat iteself- and we very much hope it does not-, the Iranian mullahs emerge as saviors. Just as in Iran, a judge is the jury, the prosecutor and the judge, all wrapped up in one, the mullahs in their dealings with the world, are hostage takers, negotiators, and deal makers.