25-Aug-13: Wake up call for those who thought the terrorists are walking free for peace

The ordinarily taciturn Abbas comes perilously close to smiling as he
and freshly released life-term murderers strut and high-five
in Ramallah, August 13, 2013 [Image Source]

If, like us, the sight of 26 convicted killers, all of them serving very long prison terms, walking free and being jubilantly received as heroes last week by Arab society at large, and by the politicians and citizens of the two perpetually-feuding Palestinian Arab statelets in particular, causes you a sense of utter despair, here's additional justification for those feelings:

There has been no progress made whatsoever in the first four meetings between Israeli and Palestinian delegations since diplomatic talks restarted, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas told a visiting group of Meretz MKs in Ramallah on Thursday… Abbas told the Meretz representatives that the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails was unrelated to the launching of the peace talks. Source: "Abbas tells Meretz MKs: No progress in peace talks with Israel"; Gil Hoffman and Khaled Abu Toameh in the Jerusalem Post, August 22, 2013 [online version here]

Remember that there are three additional rounds of convicted-terrorist releases, 78 more killers and terrorists to add to the 26 already released, placed on pedestals and given lavish foreign-funded pensions for life, due to take place over the next several weeks and months. Abbas, who ought to be believed on such things, says this has nothing to do with making peace.

Here's how the US government views those slayers of elderly Holocaust survivors and murderers of American citizens. In answer to the question:

Do you have any thoughts or position on whether these people who are going to be released [today] are political prisoners or are they terrorists?

the State Department's official spokesperson at a formal press briefing on August 13, 2013, said: 

I do not have a position on that.

Hard to believe? It's on video here. We have been making polite enquiries for the past ten days. It appears that, even now, no one in the US administration is willing to admit that they have taken a position on this. Maybe tomorrow.