White House helped free Iranian diplomat.
By on Apr 4th, 2007 at 11:26 pm
White House helped free Iranian diplomat.
President Bush yesterday: “There should be no quid pro quo when it comes to the hostages.” From tomorrow’s New York Sun:
The Iranian diplomat released Tuesday preceding the announcement that Iran would free the 15 British sailors it had taken hostage was being held in a joint Iraqi and American facility, and was released in part because of a decision at the highest levels of the American government.
The decision to release Jalal Sharafi on Tuesday was made at the White House, according to an administration official who asked to be anonymous because of the sensitivity of the information. [...]
Pentagon and White House spokesmen on Tuesday and Wednesday insisted publicly that the release of Mr. Sharafi was solely an Iraqi decision.
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We do NOT negotiate with terrorists, ESPECIALLY in our War on Terra………………
…..except this one…………
April 4th, 2007 at 11:30 pmNo something for something. Yeh right.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:32 pmOh sure. The release of the US Iranian hostage was solely the decision of the Iraqi government. If that was true, all of them would be released by now because the Iraqi government said that they were diplomats. One has to wonder why we only released one. Could it have to do with the fact that we have tortured the Iranian diplomats? One has to wonder why the British were considered to be hostages but the Iranians that the US kidnapped are not considered to be hostages? Why is that?
April 4th, 2007 at 11:32 pmIf there should be no quid pro quo, then why is he……for f*ck’s sake.
Why can’t he just be decent — for once?
April 4th, 2007 at 11:33 pm“no quid pro quo”
Must mean Latin for “We make deals with hostake takes when a Republican is President“
April 4th, 2007 at 11:36 pmWell……. there goes Dub-yugggh’s casus belli, Uncle Dicks’ gonna be PISSED!
April 4th, 2007 at 11:38 pmWe kidnap 5 Iranian diplomats.
They kidnap 15 British sailors.
We say “OMG” “How dare you”
:|
It boggles the mind.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:38 pm“THAT Tony Blair GIVES A MEAN BLOW-JOB!!!!”—CHIMPya
April 4th, 2007 at 11:42 pmCould have been worse – summer 2006: Israel takes a bunch of Palestinians and Lebanese, the Palestinians and Hezbollah reciprocate – all hell breaks loose. Thank heavens for cool heads.
Ahmadinejad 1 Bush’s Fig Leaf 0
April 4th, 2007 at 11:42 pmaccording to an administration official who asked to be anonymous because of the sensitivity of the information.
Maybe Karl Rove was afraid Pelosi would get diplomacy credit for the release of Brits. After all Syria is saying they helped facilitate release.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:43 pmOh, this must be a mistake — our president says he would never negotiate with terriststs!
I did hear that the Brits were unhappy that Bush used the charged word “hostages” and was too bellicose for their delicate negotiations to free the sailors. Bush has no tact, no finesse, no statesmanship, no diplomatic skills — he is an uncouth boor, a thug, a smart-ass, a jerk, and he’s stupid. He is the last man one would want speaking publicly about a situation such as the captured British sailors.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:43 pmWhat unmitigated liars these Republicans are. I don’t know why I continue to be surprised. They’re not even good at it. They can’t tell the truth, they can’t lie, and they can’t govern. Sad.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:48 pmHe is the last man one would want speaking publicly about a situation such as the captured British sailors.
Comment by Marie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
Oh I don’t know – John ‘I’ll have the brownshirt’ Bolton would give Chimpy a run for his money.
So Chimpy spent his weekend mouthing off that the Syrians were a state terrorist sponsor while this gem of a story appeared on ABC: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/04/abc_news_exclus.html
The US is helping a Pakistani terrorist group associated with the Taliban to carry out bombings and kidnappings in Iran!
April 4th, 2007 at 11:53 pmBush has no tact, no finesse, no statesmanship, no diplomatic skills — he is an uncouth boor, a thug, a smart-ass, a jerk, and he’s stupid.
Comment by Marie — April 4, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
And those are his good qualities.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:55 pmDid Fox News reporter Ollie North drop by Tehran and deliver a cake, a key and hundreds of missiles too?
-GSD
April 4th, 2007 at 11:56 pmTo bad Bush didn’t do the same for Danny Pearl when he needed the President’s help. I guess Bush picks who he wants to save. Iran made a fool of Bush not the United States. The Middle East knows the White House is run by an idiot who is a drunk and druggie. I think Bush/Cheney would surprise themselves if they ever told the truth.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:00 amDid Fox News reporter Ollie North drop by Tehran and deliver a cake, a key and hundreds of missiles too?
Funny, I was thinking the same thing. But if not Ollie, I’m sure there’s plenty o’ handful of other Administration chaps who’s hands dug deep in doo doo back in the Iran/Contra days. History has such a nasty habit of repeating itself with this Administration.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:04 amDo you guys ever read the link to the whole story? Why would you, TP gives you all you want (or can handle).
Michael Ledeen appears in the second page of the story. He’s been a source for Eli Lake for years, probably connected Lake with the “sensitive” inside anonymous single source (it’s always an IASS these days).
Michael Ledeen’s mission in life is the collapse of the Iranian Govt., by very tough means, if necessary. The Sun did this to make Bush look not tough enough because the Sun wants to dust Tehran. Bush defers to England’s request for a peaceful solution. TP goes cuckoo.
Y’all are such Mouflon gitz sometimes. What are you going to do 1/09? No one to hate, no reason to live. Or do the Nixon thing, hate’m until you’re ninety-three.
BTW: Get used to it.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:11 am#18 Make some sense Steve-O.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:17 amMost of us don’t speak crazy.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:18 amComment by stevesh — April 5, 2007 @ 12:11 am
BTW: Shove it.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:26 amBlah blah blah blah blah — Comment by stevesh
That makes more sense than what you actually posted.
I read the article, do you have any actual proof to you whacked out assertions?
April 5th, 2007 at 12:27 amFrom a reputable source. No redstate or powerline BS.
Arms for Hostages anyone?
April 5th, 2007 at 12:34 am#22 I think the bureau of stevesh’s a$$ is where he is pulling his info from.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:36 amCongratulation stevesh. By the way, we don’t do that here.
Comment by JPark — April 5, 2007 @ 12:16 am
I don’t get it but there are several trolls that say Hillary is the candidate of choice for TPers. They are trying to tie us to her when I would guess that she would get a small % of the votes in a primary from us.
Comment by JPark — April 4, 2007 @ 11:28 pm
If you don’t get the Sun/Lake/Ledeen nexis, you a) didn’t read the link, or b) get all your info from TP, or c) a & b. Mouflon=sheep.
What’s this “we” Kemo-sabe?
Click the “About Think Progress” link. Research the Center for American Progress (Masthead, Directors, Donors). Big, big, Hillary $$$$. Big.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:38 am#25 No, stevesh, it was the way you put it together. It wasn’t exactly a…sane way to do it.
Assuming that the posters here support who the donors support is ignorant. Most of us don’t and if you actually read any of the posts you would know that, instead of assuming.
By the way. Saying First on a post about a dead soldier is classy…with a K. Nice job.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:46 amBy the way. Saying First on a post about a dead soldier is classy…with a K. Nice job.
Comment by JPark — April 5, 2007 @ 12:46 am
You got me there. You’re right.
April 5th, 2007 at 12:54 amI thought the sailors were released due to Ahmadinejad’s generosity
April 5th, 2007 at 1:00 amAnd btw, the United States will NEVER negotiate with hostage takers (unless you mean selling Iran 3,000 TOW missiles and spare fighter jet parts, like Reagan/Bush did).
And the beauty part? Israel delivered the weapons to Iran.
Mortal enemies, so they say. Both apparently speak CASH to each other without problems. Funny how weapon salesmen have no religion or culture, EXCEPT when they are trying to get wars started.
April 5th, 2007 at 1:30 amBush is trying to claim he had a hand in the release of the British sailors and marines from Iran, but he had nothing to do with it. Rep. Nancy Pelosi might have gotten the Syrians to tell Iran to release them.
April 5th, 2007 at 2:02 amMeanwhile in the land of democracy and freedom:
Guantanamo conditions worsening
April 5th, 2007 at 2:36 amI hope Cheney and Bush don’t accidentally send money to the CONTRAS again. You know how absentminded these people are. I meant busy with national security issues.
April 5th, 2007 at 5:52 amJust remember this.
Bush wants us to believe that Iranian President Ahmadinejad is a insane and impossible to negotiate with. In fact, Bush is rabid about it, insisting that he is an evil man, and someone who is beyond reason.
Well, everytime they show the guy on TV, he sounds reasonable, well educated and diplomatic.
3 characteristics Bush himself seems to be lacking.
But after releasing the captured British sailors, its clear that at the end of the day, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad IS a reasonable enough man that we can work with on a diplomatic level.
If we attack Iran, then its because our leaders are the raving, bloodthirsty lunatics that they are accusing Ahmadinejad of being.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:39 am