Wednesday April 5, 2006

I've Been Thinking:

This is real:
Israel is holding a Saudi prisoner named Abdul Rahmna al Eiteiwi in Ramla prison.
Al Eiteiwi was caught crossing into Israel from Jordan in 2005 en route to perpetrate a terror attack.
Saudi Arabia wants him back.
They are petitioning the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, and the United Nations.
Al Eiteiwi is on a hunger strike.
Two weeks ago a committee of ethicists in the Israeli Prison Authority determined that the prisoner should be moved to the infirmary and force-fed.

This is surreal:
Saudi Arabia is urging Hamas to warm their stance toward Israel, but the Saudis themselves will not even talk to Israel to get their citizen out.
Israel says that al Eiteiwa is seeking asylum in Israel, but in reality he is an enormous intelligence asset for Israel.
If the deal goes through and the Saudi is returned home, the deal brokers will want something in return from Saudi Arabia.
So will Israel, that's the way this type of back channel diplomacy works.

It's happening in the Middle East, but it's made for Hollywood.