Terrorist Release Begins
12:11 Aug. 06, '03 / 8 Av 5763
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=47700
The first of 339 PA prisoners - including terrorists and security administrative detainees - have already begun to be released. Of these, 182 were in prison for terrorist activity, although they did not actually harm anyone directly. The other 157 are administrative detainees. Another 99 common criminals and illegal aliens will be freed next week.
Several buses have already left from the Ketziot Prison in the Negev, where most of the prisoners were incarcerated, and others have departed from other jails. The buses will drop off the prisoners at various checkpoints, where their families will be waiting. Israeli officials will also be on hand, to explain Israel's position to the waiting reporters and cameramen from around the world.
Family members of terrorist victims will be at several of the checkpoints, to protest the release of the terrorists. They say that the only difference between terrorists with blood on their hands and those being released today is that the latter "missed - but will try again."
The Justice Ministry canceled the release of two terrorists yesterday. One of them, Rami Azat Barghouti, tortured Arabs he believed had cooperated with Israel. Arutz-7 has learned that a representative of the Arabs turned to the Terror Victims Association and asked for its help in preventing Barghouti's release. The government's position is not to release terrorists who caused physical harm to people.
Some 6,500 Arab prisoners living in the Palestinian Authority still remain in Israeli prisons.
Update:
The release has been complete. They were handed into the Palestinian Authority controlled territories. This is yet another sucessful step part of this hudna, which is all about the terrorist groups getting stronger and bigger. There may not be any terrorist who committed an attack on Israelis in the released list, however, many of those on the list are MEMBERS in terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad, and as a terror victim has stated (you can see it in the link above), the only difference between between terrorists with blood on their hands and those being released today is that the latter "missed - but will try again."
Israeli media also reports that minutes after the terrorists were released, a mortar shell was launched at a Jewish community in Gaza, no injuries reported. This is in direct violation of the hudna (which is one of more then a hundred violations), but hey, who cares.
Family members of terrorist victims will be at several of the checkpoints, to protest the release of the terrorists. They say that the only difference between terrorists with blood on their hands and those being released today is that the latter "missed - but will try again."The J-Post article said that none of those released today were involved in lethal attacks. All have signed promised not to get involved in terrorist attacks. If they are caught doing so, presumably their penalties will be harsher.
This is a good first step in the process. It should be noted that INN is unequivocally opposed to said process.
-Eric