Netanyahu will claim they had no choice if they were to free Shalit, but the coming terrorism is too great a price to pay for Shalit's freedom. Even Shalit will come to condemn this exchange.
Israel is roundly condemned for its continuing settlement activity, the anti-Israel Arab Street is rising in power, Israel's relations with Turkey are in shambles, etc. The death of large numbers of unarmed, innocent Israeli civilians could change this PR nightmare.
Given Iran's backing of Hamas, greater terrorism will further rationalize the military option against Iran. The prisoner exchange occurred shortly after exposure of Iran's plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador and/or buy a Chevy.
The people of Palestine and Israel are pawns in the hands of the Plutocrats that run America and Israel.
See related article -- The war on terror is a lie.
See the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's 11/30/2009 Report on Tora Bora.
The Committee concludes the failure at Tora Bora in 12/2001 was a senior management failure. They correctly blame Rumsfeld and Franks but failed to blame Bush and Cheney and failed to recognize willful intent. All of these men worked for our plutocrats, our domestic enemies, the true existential threat to democracy in America and Israel.
Iran - As long as a military option remains against Iran, real Americans will maintain a military option against American plutocrats and politicians who support the Iran military option. I'm a Vietnam era veteran. I didn't fight, but I did volunteer to fight - for nothing in Vietnam. I'm sure as hell willing to fight for American ideals in America. Next war, civil war.
