by Meir Indor
The deal for the release of captive
U.S. soldier Bowe Berghdahl in exchange for five terrorist members of the
Taliban is bad news for America's friends in the Middle East. Not because of the
deal itself -- even Israel frees terrorists in exchange for soldiers -- but
because of what stood behind the dramatic about-face in the American policy of
not negotiating with terrorists for the release of kidnapping victims. This rule
has been in place for many years and has cut back on the number of U.S.
abductees.
The American public has lived happily
with this iron dictate. The story of the "American Gilad Schalit," who was
imprisoned by the Taliban for five years, did not spark the massive public
activism that Schalit's capture did in Israel. Journalists did not write about
Bergdahl every day. Ironically enough, it seems that Schalit's name was better
known in Congress than Bergdahl's.
Bergdahl's family didn't set up a
protest tent outside the White House. They kept themselves in check and didn't
work to stir up significant public support for the government to give in to
Taliban demands, even though the Taliban was asking a much lower price from
America than Hamas demanded from Israel. The Taliban wanted to free a few
prisoners, not a thousand.
So what, then, prompted the U.S. to
change its approach and negotiate with terrorists? Not the fate of the abducted
soldier: The America of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry
is setting up a diplomatic channel for talks with the Taliban about the future
of Afghanistan. The American government has already set up a sort of "Taliban
Embassy" in Doha, and it agreed that senior Taliban members and their families
would reach Qatar. The release of the five senior Taliban members is an addition
to the delegation. This all comes as part of planned withdrawal of Allied forces
from Afghanistan, which Obama declared and even set a target date for -- the end
of 2014.
The five top figures who were
released, all of whom have experience organizing terror attacks (which is what
they were imprisoned for), are strong backup for the "Taliban Embassy." They
were returned for a year in prison in Qatar, with the promise they would be
released soon. Trust the Qataris that the members of the delegation will be
allowed out a revolving door for work meetings with the Americans.
Israel should be worried, because the
American government, on its way to its goal, is cynically changing horses and
abandoning Afghanistan's elected government. The Taliban is working with
Washington via an independent channel. When Afghan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai
visited Qatar (ahead of elections the U.S. labored to secure), he had no
meetings scheduled with members of the Taliban Embassy.
Karzai and other senior members of
his government are concerned, and rightfully so. The minute the U.S. conducts
policy that circumvents their government and tries to close a "deal" with the
Taliban for its withdrawal, along with NATO forces, from the country, the Afghan
government loses more and more power. This situation will allow the Taliban back
into areas now controlled by Western military forces.
If we add Obama's ongoing policy of
not intervening or using force against hotbeds of terrorism or those committing
war crimes in Syria to the latest move, we get a very worrying picture for
Israel. The American stick, which in the past used necessary force against
terror organizations and terrorist states, has been replaced by a diplomacy of
constantly changing horses and making shady pacts. This is a combination that
should be a red light for anyone who believes the Obama administration's
promises.
The U.S. government's recognition of
the Palestinian Authority-Hamas unity government, while sticking a finger in its
friend Israel's eye, matches the behavioral pattern described above. Israel
should draw one conclusion: American guarantees cannot replace an independent
Israeli stance on its security needs.
Lt. Col. (ret.) Meir Indor is the
head of the Almagor terror victims association.
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=8643
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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