Barghouti's Superman Spin

Suddenly everyone's in a hurry to release Marwan Barghouti.

If truth be told, he is a prisoner in name only.
How many murderers serving five life terms can run a presidential campaign from their cell? Or conduct interviews with the press whenever they like? Or be given every possible privilege from cellphones to regular furloughs outside prison?

So why the hurry to let him go?
In exchange for the release of Schalit?
Think again.

Could it be that Bush and Olmert have realised the weakness and frailty of Mahmoud Abbas and the total impossibility of his being able to resist Hamas or stop their takeover of West Bank strongholds the moment they are ceded to Fatah by Olmert?

And so - barring an earthquake in the Knesset, for there is little doubt Netanyahu would also be persuaded to free Barghouti to please Bush - we have the prospect of Barghouti leaving jail as a five-times lifer, walking into the nearest phone box and emerging as leader of the new Palestinian state and our trusted peace partner!

And this is progress?

Peres was right all along.
The process is all about piss!

We are being pissed on and Olmert says it's just a spot of rain.

.