Deal for Release of American Held in Egypt (Ilan Grapel)

[alp227]

JERUSALEM — Israel announced on Monday that it had reached an agreement with Egypt, with American assistance, for the release of Ilan Grapel, an American law student from Queens who also holds Israeli citizenship.

Mr. Grapel, who was arrested in Egypt in June and charged with spying for Israel, is to be exchanged for 25 Egyptians, among them three minors, held in Israeli jails.

Egyptian state television made a similar announcement on Monday, Agence France-Presse reported.

No date was given for the release but it is expected to take place within days. The Israeli security cabinet is to convene on Tuesday to approve the agreement; because the Egyptians slated to be released are not classified as security prisoners, there is not likely to be much opposition to the deal.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/world/middleeast/deal-for-release-of-american-held-in-egypt.html

[vminfla]

1. Foreign Relations are Deteriorating

When is it acceptable to grab people off the streets and then trade them for convicted felons? Are we now simply going to kidnap people to resolve our differences? This is clearly brutish thuggery on the part of Egypt. There was no trial, only a conviction and transforming Grapel to a bargaining chip.

[azurnoir]

2. the release will involve 25 Egyptians 3 of whom are minors

from the article

No date was given for the release, but it is expected to be within days. The Israeli security cabinet is to convene Tuesday to approve the deal; the 25 Egyptians are not classified as security prisoners, so there is not likely to be much opposition.

[vminfla]

3. Drug smugglers, traffickers and infiltrators

The Israeli Prison Service has published an online list of 25 inmates expected to be free from jail in exchange for the release of US-Israeli citizen Ilan Grapel currently detained in Egypt. All of the prisoners were suppose to be released from jail within the next six years.

According to the agreement, Grapel is expected to be released on Thursday and arrive in Eilat where he will meet with a United States congress member. On Friday he will depart to the US and reunite with his family, which he has not seen for the past six months.

In return, the 22 Egyptian inmates and three minor detainees will be transferred to their homeland. Most of the prisoners were arrested for drug smuggling and trafficking as well as infiltrating into Israel.



http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4139159,00.html

[azurnoir]

4. .so some of them are actually being deported back to the country they illegally entered from ?

(infiltrated) is that unusual?

[vminfla]

5. These drug traffickers will be Egypt's problem soon enough

I wonder if this could be considered extraordinary rendition.

[azurnoir]

6. wonder if the charges will stick once they're back in Egypt? BTW do consider Mexicans enter

the US looking for work to be infiltrators?