Sixteen hostages are free today, and are on their way home from their Russian prisons. And eight Russian prisoners are likewise on their way back to their homeland from locations in the U.S. and elsewhere. It is a day to celebrate, and to thank all those — most of whom shall undoubtedly remain anonymous — involved in this long, incredibly complex, multi-nation negotiation.

I have written much, and thought constantly, about the ongoing hostage situation over the past months. It has become such an obsession, one would have thought that at least one of the hostages was a relative or personal friend of mine. But that is not the case. It was just righteous anger at an unspeakable injustice, which I chose to direct through words, not violence. And today I celebrate . . . not because I played any part in it, but simply because my hopes and prayers — and those of so many others — have at last been granted.

I could go into detail, as far as is known, about the background of the story. But I have already done much of that, and the current news is of course being widely covered in the news media. The truth is, I’m too excited today to think straight. But I want to say a personal “thank you” to some major players.

First and foremost, of course, is President Joe Biden. It was revealed today that, just hours before announcing his withdrawal from the presidential election campaign, he was still working on the final steps of the prisoner exchange. He has devoted himself to this cause for — not just months — but years. The negotiations have, of necessity, been kept secret, as such matters always are. And he has endured the slings and arrows of his opponents as to his competence while performing behind-the-scenes acts such as this. So, to President Biden, I say thank you. In my humble opinion, your legacy is secure.

So many countries have been involved in the performance of this miracle: Germany, Poland, Slovenia, even Belarus. But I must give special props to one whom I have lambasted over the past several months: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As a member of NATO and a partner to the EU, he has nonetheless maintained a friendly relationship with Vladimir Putin. I am not the only one who has found his fence-sitting to be intolerable. But today I must say that it has proven to be advantageous. When one straddles the line between two regions, it is possible to see both sides at once. And in this case, his offers to negotiate this exchange actually proved beneficial. So, thank you for that. (But don’t take it as a sign of blanket approval; that’s not gonna happen.)

And to the dozens (perhaps hundreds) of people who must have been involved behind the scenes . . . well done! You should all sleep soundly tonight.

*. *. *

Now, in the interest of getting this posted, I’m going to cut it short here. I’m sure I’ll have more to say tomorrow, but for now . . .

Welcome home, hostages! It’s a glorious day.

*. *. *

Meanwhile, in some parallel universe, JD Vance credits Donald Trump with the release of the hostages, saying that it was only accomplished because Russia realized Trump was about to be re-elected (in their opinion), and they (Russia) had better “clean house” in advance before they had to deal with the tough guy.

Well, if that’s the best you’ve got . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/1/24