EXCHANGES

 The U.S. concluded a multi-person prisoner exchange with Russia this month.   I'm sure the loved ones of the prisoners returned are ecstatic and grateful.  Every time I hear of one of these exchanges, many questions rush into my brain. 

I've become rather dubious about all the terms of such an agreement.  Not long ago, I heard that when the Soviet Union turned its ships around and pulled it's missiles out of Cuba in 1961 there was more to it than just our threats and of a blockade.  It seems that our country agreed to pull our missiles out of Turkey in order to accomplish this feat originally credited solely to John F Kennedy's iron will.

Remember the huge pile of cash Obama sent to Iran which we had been holding until they stopped acting like bad guys?   It seems that was part of a deal we made for release of some Americans from Iran's jails.  

Aside from wondering if we gave Russia their "really bad guys" in our prisons for our "really good guys" wrongly held in their prisons, what else was agreed upon?  Was there more to the deal?   I'd bet there was.

Sometimes it takes fifty years to get the whole story on exchanges made between enemies.  By then, most everyone who cares will be gone.