Russianliberalopposition politician Ilya Yashin, just released from Putin's prison through an exchange ofprisoners, criticized that very exchange.

He said, "It encourages Putin to take more hostages." He is thinkinglikethepatriotic hostage I wrote about yesterday.

He did not want to leave Russia, either; he wanted to stay there and campaign for freedom. Iunderstand those feelings, but in any fight there can be times when it is better to retreat than tostay put and be totally defeated. This was one. Putin makes it nearly impossible to campaign forfreedom, justice, truth or peace in Russia.