This is not even remotely obvious to a lot of people (cough cough Bush Administration cough) who have used Arafat as an excuse for not moving peace talks forward.
When dictators die Does anyone remember the silliness that surrounded the death of Francisco Franco in Spain? It's the same thing all over again. He's dead. No, he's alive. No, dead. This just in, General Francisco Franco is still alive.
As much as people on bigsoccer take me for some sort of extreme thinker, i don't want anyone killed. I want to see progress after Arafat's death. I want to see the PA police stop being corrupt and maintain order like they did at some point in 1995/1996. Abu Mazen has the inspiration of the Palestinain people and talked with there needs, less the nationalisic-arab rhetoric tone... i think he can calm things down and progress! This is not the first time that Arafat is near death, ofcourse in 1982, he almost got killed in Lebanon by the Israeli crue and in 1992, his helicopter from Tunisia via Gaza (or Egypt) crashed in the middle of the Libyan dessert killing two of his body gaurds....Arafat walked out with a couple of scrapes....
Re: When dictators die Good point. I won't believe Arafat is dead until Chevy Chase confirms it for me.
From today's news reports out of France: They've ruled out leukemia and cancer, and here are the symptoms... 1. Severe gastro-intestinal dysfunction, but normal endoscopy. 2. Thrombocytopenia (low blood platelets) 3. Viral blood disorder 4. Severe immune deficiency. It's got to be AIDS. More definite, the Palestinian "leadership" will insist he died of a rough bout with the flu, which was aggrevated by the harsh and oppressive conditions Israel imposed on him.
Maybe this is why Arafat never strapped a bomb upon himself and jumped on an Israeli bus. He thought if he did, he would end up with a haram of virgins which he has no interest in because he prefers young boys. Die Muther********er, Die.
This is the same Sharon that's risking his political survival (and perhaps his very life) by pushing forced evacuation of the settlers through their legislature? Right. Like Arafat is half the leader Sharon is.
At this point, most sources are saying that he's alive, but that his condition is "critical and deteriorating". It sounds like this all started with an Israeli TV report saying that Arafat was brain-dead. In a BBC article, Arafat's doctor is quoted as saying that "He is not clinically dead... but his condition is deteriorating, because there has been no diagnosis, we don't know what's wrong with him." If this all came from an Israeli TV station, I almost wonder if it was put out to gauge what the reaction is going to be, which probably also means that he will be dying relatively soon.
Israeli TV is independently run, and does not serve any special agenda. They got the scoop and ran with it, just as a French radio station did and newspaper did.
sharon's masterpiece "sabra and chatila" is unforgettable. I know that there's ppl around worse than him in Israel as there's ppl worse than arafat in palestine but this doesn't change the fact that if they both die now I wouldn't shed a tear and both palestinians and israelis would get free of bloody dinosaurs. Now sure in both cases it would be a problem if the successor turns to be even worse... sadly you cannot discard the possibility.
Only problem is that he didn't do anything and with the Arab propoganda and with the hoax of the "intenrational" court, you couldn't try him, why? cause there wasn't any evidence.... You could also try to blame the black leaders in America for the domestic crime? Yet, how are they are at fault? For being black? for being in the close proximity of most crimes at that time? The only problem is that if Arafat was to go now, he would actually pave the way to have more realistic chance of having peace. The only real time that both sides got together and initiated something was in Jordan, where Abu Mazen and Sharon came and talked peace. The biggest obstacle, no matter what Israeli Prime minister you have to negotiate peace with the Palestinains is ARAFAT himself, he controls so much, and refuses to let go of one thing. How can u say that any Israeli leader is at blame, when since 1993 there has been 6 Israeli leaders, voted into office by the general puplic compared to 1 man, in office for 'nationalistic' critireas.........
Look Kappa, your alternative logics is often entertaining but I don't want to start a discussion on sharon. This is the "evil incarnated and gay" arafat thread. There's nothing you can say who could make me change my mind on sharon and his role in "sabra and chatila". p.s. Congratulations for that psychedelic analogies about the black leaders... they really don't make any sense at all.
Ahhh yes. In Lebanon, Muslims kill Christians, and Christians kill Muslims, and they blame...the Jews.