[Chunga]

This is the first time I remember an Israeli official being so forthright about the possibility of Arafat's assasination.

They issued the warning to scare the crap out of him. They want to force him to use whatever power he has to bring a halt to terrorism in Israel.

It sounds like a final warning. If it works it works and if it doesn't Israel better be prepared to kill him, or the homicide bombing rate will go off the charts.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... They issued the warning to scare the crap out of him. They want to force him to use whatever power he has to bring a halt to terrorism in Israel."

I think just the opposite: They really just might kill Arafat this time.

This is a huge change in Israeli policy, but many ME watchers expected this end game move when Israel was surrounding Arafat's dilapidated hovel of a government office with IDF tanks last year on several occasions.

Actually, I think those actions -- and the assassination of Sheikh Yassin -- were the final warnings. Wasn't it there an AP story two weeks before Sheikh Yassin was wiped out that reported that Israel was finally going to go after the top men?

Now that Israel has the new wall up, they're making truly bold moves. With the upsurge of anti-Semitic/anti-Israel sentiment in much of the EU, what have they got to lose? The USA is the only friend that counts; What's the EU going to do? Boycott Israeli garbanzo beans again?

Arafat could be as dead as fried chicken at any time now, I expect. It could happen tomorrow, and Freepers will wonder why no-one started an Arafat 'Dead Pool' when Israeli intentions will appear to have been so obvious before Arafat's departure.

[Boundless]

> This is the first time I remember an Israeli official
> being so forthright about the possibility of Arafat's
> assasination.

This is a new peak in the rhetoric, but they've been
making bellicose noise for some time. Arafat was
removed from Protected Species status some time ago.
Today he was added to the Trophy Game Species list.

> They issued the warning to scare the crap out of him.
> They want to force him to use whatever power he has to
> bring a halt to terrorism in Israel.

That makes sense, in particular the reports surfacing
today of specific threats of some 60 planned attacks.

Assuming a terror blitz is in work, my bet is that
Arafat lacks the power to call off enough of those
attacks to save himself. Could get interesting if he
publically admits that.

> If it works it works and if it doesn't Israel better
> be prepared to kill him, or the homicide bombing rate
> will go off the charts.

If it works, it will work because the Israelis
established credibility with the Yassin affair.

And if it doesn't work, I've little doubt about their
preparations or resolve. Arafat may be about to win
a pieces prize. It would be fitting if the instrument
used contained some Nobel brand Dynamite.