Oh I can't wait for the responses on this thread, not.
Uncomfortable, cringing, Catholic PING....
In a related story, The Pope gushed at the Socialist defunding of the Catholic church in Spain.
"We sure showed those war mongering Partido Populars" said EL PAPA
In a better world, the PLO chief would have met his end on a gallows, hanged for mass murder much as the Nazi chiefs were hanged at Nuremberg. In a better world, the French president would not have paid a visit to the bedside of such a monster...
How is it possible to reflect on Arafat's most enduring legacy -- the rise of modern terrorism -- without recalling the legions of men, women, and children whose lives he and his followers destroyed? If Osama bin Laden were on his deathbed, would we neglect to mention all those he murdered on 9/11?
It would take an encyclopedia to catalog all of the evil Arafat committed. But that is no excuse for not trying to recall at least some of it.
Perhaps his signal contribution to the practice of political terror was the introduction of warfare against children. On one black date in May 1974, three PLO terrorists slipped from Lebanon into the northern Israeli town of Ma'alot. They murdered two parents and a child whom they found at home, then seized a local school, taking more than 100 boys and girls hostage and threatening to kill them unless a number of imprisoned terrorists were released. When Israeli troops attempted a rescue, the terrorists exploded hand grenades and opened fire on the students. By the time the horror ended, 25 people were dead; 21 of them were children.
Figures.
To paraphrase InstaPundit, they're not against violence. They're just on the other side.
"That was a great failure and a lot of problems stemmed from that," he said. "He missed his date with history."
You can say that again about Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Castro, ...
Right now, the propaganda is all that Arafat was oh so good. When the whole world figures out that he died from AIDS/HIV and the Arab community absorbs that reality, the shame emanating from that will stink worse and worse. Afafat's death from AIDS will bring him down from the mythic figure he is now in the Arab world.
Fitting that he is probably the most famous figure to die that way.
Pope John Paul, who last met Arafat in 2001, retreated into private prayer when he was told of the death of the Palestinian leader earlier on Thursday in Paris, a Vatican source said.
The Pope, who made a historic trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2000, sent a message saying he was particularly close to the Palestinian people "in this hour of sadness".
I'll reply to idiotic nonsense after I finish puking!! My God! I hope some mid level Vatican beaurocrat is making this shit up!
I'd hate to estimate how much Ararat's, "Get Out of Hell", Purgatory cost is? Greater than the GDP of the United States?
Unbelieveable.
The Vatican honoring a terrorist!......Just another example of how the Vatican keeps its' head buried in the sand.
Disgusting.
What?? Are they kidding????? Arafat was a terrorist and is no longer on this earth to murder innocent people. Cant' believe the vatican would put out such a ridiculous statement. That's incredible and just shows the Vatican does NOT speak for all Catholics. I'm ashamed!!! But then again...what else is new with our church over the last 30 years or so. Typical political nonsense. Arafat was a heinous individual who reaped pain and sorrow on people. Shame on the Vatican to release such a statement.
Why the heck would Sharon want to see the Pope? These Vatican guys need to get a clue.
Knowing lots of Catholics here at FR, I will refrain from the howl of protest that wants to come from my keyboard. I will only point out that this is a perfect illustration of the gulf that still exists between Caltholics and Jews.
What are they thinking! The bastard through his constant resorting to violence has kept his people permanently oppressed and debilitated -- and he lined his pockets majestically at the same time. The man was evil incarnate and the leaders of my church are raising him up in terms usually reserved for the sanctified! Fie, I say, fie!
/same god