Posted on 02/03/2002 2:52:08 AM PST by BrooklynGOP
The prestigious New York Times has published an op-ed written by PLO chief Yasser Arafat. The article, which appeared today, begins, "For the past 16 months, Israelis and Palestinians have been locked in a catastrophic cycle of violence..." The word "cycle" may be designed to distract readers' attention from the fact that the violence was pre-meditatedly initiated by the Palestinians at the express orders of Yasser Arafat himself, as many Israeli security leaders have stated frequently since then. Arafat's second paragraph begins, "But first, let me be very clear. I condemn that attacks carried out by terrorist groups against Israeli civilians. These groups do not represent the Palestinian people... I am determined to put an end to their activities." This, too, stands in stark contrast to many public statements uttered by the PA chairman very recently. For instance, speaking to a delegation of Arab leaders that was broadcast on official PA Television this past January 26, Arafat said, "Yes, brothers, with our souls and blood we redeem you, O Palestine. This is the decision of the people of exceeding strength. This is a sacred bond. We are up to this duty. You know I am saying this because I know our people. I know what it means that in the midst of this economic crisis, yet none of them complained. However, they said: Allah is great! Glory to Allah and his prophet! Jihad, jihad, jihad, jihad, jihad!"
You mean he's going to get rid of Arafat's own al Fatah, who took credit for a few of the recent bombings/shootings? How about the al Aqsa Martyr's Brigade, another of Arafat's terrorist groups? And no mention of the Karine A. How is he going to put an end to his own activities? How about arresting himself?
They assert the alleged liberal/left tendencies of these papers are contained in pieces clearly marked "opinion", "editorial", "op-ed", or in pieces by noted columnists of different political leanings . Otherwise, they assert, these papers are very fine journals with long-standing reputations for journalistic integrity and employing top-notch news writers.
Many of us don't read these papers on a daily basis, so it's difficult to refute with any authority.
What say you regular readers (on a FACTUAL basis) of the balance of these newspapers?
Leni
First, he's condemning terrorism against the Israelis & he's doing everything he can to stop it. This is fantasy--he's behind the terrorism. What's he going to do? Arrest himself?
Second, he wants the right of return. That was a non-starter when he was negotiating with Barak and Clinton. It's a non-starter with Sharon and Bush. He's under the delusion that what he agreed to--and walked away from--at Camp David is a starting point. It isn't.
And he wants to be treated like an equal partner in peace talks. He also doesn't understand "we don't negotiate with terrorists," and he still continues to pretend that he isn't, especially with new reports that he's recruiting al Qaeda fighters to fight with his groups.
I haven't seen such a pack of lies since "I didn't have sex with that woman."
Next week: Raúl Castro.
Arafat continues to be the most blatantly transparent spin doctor. Imagine: Arafat condemning terrorism, when anyone who has been paying attention knows that he got his start as a terrorist. But there we have one of the biggest problems with the Middle East and the way the problems there are interpreted in the West. Many people in the West seem to have a short attention span or do not pay close enough attention. And people tend to sympathize with the underdog, even if the underdog shows signs of having rabbies. (Sigh) What times we live in. . . . .
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