Chief of Staff: Israel debates killing Arafat

Jerusalem Post ^ | June 23, 2003 | AP

[Alouette]

Chief of Staff: Israel debates killing Arafat

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Top Israeli security officials on several occasions discussed the possibility of killing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Israel's military chief has revealed.

Those discussions did not reach any practical planning stage and no preparations were made for an attempt on Arafat's life, Haaretz reported Monday.

The remarks by Army Chief of Staff Moshe Yaalon marked the first time a senior Israeli official has openly talked of plans to assassinate Arafat.

"Why did we not kill Arafat? The truth is that the discussion whether or not to kill Arafat was debated a number of times in the past," Yaalon told a chamber of commerce meeting in the southern city of Beersheba on Sunday. Those discussions came up after two bloody periods punctuated by Palestinian suicide bombings, a year ago and again last September, Haaretz reported.

"The subject was debated in terms of costs and benefits," Yaalon said. "It is correct that occasionally we need to reevaluate if our cost and benefit assessments were correct or not."

Arafat has been confined by Israeli military forces to his partially destroyed compound in the West Bank city of Ramallah for the last 18 months. Israeli officials, most notably Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, have called for exiling the Palestinian leader, who Israel has accused of backing militants.

[Enduring Freedom]

If he perished as a result of a work accident or an internal coup, who could argue the point?

I wouldn't be able to know for sure.

Will the talking heads complain? Who listens to them let alone believes them any more?

How long would Arafat have lasted had he aided even one attack against America?

If your answer was "not long", you get a prize.

[Joe Boucher]

Do it, should have been done a long time ago.
I fail to understand why the Israelis haven't done the job long ago.

[Smile-n-Win]

"The subject was debated in terms of costs and benefits," Yaalon said.

What cost could killing Arafat possibly have that outweighs its benefits?

[CholeraJoe]

* ping

[Smile-n-Win]

Officers at this level do not make statements with such ramifications without a reason. What is that reason? and why just now?

One possible explanation would be that they want to see how Arafat reacts. Will he be afraid for his life and stop the bombings? Is he in a position to stop the bombings--or is Abbas in control now?

[Reactionary]

Yes. He's also killed a disabled American by the name of Leon Klinghoffer during the Aquille Lauro cruise ship hijacking, has killed numerous American citizens during terror attacks in Israel, killed 17 Americans during the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beruit. Hezbollah was also suspected of carrying out the bombing of the marine baracks in Beruit in which 241 U.S. Marines were murdered. Six Americans were killed in the Kuwaiti embassy bombing, which appears to have been the work of Iranian Hezbollah. Iranian Hezbollah also kidnapped a CIA station chief by the name of Buckley. The list goes on and on...

It was Hezbollah that invented suicide bombing. They have provided training to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as Hamas. When the Israelis seized a boat earlier this year, it became apparent that Hezbollah was providing money and arms to Arafat's Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Arafat's political Fatah.

[Napoleon Solo]

Kedem or Mogen David

[ken5050]

Can we have this as a poll question? should be a shutout..

[A_perfect_lady]

It's about damn time!

Tell me about it. A few more years and he'll die of old age.

[The Wizard]

this decision has already been made

[yonif]

Israel has always wanted to get rid of Arafat. But guess which country has been preventing this from happening?

[knighthawk]

Killing him will anger the Palestinians, Arabs and the world.

Oh, they already are angered by the existence of Israel.

Well, then just kill him.

[Wild Thing]

I vote for killing him, it should have been done long ago.

Wild Thing

[Wild Thing]

LOL exactly !

Wild Thing

[OXENinFLA]

As long as they are debating HOW to kill him.

[CyberAnt]

Hey ... why not go after Arafat - and then BLAME IT ON ISRAEL - allowing Syria to attack Israel.

Not a good move ...!!!

[NYC GOP Chick]

This is among the best thing I've heard all day! I hope the IDF really nails him but good!

[CholeraJoe]

I hope the IDF really nails him but good!

I'm talking shop-vac and filter paper to find enough DNA to make an ID.

[Bobby777]

Much as I'd like to see Yasser Arafat go, I'd rather he stand trial ... as anyone can tell from my posts, I consider Yasser Arafat one of the worst and most "successful" terrorists on Earth ... nonetheless, "icing" him will result in total war ... it may come to that but let there be no illusions ...

Obviously, Yasser on trial allows him to become a martyr as well ... the secret is downplaying Arafat so that he cannot go out playing the "martyr" card ... that is is last ace up his sleeve ... it's the only thing he has left ...

the PA, PLO, Hamas, Hizbollah, Fatah, etc. must be dismantled, and perhaps, or most likely, by force ... because they will never give up ...

it's a powder-keg over there ... again I'd love to see Arafat disappear ... but it's better if he were to become persona non grata rather than have him eat a Hellfire missile from an AH-64 Apache ...

(but I must admit there would be some satisfaction, given all the killing and maiming he's caused ... don't get me wrong) ...

now, if he were to slip on a banana peel ... hmmm

[ApesForEvolution]

Ararat is the first terrorist that should have been greased a long time ago.

We can assuredly thank the folks at foggy bottom that he's still financing and promoting murders.