Arafat is the problem

The Telegraph ^ | September 08 2003

[knighthawk]

Who is to blame for the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister? The question has been obscured by a smokescreen of recriminations and threats, but the answer is clear enough.

Mr Abbas (better known by his nom de guerre, Abu Mazen) was forced to relinquish the post that was created for him only 100 days ago by the man he was intended to replace: Yasser Arafat.

The latter's brutal methods were symbolised by the masked thugs who tried to batter down the door of the Palestinian legislative council on Thursday while the prime minister was speaking. By refusing to hand over control of security forces, Mr Arafat never gave his rival a chance to stop Hamas and other terrorist groups sabotaging negotiations with Israel.

If, once Mr Abbas has departed from the scene, the simmering Middle East conflict now boils over, the blame will lie at Mr Arafat's door.

Of the peace process itself, it is tempting to paraphrase Pitt the Younger after Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz: "Roll up that road map; it will not be wanted these ten years."

Yesterday the drums of war sounded on both sides of the barriers that now separate Israel proper from the West Bank and Gaza. The Israelis will step up their campaign of assassination against the leadership of Hamas, which is certain to attempt further bus bombs or similar suicide attacks.

This is a battle which Ariel Sharon now believes he has no choice but to fight, and which Israel cannot afford to lose.

In the longer term, however, the prospects for peace are likely to improve, provided that the Americans and Europeans stand firm against Mr Arafat. In the past, every time Mr Arafat has resorted to violence, he has been rewarded with new initiatives from the West, which put pressure on Israel to negotiate.

This time, though, the White House door is firmly closed to Mr Arafat. Many Palestinians have not yet digested the fact that, without an interlocutor acceptable to Washington, they are at the mercy of Mr Sharon. Three years of intifada have brought the Palestinians nothing but defeat and humiliation.

In the West, our grasp of the Middle East is afflicted by a kind of amnesia. For some 30 years, Mr Arafat's fingerprints have been found on each failed peace initiative. The European Union, which has only just decided to treat Hamas as a terrorist organisation, would doubtless protest if Israel were now to remove Mr Arafat, who is already promoting another "moderate" prime minister, Ahmed Korei.

But Mr Abbas's fate proves, if proof were needed, that no truly moderate Palestinian leader can work alongside Mr Arafat. Mr Sharon will only take the risk of moving against Mr Arafat as a last resort. It may yet come to that.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[PhiKapMom]

I am going to ask what some people may consider a dumb question so bear with me!

Why hasn't Israel taken out Arafat -- by assassination or whatever means at their disposal? I know the world would get in an uproar but they already are so why not have taken him out a long time ago. If Arafat is the major problem which I believe he is, why not get rid of him once and for all?

That makes no sense to me at all to keep him in power! Not like they haven't had the opportunity. I also don't want to hear that the US wouldn't let them. If Israel wants to do something, they are going to do it anyways.

Two and two do not add up here!

[isthisnickcool]

Why hasn't Israel taken out Arafat?

Some bugs are hard to kill unless you are willing to stomp on them.

[Flashman_at_the_charge]

[CyberAnt]

"Arafat is the problem"

No DUH SHERLOCK!!

[smith288]

I say the Mossad does it in a way that looks like a suicide bomber among Palies.

[lodwick]

An excellent question...

I guess that the powers that be like him as the world's boogey-man: otherwise, he would have been whacked long ago.

Cheers.

[PhiKapMom]

I came up with the same conclusion.

[PhiKapMom]

Why aren't they willing to stomp on him? Seems like the perfect cockroach to take out to me!

[PhiKapMom]

I am with you -- Mossad should be able to do that! Until Arafat is six feet under, there is no chance for any peace!

[usurper]

Why hasn't Israel taken out Arafat?

The old thinking was that since he was such an incompetent leader there was no benefit to killing him when he might be replaced by some competent.

I am not sure that logic stands today.

[hoosierboy]

Exactly, let Israel deal with someone irrelevant. If they were to kill him they might actually have to give away more land. The Israelis are smart, and have the best intelligence. If they wanted him dead, it would have been done a long time ago. As long as they feed of the trough of the USA, the state department and colin "show restraint" powell will tie israels hand together prevent them from gettting the job done.

[ChewedGum]

Arafat is the problem...but only for a short time. I would suspect he will be exiled and irrelevant or else dead in 90 days.

Gum

[ThreePuttinDude]

Some say that by taking him out openly, it would launch
him to higher martyrdom status. Makes sense to me......

[Rik0Shay]

1. Israel was forced to recognize the PLO as a legal goverment body as part of the oslo accords.

2. Israel does not assassinate leaders of legal bodies.