(8:00) Zinni: PA is a mafia and Arafat is its leader

Jpost ^ | 27/1/02

[IcommGen]

(8:00) Zinni: PA is a mafia and Arafat is its leader

The Palestinian Authority is a mafia, and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat is the leader of the mafia, US special envoy Anthony Zinni said today.

Zinni made his remarks after his planned visit to the region was suspended by US President George W. Bush.

Sources in the prime minister's bureau expressed satisfaction with the decision, saying it will help in the war against terrorism. However, diplomatic sources said it could lead to more bloodletting on both sides.

The US administration threatened over the weekend to impose sanctions against Arafat, from closing the PLO's offices in Washington to totally cutting off relations, if he fails to prove he is making a concerted effort to fight terrorism.

Meanwhile, security forces remain on high alert throughout the country in response to intelligence warnings of planned terrorist attacks.

Police are out in force, especially along the Green Line, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.

Late last night, Palestinian terrorists lightly wounded an Israeli Arab taxi driver in a shooting attack between Peduel and Alei Zahav in Samaria, Army Radio reported.

[motorhead]

What is the point of discussions and agreements with liars who have no intent of upholding their end of any agreement? How many times do we have to go down this road with a known liar like Liarafat?

[VOA]

I am amazed that Zinni made this comment. Powell must be apoplectic.

Amen!
Let's make Zinni US ambassador to the U.N., after he's put the diplomatic kabosh
on Arafat and the Palestinians!

[Lent]

The Palestinian Authority is a mafia, and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat is the leader of the mafia, US special envoy Anthony Zinni said today.

Wow. This is a major statement by an American official. But never were truer words spoken.

[aimlow]

General Zinni has never said either of the quotes attributed to him.

[Gamma-131-I]

Arafat is especially dangerous because of the international legitimacy bestowed upon him by Bubba the Legacymaker

I think that the reason we haven't appeared to do things against Arafat much up to this point was that Bush had to set things up to undo Clinton's damage in this respect before we would be able to. Now as things are, and especially after the Karine A fiasco, Arafat has demolished whatever legitimacy he had ever obtained.

His days are numbered.

[Gamma-131-I]

Israel and the US don't seem to care much one way are the other about who the alternative is going to be any more, to me. If it turns out bad like Arafat, they'll take that one down too.

[veronica]

Sharon overplayed his hand with Bush? LOL.

Bush is smacking Arafat around, preparing to meet with Sharon for the 4th time, things could not be going better.

[Sabramerican]

The Jewish vote-in general-could not be said to have helped Bush win. Therefore, on a political IOU level, the President owes nothing to the Jewish community.

Isn't that great

It proves that the claptrap that American support for Israel is based on some mythical Jewish control, or political fear of the Jews, or the "Israeli lobby", is bogus.

Americans- and by their representatives-support Israel because Americans are a good and righteous people.

The political bonus to Republicans is that if Bush doesn't deviate, he may cause an earthshaking shift in the voting pattern of American Jews. And when Jews start voting Republican, and they will, it will demolish the Democrats and spell the end of the agenda of the Left.

[veronica]

I am watching and I like what I see...

[veronica]

EVERY vote Bush got in Florida turned out the be important. Including Jewish votes. No Florida vote he got should be scoffed at.

[Torie]

And when Jews start voting Republican, and they will, it will demolish the Democrats and spell the end of the agenda of the Left.

You mean in Florida, after all the greedy geezers die off? OK, maybe Penn too, and conceivably Michigan if the Arabs don't get too mad at the GOP. That is about it.

[SJackson]

If you guys (I mean the whole Amen Corner) are going to act as a tag team you are going to have to coordinate your arguments a little better.
The Jewish vote-in general-could not be said to have helped Bush win.... Saber American Every Jewish vote he got in Florida (LOTS of Jews in Florida) helped him win.... veronica
If the 600 or so Florida Jews that did vote for Bush, didn't, he would not be president.

Ithis puzzles me. You’re back to the Amen Corner again Stealthy, you can't stay away, so I must ask again, are part of the Slavic Club? It’s their term your know. I know I've told you more than you know, but then you don't know much, do you.

A question, If the Jewish vote in the next election is 99%+ dem, a fraction Rep (just Veronica and me), what does that mean. I disagree with lots of dems, but they are still Americans. Am I wrong about that? If I am, in a free society, what should we do with the dems?

[Sabramerican]

New York

If a Democract can't win NY, he doesn't become President.

[Torie]

No way Jose. The Dem Jewish margins have already eroded there. The GOP dies in NY because Manhattan attracts liberals of every conceivable background from everywhere, and because of the bulge in folks with brown and black ethnicities. New York is gone, and will be for a very long time. It will be at least 10% more Democrat than the nation.