Do you dismiss that these might be from statements delivered directly to the Japanese news agency from the US Goverment either on background or as on/off record? I for one trust Kyodo that they have the characterization right. But we will perhaps see throughout the day, won't we, and my post will be shown as errant?
*We need to prosecute a war on terror, but can't attack everywhere at once.
*We want to go after Saddam next, and need some bases to do this. Therefore, we can't alienate the Arabs whose bases we need.
*We need to try to keep this Israel-Pale problem off the table until we are ready.
THIS MAY BE WHAT HE IS THINKING, but it is dangerously wrong. We are going to alienate many of the Arab states sooner or later. Better we find out NOW who is really on our side against terrorism. Would we lose them all? I don't know. Most of them, but perhaps one or two would see that their own internal terrorists are a threat to THEM as much as to us.
Only force will solve this situation. That force must come from Israel, supported (unleashed, really) by the U.S.
You are exactly right that Bush is ignoring his own standard for "harboring terrorists." Arafat IS a terrorist, and should be killed, pure and simple. It WILL hurt us in the "war on terror" elsewhere unless we deal with this viper's nest.