Posted on 04/10/2002 6:13:55 AM PDT by RealistOne
RAMALLAH: Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has shunned him and openly suggested he be sent into exile. President Bush repeatedly has blamed him for the bloody impasse that has left him bottled up in Ramallah.
But Palestinians consulted in a series of interviews, including those who used to complain bitterly about his leadership, have closed ranks behind Yasser Arafat as rarely before since Israel's offensive in the West Bank began 10 days ago. It has been a long time since Arafat's stature was so high among his followers.
"If anyone stands before the Palestinian people and tries to take Yasser Arafat's place, we will hang him at Manara Square," said one Ramallah resident, Mohammed Rawhi, referring to the city's main square where Palestinian collaborators have been hanged.
Some Palestinians have voiced suspicion that the Bush administration is laying the groundwork for an attempt to find new Palestinian leadership, having repeatedly excoriated Arafat's record. But if Bush wants to find someone else to talk to about a cease-fire or any other Palestinian-Israeli issue, they said, he will find nobody home.
"Now more than ever, the address is Arafat," said Mahdi Abdul Hadi, a Palestinian political activist. "The irony of Arafat's isolation is that in these conditions, no one would dare try to fill his role even if they had a mind to."
Arafat is enduring his 11th day in the ruins of his headquarters in Ramallah. He spends his days telephoning Arab leaders to ensure he enjoys support abroad, said Saeb Erekat, an adviser who maintains frequent contact with the 72-year-old leader.
Sharon has said Arafat may leave Ramallah only on a "one-way ticket" to exile. US officials have repeated that Arafat is still thought of in Washington as the Palestinian leader. But inconsistent treatment has made Palestinians wary. During a diplomatic mission to the Middle East last month, for instance, Vice President Dick Cheney refused to speak with him. But the US special envoy, Anthony Zinni, visited him for 90 minutes last week inside the besieged compound. Secretary of State Colin Powell, who is barnstorming the region this week, said Sunday he might meet with Arafat if "circumstances" allow.
Abdullah Hourani, a social scientist in Gaza, said he suspects Powell might meet with Arafat but will try to include others to boost their statures. "I think the US and Israel want to exclude him," Hourani said. "But this will be very difficult. Arafat is not likely to make a fatal mistake like that."
Even before Powell's visit, no one wanted to appear to be standing in for Arafat. No top Palestinian leaders except Erekat and Yasser Abed Rabbo, an adviser and spokesman, have made public statements about anything having to do with negotiations. The caution has to do with fear of being regarded as a traitor. Palestinians consider Erekat and Abed Rabbo to be employees of Arafat and mouthpieces for him, but not viable candidates to replace him.
Mahmoud Abbas, the second in command of Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization, refused to speak to a reporter in Ramallah Monday because, he explained, "Arafat speaks for us all." Arafat has designated Abbas, known by his nickname Abu Mazin, as his successor in the PLO if he dies. "Let them desert Arafat now and see what happens," said a grocery store owner, Azmi Abu Majed. "Arafat looks like a giant compared to those Arab weaklings."
Workaday Palestinians have reacted to his incarceration by throwing their support to him unconditionally. It is a major shift. Even deep into the 18-month-old uprising against continued Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, Palestinians openly criticized Arafat for mismanagement of talks with Israel, for his dictatorial ways and for official corruption. Since the Israeli offensive in the West Bank began ON March 29, all that has changed.
"He's never been so popular," said Ghassan Khatib, a Palestinian political analyst in Al Quds. "What Bush doesn't understand is that Arafat's stand is more moderate than most of the Palestinian public. He has been willing to compromise more than the average person."
In Gaza, 6,000 demonstrators held a pro-Arafat march Monday. Many paraded under the banners of the Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, two dissident Muslim organizations that include terrorism in their resistance arsenal. Members of both groups normally have nothing good to say about Arafat.
Arafat selected his successors two months ago. Besides Abu Mazin for the PLO, he designated Ahmed Qureia, whose nickname is Abu Ala, to head the Palestinian Authority, which until the Israeli invasion administered 18 percent of the West Bank and about two-thirds of the Gaza Strip.-Dawn/LAT-WP News Service (c) The Washington Post.
Can this be true? Six thousand clueless losers who make Arafat look tame all together in the open in a spot whose co-ordinates are well known? Oooh, the possibilities...
The bodies of the Palestinian convicted collaborators Mohammed Deifallah, right, and Mahmoud Sabatin, left, lay inside a Red Crescent ambulance under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Thursday March 14, 2002. Palestinian militiamen killed two alleged collaborators with Israel on Thursday and attempted to hang the body of one from a rooftop overlooking the traditional birthplace of Christ but were prevented by Palestinian Police. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
The body of the Palestinian convicted collaborator Mohammed Deifallah is carried away by Palestinian Paramedics under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Thursday March 14, 2002. Palestinian militiamen killed two alleged collaborators with Israel on Thursday and attempted to hang the body of one from a rooftop overlooking the traditional birthplace of Christ but were prevented by Palestinian Police. Deifallah was sentenced to death last year by a Palestiniancourt for helping Israel kill a local militia leader, Hussein Abayat, in a missile attack on November 2000. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
EDS NOTE GRAPHIC CONTENT--Children look at the body of an alleged collaborator in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Thursday March 14, 2002. Palestinian militiamen killed two alleged collaborators with Israel on Thursday and attempted to hang the body of one from a rooftop overlooking the traditional birthplace of Christ but were prevented by Palestinian police. (AP Photo/Zoom 77) ISRAEL OUT COMMERCIAL ONLINE OUT
Palestinian men from the Fatah movement drag the body of a man alleged to have collaborated with the Israelis, after they killed him in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, March 14, 2002. Palestinian militiamen killed two alleged collaborators in Bethlehem. (Magnus Johansson/Reuters)
A Palestinian man covers the body of the Palestinian convicted collaborator Mohammed Deifallah under the supervision of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank town of Bethlehem Thursday March 14, 2002. Palestinian militiamen killed two alleged collaborators with Israel on Thursday and attempted to hang the body of one from a rooftop overlooking the traditional birthplace of Christ but were prevented by Palestinian police. Deifallah was sentenced to death last year by a Palestinian court for helping Israel kill a local militia leader, Hussein Abayat, in a missile attack in November 2000. (AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel)
Why Arafat?Joseph Farah
Please look at the photo accompanying this column.
Stare at it. View it carefully. Study the image.
This is the face of Yasser Arafat's terror. This is what it looks like. This is how he remains in power. This is why we continue to deal with this murdering fiend after more than 30 years.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.
This one may be worth many more.
The story behind this photo is simple. It's not unique. The victim is called a "collaborator" by Arafat's "police force." He was one of Arafat's terrorists who was suspected of working with Israel in some way.
The important thing to understand about this photo is that this is how Arafat rules his own people – by sheer terror, by brute force, by barbaric tactics that would be unimaginable to most in the West.
Yet, we continue to deal with him. We continue to support him financially with U.S. taxpayer dollars. We continue to give him credence as an international peacemaker.
If you care to know more details, the victim was eviscerated after this picture was taken. I have photos of that, too. I will spare you the more gruesome images.
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At a very distinct personal risk to themselves. But then, most Arabic Muslims have very little concept of individual liberty, a situation which is enforced by the unseen murder and abuse of dissidents within their own population. It is no sacrifice for youthful Palestinians to strap high explosives to themselves and walk into the middle of crowds. For them, the constant browbeating and abuse come to an end.
The Palestinian leaders that will talk peace with the Israelis and want a 'bipartisan' approach are not tolerated in the Arab dictatorships, IMHO.
You cannot dialogue when those willing to forge a peace are killed by their own side(and sometimes, the other) in the peace process--Arab and Israeli alike.
Ooo that's bad. I bet Ariphattt hates that. He prefers to be the one standing behind... mostly women and children, while ordering them to blow themselves up against other women and children because he's too much of a yellow bellied piss ant to actually fight a war against a military army.
I used to think that taking yassir out would be a mistake as it would make him a myartr... now I'm beginning to think that it doesn't really matter anymore. He's a pain in the ass either way, and at least with him gone maybe someone else with 1/2 a brain can take over. Assuming of course there is a pali with at least 1/2 a brain out there.
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