[thatcher]

[Abla Saadat, wife of Ahmed Saadat, the head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine who is detained in the Jericho prison, said the ditching of the Jenin inquiry was a betrayal. "It is not just me who thinks so. Ninety per cent of the Palestinians, even some people around Arafat think so," she told reporters.

Mrs Saadat put into words the despair of the Palestinians after 19 months of violence. For all Mr Arafat's promises of victory, the Israeli iron fist has left city centres in ruins, broken the lives of thousands and ripped the guts out of the Palestinian administration, just like the Education Ministry computers.

"For 50 years Israel never brought us to despair. But seven years of Palestinian rule has brought us to the brink," she said. "Did we achieve a victory? Did we end the occupation? Only from around Arafat's compound."]

Ah! a glimmer of intelligence!!!

[Cold Heat]

This is what I have been waiting for. It won't be long before this grows to epidemic proportion and Arafat is no more.

[jwfiv]

Wow, this is news. I'd hoped this would be the case. Those people have to know, even in their mad, twilight consciousness, that Arafat and his power-hungry elite brethren, are the true malefactors in 'Palestine'.

Mmmmm, damn, this pleases me.

[ppaul]

The world sucks up.
He's gettin' off.

Yassir "Gettin' off scott-free" Arafat
Givin' the civilized world 'the finger.'

Business as usual.

Sound-bite link: "You are speaking to, ahhhhh, General Yassir Arafat!"

[jwfiv]

Wow, this is news. I'd hoped this would be the case. Those people have to know, even in their mad, twilight consciousness, that Arafat and his power-hungry elite brethren, are the true malefactors in 'Palestine'.

Mmmmm, damn, this pleases me.

[JDGreen123]

If this was the strategy behind the whole deal then I am impressed. That would be worthy of an old Mission Impossible episode where they discredit a leader in front of his own people.

[MozartLover]

Very interesting.

Did anyone see the "fake funeral" on Fox last night???? A group of Palestinians were filmed carrying a coffin draped in some sort of cloth; apparently this was supposed to be the funeral of some "martyr to the cause".........except at one point something or someone startled the group and sent everyone..........including the "dear departed".............running off in all directions. Speculation was that this was a scene designed to drum up sympathy.............until it backfired.

[liberallarry]

...wanted by Israel into British-supervised custody.

I thought it was to be joint British/American custody. Am I wrong?

[Fabozz]

"'For 50 years Israel never brought us to despair. But seven years of Palestinian rule has brought us to the brink,' she said... Ah! a glimmer of intelligence!!!"

Yeah, a glimmer, but only a faint one—notice that she claims to have been ruled by Israelis for 50 years—not 35 years, say, which would be the time since the 1967 "occupation." So much for the PLO's promises to recognize Israel's right to exist.

[Almondjoy]

I think many people there thought the infidea would bring out there Arab Nation brothers to come to their rescue and fight Israel. Now they know they stand alone.. maybe now they realize that the only way to freedom is without Arfat and through 7 years of peace instead of the 7 years of hate and war Arfat has brought them.

[Utopia]

I am so glad the Israelis did not kill Arafat. I'm sure it was tempting, very tempting, and the Israelis showed remarkable restraint and intelligence. It is far better for Arafat to lose credibility with his own people than (had he died) to be treated as a martyr, and thus a legend.

[Mixer]

I doubt he cares. Look!!!! he has the Vatican envoy on his side.

[grobdriver]

Ten peace activists - including Georgina Reeves, a Briton who lives in the Palestinian territories and is organiser of the International Solidarity Movement - slipped into the besieged church after colleagues created a diversion to distract Israeli soldiers.

Disappointing. I thought the IDF was better than this.

[paul51]

I don't believe this. Yesterday Geraldo was reporting just the opposite.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The British and American monitors guarding the Palestinian terrorists are sitting ducks. For the sake of our military personnel, I hope there is very tight security around the prison.

[Faraday]

It seems that the British press may have gotten the message that the Israelis don't give a damn what they think. Also, the Americans don't care (except Gore Vidal, a few lefties, and holocaust deniers). The Brit press may be making a strategic retreat in hopes someone will begin to listen. Sorry, won't happen.

[Redbob]

"Ah! a glimmer of intelligence!!!

Yeah, at this rate they should be ready to put down rocks and sticks and start using iron tools, fire, and verbal communication in, oh, 10,000 years or so!

[doug from upland]

He moved on to the Education Ministry to see the damage done by the army. All the computer hard disks have been removed, as well as the files and records of the past seven years' exam results.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Israeli attempt to encourage school vouchers???

[windcliff]

ping

[wardaddy]

Much as I would like to believe this. I'm not sure. It is in marked contrast to every other news report on Arafat's re-emergence I've reviewed from a variety of sources.

[Lancey Howard]

Palestinians still talk of an intifada, or uprising, but it has dawned on them that times have changed.

Why do Palestinians talk of an intifada? What do they get out of an intifada?