Arafat is Dead

[Groty]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/11/10/arafat.obit/index.html

I understand the Speaker of the House will take over now. Who are the front runners in the next elections? Does anyone have profiles on them?

[Claverhouse]

No idea. All I know is that the Israelis have been slaughtering every possible successor in the past few years.

On the De Mortuis Nil Nisi Bonum front, in Mozilla Forums (http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=160200&highlight=context+menu), apart from claims that Yassir stashed away 7 billion dollars ( Come on, now even Republican presidents rarely push the whole US deficit to that amount ), one charmer wrote:


He was a mass murderer and a thug who murdered 1000's of people (many of them his own). He doomed the people he represented to a life of death, destruction and hopelessness for more than 30 years. He corrupted generations with his greed and deceit. He heaped shame upon millions of proud, honest, hardworking decent people. He desecrated the Holy religion of Islam and defiled 100's of years of humane & cultured Arab achievements.

His soul will be tormented in the afterlife just as his diseased body suffered in life. He will never find eternal peace. His body will not touch the ground because even the worms & insects will shun him and not partake in his flesh...

He should be buried in swine skin and bathed in the blood of pigs.....


Somehow I feel the writer is not a Christian.



Claverhouse :ph34r:

[Groty]

Interesting Responses:




U.S. President George W. Bush expressed his condolences to the Palestinian people and said Arafat's death was a "significant moment" in Palestinian history.

"For the Palestinian people, we hope that the future will bring peace and the fulfillment of their aspirations for an independent, democratic Palestine that is at peace with its neighbors," Bush said.

"During the period of transition that is ahead, we urge all in the region and throughout the world to join in helping make progress toward these goals and toward the ultimate goal of peace."

"... now Sharon, will you please get your hand out of my ass."




Former U.S. President Bill Clinton offered his condolences to Arafat's family, to his partners in the PLO and to the Palestinian people.

Clinton said history would record that Arafat's greatest moment was on 13 September 1993 when he and then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shook hands on the White House lawn to sign the Oslo Accords, which led to seven years of negotiation, progress and relative peace.

"However others viewed him, the Palestinians saw him as the father of their nation," Clinton said.

But Clinton said he regretted that in 2000 Arafat missed the opportunity to bring his nation into being.

He said he prayed for the day "when the dreams of the Palestinian people for a state and a better life will be realized in a just and lasting peace."


I appreciate Clinton's response much more, though I was never a fan of his.

[jimkopelli]

So... what do you think will happen now?

[mgb]

I think its going to be a bigger mess than when Arafat was in charge. I think he was somewhat of a father figure to a lot of Palestinians and I can see a lot of political fractioning on the horizon. Bush has pretty much been calling Arafat a roadblock to peace. Funny that he isn't saying the same of Sharon. Comments like that won't help the situation.

With luck a strong leader will come in and settle the people down. Without a clear leader I think things will look pretty dismal to the people and Hamas and other groups will see their membership swell, which will be bad news for Israel.

[mgb]

Also,

Bush is going to put a lot into this. So far his legacy is pretty weak. I think Bush wants to make peace in Israel his legacy. Plus as a Christian it will just make him giddy.

I think you might see more US involvement in the conflict, especially if tensions begin to increase.

[Arioch]

Also,

Bush is going to put a lot into this. So far his legacy is pretty weak. I think Bush wants to make peace in Israel his legacy. Plus as a Christian it will just make him giddy.

I think you might see more US involvement in the conflict, especially if tensions begin to increase.

The real reason why Isreal keeps on being seen as the angle in this (not by the U.N.) is that the Isreali lobby has the senate in their back pockets. Litrally. Isreal has gone on record saying that they own the American senate (wishes he could find out where again, lost the link).
Bush also wants it because the extremist christian lobbies want Isreal to forfil a few prophasies they think they know of.

It doesn't help that all the major news channels in the US (along with most of hollywood) are also run by zionists and thus only show Jew friendly propaganda.

If perception is reality... and you control the media.. and the people that make decisions you realize why a huge amount of money goes from america to Isreal. More then the money they give to all other countries combined iirc. And why their always protecting them and veto'ing anything that goes on in the U.N. thats Isreal un-friendly

[Claverhouse]

Plus as a Christian it will just make him giddy.


Rapturous, in fact.



Claverhouse :ph34r:

[crule81]

The real reason why Isreal keeps on being seen as the angle in this (not by the U.N.) is that the Isreali lobby has the senate in their back pockets. Litrally. Isreal has gone on record saying that they own the American senate (wishes he could find out where again, lost the link).
Bush also wants it because the extremist christian lobbies want Isreal to forfil a few prophasies they think they know of.

It doesn't help that all the major news channels in the US (along with most of hollywood) are also run by zionists and thus only show Jew friendly propaganda.

If perception is reality... and you control the media.. and the people that make decisions you realize why a huge amount of money goes from america to Isreal. More then the money they give to all other countries combined iirc. And why their always protecting them and veto'ing anything that goes on in the U.N. thats Isreal un-friendly

I think it balances out the fact that the rest of the world hates Israel and, without US support, it and its Jewish inhabitants would soon cease to exist.

[Arioch]

The real reason why Isreal keeps on being seen as the angle in this (not by the U.N.) is that the Isreali lobby has the senate in their back pockets. Litrally. Isreal has gone on record saying that they own the American senate (wishes he could find out where again, lost the link).
Bush also wants it because the extremist christian lobbies want Isreal to forfil a few prophasies they think they know of.

It doesn't help that all the major news channels in the US (along with most of hollywood) are also run by zionists and thus only show Jew friendly propaganda.

If perception is reality... and you control the media.. and the people that make decisions you realize why a huge amount of money goes from america to Isreal. More then the money they give to all other countries combined iirc. And why their always protecting them and veto'ing anything that goes on in the U.N. thats Isreal un-friendly

I think it balances out the fact that the rest of the world hates Israel and, without US support, it and its Jewish inhabitants would soon cease to exist.

Bah, the world does not all hate Isreal.

However I think I lean more towards not liking Isreal. I don't think that they have any right to the land. Middle Eastern jews were already living there quite happily with everyone else. Then a whole bunch of Europeans and Americans who happen to be Jews decide that they have a right to the place. While this explanation doesn't include the backroom politics and backstabbing that made Isreal possible iI hope it shows my point sufficiently.

If not... think about what you'd think if France and Germany combined forces and occupied china. A small minority controlling the lives of millions. And used any means they decided nessesary to keep it firmly in their control including torture, murder, castration, terrorism etc etc etc.
Who would believe them in the right?

[jimkopelli]

Plus as a Christian it will just make him giddy.
Rapturous, in fact.

That's not good for the rest of us... oh, wait... maybe it is... If he starts a national koolaid thing, I'm staying well away...

[Groty]

Roadblock to Peace...

Okay, you can have self rule. Only in these little dots on the map. So what if they don't connect and some of the areas are only about 100 square acres in size? Oh yeah, the areas we're giving over to you have no natural resources whatsoever and don't border other nations. All trade, water, food, and clean underwear must come through us. And one more thing, you're brothers, sisters, parents, cousins, aunts and uncles can't move back. We have to save that land for the Russian immigrants.

Blah blah blah blah

[crule81]

Bah, the world does not all hate Isreal.

However I think I lean more towards not liking Isreal. I don't think that they have any right to the land. Middle Eastern jews were already living there quite happily with everyone else. Then a whole bunch of Europeans and Americans who happen to be Jews decide that they have a right to the place. While this explanation doesn't include the backroom politics and backstabbing that made Isreal possible iI hope it shows my point sufficiently.

If not... think about what you'd think if France and Germany combined forces and occupied china. A small minority controlling the lives of millions. And used any means they decided nessesary to keep it firmly in their control including torture, murder, castration, terrorism etc etc etc.
Who would believe them in the right?

I wasn't speaking to why much of the world hates Israel, but rather that if the US ceased to support Israel, it would inevitably be destroyed by several Muslim nations acting in consort.

[BritainOphira]

WASHINGTON - Wrapping up talks at the White House, President Bush and his main ally in the war in Iraq, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, agreed Friday to “finish the job” of establishing a free Iraq and promoting democracy across the Middle East.

That includes nurturing a democratic Palestine, Bush told reporters at a joint news conference, saying the death of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat had provided “a great chance to establish a Palestinian state” and a broader peace in the Middle East.

“I intend to use the next four years to spend the capital of the United States on such a state,” Bush said with Blair at his side. “I believe it is in the interests of the world that such a truly free state develop. I know it is in the interest of the Palestinian people.”

But Bush added that it was up to Palestinians to elect a democratic government and Arafat’s successors to allow freedoms to take root. “We’ll hold their feet to the fire to make sure that democracy prevails,” he said.

I saw part of this in between sleeping all day. From what I heard, I think Bush would truly like Pakistan to be the next Iraq. Or, if it doesn't turn out too well, Afghanistan...
He kept insisting that dictators could not be elected, as elections were for democracies, because, obviously no dictator ever holds elections. :blink:

[sbw]

Plus as a Christian it will just make him giddy.


Rapturous, in fact.



Claverhouse :ph34r:


HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

[Sam172]

I'm sad that Arafat is dead :(

I saw him as a true pain in the ass for Israel, which can only be a good thing for the world. He embodied the Palestinian views (usually, or at least more so than current US leaders ;P ) and generally I think wanted peace.....until Israel pushed him aside.

To be honest I hold Yasser Arafat in higher regard than any Israeli person I have met to date. Long live Palestine :)

[mgb]

Does anyone know what happened during the peace talks in '93 when Arafat and Rabin were close to signing an agreement but didn't?

I was listening to talk radio tonight for a bit and the announcer said that Arafat pulled out even though Israel was willing to give him all the concessions he wanted. I think the announcer is an idiot, especially since the caller was so quickly dismissed after making some great points.

So yeah, I am lazy and I hope someone knows more about this than me.

[mgb]

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast/Palestine/Violence2000.asp

Ok, I got not lazy because I really wanted to figure it out. As I earlier suspected, the radio announcer is an idiot.

The Oslo Accords were sided towards Israel and Palestinians saw their conditions deteriorate over the years until there was no more hope.