Arrafat Near Death...

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Palestinian leader Yassar Arrafat is, according to Fox News, in critical condition on life support in a French Hospital. Doctors do not expect him to survive. Conflicting reports have indicated that he has died, or is brain-dead. Sources in both Jerusalem and Paris though say Arrafat is still alive.

[ussacclaim 0]

I won't put much stock in the reports until I see:

 

1. Arafat's dead body

or

2. Arafat returning home

 

Other than these two it's just speculation.

[He Who Shall Not Be Named 2]

Who would most likely succeed him?

[Jim Phaserman 0]

Arrafat's successor has not been named, though it is thought among many media circles (whatever their thoughts are worth) that his Prime Minister will take over for him. Many analysts do believe, it seams, that with Arrafat out of the way the peace process in the middle east may go smoother, as he is viewed to be a major impediment to the Isreali-Palestinian Peace Process.

[cassidy 0]

According to what I've heard, he's dead :unsure:

[Gary Phaserman 0]

If you pay attention to all the news, you get an interesting message on his status.

 

Dead, but Improving steadily.

 

 

Sorry, got that from Letterman.

[Cougar 0]

is he dead? if you say he is, is it official?

[VaBeachGuy 12]

I haven't heard any news "officially" declaring him dead but just as a guess on my part of what's happening I think they will keep him "alive" until the money situation and the power situation worked out. Once they find out where his Billions are and a clear leader is worked out then they will announce his death. I think the French are just playing puppet for the Palestinians.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

I just heard the news officially; he's dead Jim.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

It's just a shame that a terrorist was permitted to die an old man in his sleep.

[Jeanway 0]

Quote VBG:

 

"I think the French are just playing puppet for the Palestinians."

 

Care to elaborate???? :unsure:

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Quote VBG:

 

  "I think the French are just playing puppet for the Palestinians."

 

  Care to elaborate???? :unsure:

279726[/snapback]

 

Not really. I don't want to offend anyone that's from France.

[Jeanway 0]

Thank you. But I really am interested in why you say that, really.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

It's just a shame that a terrorist was permitted to die an old man in his sleep.

279721[/snapback]

 

And worse the US is going to be involved in giving him a full Military funeral??? :unsure:

[Jeanway 0]

OH MY :( :unsure:

[Jim Phaserman 0]

R. Lee Ermey appeared on Fox News today to talk about Veterans Day, and the Gunny also made mention of Arafat.

 

"I don't mourn his death. I celebrate it, and I celebrate the deaths of all the terrorists (refering to the 600+ terrorists the US Military has killed) in Fallujah"

 

Ooh Rah, Gunny.

 

did you see the pics of his casket being put on a plane for Cairo? It looked as though they had a special place for Arafat. the cargo hold.

[Odie 0]

You may not like him and I don't like him, but he was the leader of the Palestinians. Yes he was terrorist, but he meant a lot to the Palestinians. The Palestinians lost their leader, and their fallen leader is given the same respect as we would give any leader. Now lets give the Palestinians room to morn their leader.

[VaBeachGuy 12]

You may not like him and I don't like him, but he was the leader of the Palestinians.  Yes he was terrorist, but he meant a lot to the Palestinians.  The Palestinians lost their leader, and their fallen leader is given the same respect as we would give any leader.  Now lets give the Palestinians room to morn their leader.

279902[/snapback]

 

Yeah, but Osama Bin Laden is the leader of al Quadia. Would we give him respect as a "fallen leader" or rejoice in that fact that he is no longer wasting perfectly good oxygen? I make no distinction between one terrorist and another. A terrorist is a terrorist. And as R. Lee Ermey said. It's a day to celebrate.

 

Now maybe peace can come to the middle east, it never would have while Arafat was alive.

[Odie 0]

You may not like him and I don't like him, but he was the leader of the Palestinians.  Yes he was terrorist, but he meant a lot to the Palestinians.  The Palestinians lost their leader, and their fallen leader is given the same respect as we would give any leader.  Now lets give the Palestinians room to morn their leader.

279902[/snapback]

 

Yeah, but Osama Bin Laden is the leader of al Quadia. Would we give him respect as a "fallen leader" or rejoice in that fact that he is no longer wasting perfectly good oxygen? I make no distinction between one terrorist and another. A terrorist is a terrorist. And as R. Lee Ermey said. It's a day to celebrate.

 

Now maybe peace can come to the middle east, it never would have while Arafat was alive.

279916[/snapback]

 

Well for the peace in the mideast the rest of world will just give him the respect as a leader. That doesn't mean that we have to like it, but its just respect towards the Palestinians who view Arafat as their leader. I really don't care about Arafat. May he rot in h.ell for what he did. My concern is just is on the Palestinians and how they will react if he is not given that respect. If the world doesn't do this right there will be more violence in Israel. Now maybe Israel and the Palestinians can start working there way towards peace.

[ILIKESEVEN 0]

Well, he died, and now the rest off all the terrorist have to follow him :unsure:

Edited November 12, 2004 by mj

[VaBeachGuy 12]

Well for the peace in the mideast the rest of world will just give him the respect as a leader.  That doesn't mean that we have to like it, but its just respect towards the Palestinians who view Arafat as their leader.  I really don't care about Arafat.  May he rot in h.ell for what he did.    My concern is just is on the Palestinians and how they will react if he is not given that respect.  If the world doesn't do this right there will be more violence in Israel.  Now maybe Israel and the Palestinians can start working there way towards peace.

279966[/snapback]

 

I understand what you're saying, I just think that we shouldn't give respect to a terrorist because that legitimizes what he did to get to where he was. We shouldn't show disrespect, and fan the flames but we (as a Nation) shouldn't make him into something he wasn't and thereby hide what he really was.

 

Like I said, should we show respect for Bin Laden when he dies simply because he has a large group of people that view him as their leader? No, a terrorist is a terrorist.

[Odie 0]

Here is one former President that won't attend the funeral. :unsure:

 

Clinton Says Arafat Missed the Chance for Peace

 

By Ellen Wulfhorst

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton on Thursday offered condolences to Palestinians after the death of Yasser Arafat but said their leader had missed the opportunity to create lasting Middle East peace in 2000.

 

Clinton, who helped broker a Middle East peace plan with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli leader Yitzhak Rabin in 1993, will not attend either his memorial service or his funeral, the former president's office said.

 

Clinton, Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Rabin made history on Sept. 13, 1993, when the three men shook hands on the White House lawn and signed interim peace accords that led to seven years of negotiation and relative peace.

 

But he said in a statement, "I regret that in 2000 he missed the opportunity to bring that nation into being and pray 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."

 

Attempts to steer Arafat and the Israelis to a Middle East peace agreement dominated much of Clinton's last year in office in 2000 but the talks finally broke down, with the White House putting much of the blame on Arafat.

 

"However others viewed him, the Palestinians saw him as the father of their nation," said Clinton, who underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery two months ago.

 

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called Arafat "the father of the modern Palestinian nationalist movement" and "a powerful human symbol and forceful advocate."

 

"While he provided indispensable leadership to a revolutionary movement and was instrumental in forging a peace agreement with Israel in 1993, he was excluded from the negotiating role in more recent years," Carter said in a statement issued by his office.

 

"My hope is that an emerging Palestinian leadership can benefit from Arafat's experiences, be welcomed to the peace process by Prime Minister (Ariel) Sharon and President Bush (news - web sites), and be successful in helping to forge a Palestinian state living in harmony with their Israeli neighbors," he said.