Killing Arafat

[nova_satori]

You've Got To Be Joking

Are they serious? That would be worse then simply exileing him. A martyr, exile or a prisoner in his own land?

I pick prisoner....

[KrustyKidd]

Better to not do anything. That way they will only hate Israel a little bit rather than a lot. If they exile him then they will really hate them and if they kill him then they will really, really hate them. LOL like what's the difference here? At least with a bullet in his head they have got rid of one more murderer.

[FastNed]

Time to revoke and rescend the sick facade of "Oslo". There was never compliance by Arafat or the Paslestinians so end it, reoccupy the territories ceeded to the Palestinians. Kill or drive out the terrorists, which most definately includes Arafat.

[Craig Read]

Yes i agree. Oslo is nonsense. Arafat is a terrorist, has not built one shred of a organisation dedicated to democracy, uses funds from abroad to arm the insurrection and uses terrorist links to import weapons.

Time to kill him. In fact the time WAS LONG AGO to get rid of the world's ugliest man. You would think the Palestinians would be happy to get rid of his holy ugliness - at least have the decency to have somebody that ressembles a human leading the PLO.

[Whistler]

IMHO it would make little or no difference to eliminate Arafat. The Arabs need the ‘Palestinian cause’ to keep their repressed people focused on the cause and not their own sufferings. God / Ala forbid if the people start looking inward towards their own welfare governments. As for Israel it is better to struggle with the Palestinians on one front than several countries on several fronts. Until Arabia can be helped into the twenty-first century and the people feel there is actually hope in their future this is the best that can be expected. Kill Arafat and the Muslims have a martyr for a rally point keep him and nothing changes.

[Craig Read]

Arafat is the problem.

Time to start fixing the problem at its core - which is the elimination of Arafat and his corrupt gang, Hamas, Holy Jihad, Tiny Penis Jihad and so on.

Being an ostrich does not help.

[Whistler]

I fear Arafat has no more actual control over Hamas and the Islamic Jihad than I do. Kill him it won't change a thing.

[Cameron]

Tiny Penis Jihad and so on.

Sometimes we don't see eye-to-eye Craig, but...

[theloniusfleabag]

Arafat should be charged with Crimes against humanity in The Hague. Killing him will only create a martyr, like the old adage 'close a door and another will open'. The door closing would be the death of Arafat, the opening would be the deification of him.

If he dies resisting arrest, so be it. But, the Israeli's should not be doing the arresting. It should be the UN, and that would eliminate the risk of 'legitimizing repercussions'.

Mind you, as Whistler stated, it might be difficult to prove Arafat has ANY control.

[Black Dog]

If Arafat dies at the hands of Israel, I wonder if we would see Sharon go speeding down to hell after him: one war criminal for another.

That said, killing Arafat will indeed stiffen the resolve of Palistinian militant groups. Which, I fear, is exactly what the Likudniks want: not peace, but a rising tide of bloodshed that will allow them to advance their agenda on the backs of innocent Israelis and Palestinians alike.

[Greg]

Tiny Penis Jihad

Cut this bullshit out, Craig.

[SirRiff]

killing arafat would set a precedent of targeting leaders under vauge justifications. he has been holed up ina compound for 2 years under israels watchfull eye. he obviously cant partake in or plan attacks.

thus Sharon could just as well be targeted under teh same bizarre argument that he associates with terrorsts, or was a terrorist (as many arabs look at him in past wars), and so on and so on.

arafat is now a politician, and is thus protected from targeting, just like presidents and prime ministers. what he did in a war along time ago, or what violence is associated with his politics is not the point, you could make that argument against many world leaders.

if he kills someone, then you get to kill him. else you deserve retaliation and it starts all over again.

[Nuclear]

Well it WOULD work....Israel was enjoying the peace(as were the innocent Palestinians who jsut wna t live peacefully) but Hamas, headed by Arafat, had to start it up again....yeah, he'd be a martyr, but a dead martyr is better than a terrorist leader....

[nova_satori]

How exactly does killing arafat help the Isreali cause?

The death of Arafat at the IDF's hands will become a huge beacon to the middle east. Thousands will come to help palestine evict Isreal from "palestine lands." (even though they should bring that up with Britain)

You think they had it bad before? When they have thousands of recruits willing to sacrifice themselves every day, Isreal will fall. 365 bombings?

Conservatives and their inability to see anything beyond the propaganda of their country.

but a dead martyr is better than a terrorist leader....

Millions of people don't fly to a living leader. Millions gather around the fires of the memories of a martyr.

Yes i agree. Oslo is nonsense. Arafat is a terrorist, has not built one shred of a organisation dedicated to democracy, uses funds from abroad to arm the insurrection and uses terrorist links to import weapons.

Does that mean that killing him and igniting the fires with pure hydrogen is better?

[Craig Read]

No what it means is dismantling a gang of thugs, that steal money, keep their people in poverty and ignorance, and engage in war with a nation that has a democratic process.

I don't subscribe to the silly Lie-beral idea that such men can be 'managed' and 'controlled'. They can only be useful when dead, when they are replaced by real processes of change and reform whereby the rights, lives and success of the Palestinian people are put ahead of the greed, graft and cowardice of thugs like Arafat.

Good riddance to the odious little monster, the world's ugliest man. For too long he has kept his people in bondage.

[Mr Farrius]

What you people dont' realize is that killing Arafat would make him a martyr and just cause more suicide bombings. Just look at the bombings on the rise as attempts are made for peace. Killing Arafat would cause another 9-11. I suggest the U.S. be wise about its actions.

[Nuclear]

Claiming that any action again terrorists such as bin laden or arafat, other than sitting around a table talking, will result in another 9-11 is making a complex topic far too simple.

First off, we can talk to arafat all we want and we're not going to get anywhere....

They finally had peace over there and were in negotiations for a perminent peace when the Palestinians practicing their 'religion of peace' starting the fighting again.

Worst case scenario, the palestinians get mad and commit more suicide bombings. As tragic as that is for the poor Jews who have to live with them, if all the palestinians blow themselves up(hopefully killing as few Jews as possible, if any at all) then we won't have any terrorist problems....

Here is how it is:

The palestinians stop fighting, the conflict ends.

The Israelis stop fighting, and there will no longer be an Israel.

That's all there is to it.

[nova_satori]

To all the rational minded people here: Stop bothering trying to show the right-wing that martyrs are bad for Isreal.

Let them see how bad it gets when they do kill them. Then we can laugh at their stupidity and lack of foresight.

Just when you thought that suicide bombings couldn't get any worse....they kill arafat and the whole area goes to hell.

Here is how it is:

The palestinians stop fighting, the conflict ends.

The Israelis stop fighting, and there will no longer be an Israel. That's all there is to it.

Simple minded right-winger. Do you understand the plight of the palestines or do you simply believe whatever the media says? have you spoken with any palestinanes? Many of the palesetines simply want their land and freedoms back. They hold no relation or support to the militant groups, yet Isreal oppresses them as well.

[Sov-kela]

While I agree Arafat needs to be forcibly removed, I don't think it should actually be done, at least not by Israel. There are many countries in the region with ill will towards Israel and they would most likely see this as an opportunity to actively express their opinions.

Many of you have said it would make Arafat a martyr. This is certainly true if you're talking about his pet terror groups, but is it true for the Palestinian civilians?

Palestine is not made up of monsters. They are human beings with the same basic desires we have. It's inconceivable that they all support this campaign of terror. The far more likely scenario is that they have no choice but to appear to support Arafat and his thugs or risk being punished themselves.

It reminds me of Saddam Hussein's "election" where he was the only candidate and he won every single vote.

So how much support does Arafat really have?

[nova_satori]

Many of you have said it would make Arafat a martyr. This is certainly true if you're talking about his pet terror groups, but is it true for the Palestinian civilians?

Not necessarily civilians, but militants from around the middle east. However, some civilians see Arafat as a method to regain their land and freedoms from Isreal. The creation of Isreal via Britain and the UN essentially stole the land out from under the palestinies living there.

Many want their land back and freedoms, but some are willing to support "terror" as we see. They see it as legitamte freedom fighting aganist a oppressive army and government.

Palestine is not made up of monsters. They are human beings with the same basic desires we have.

Of course, however the right doesn't think so.

If you were a Arab or a Muslim, the odds of you supporting the downfall and reinstation of the palestines would be high, but whether or not you support "terror," is something I haven't gotten to in my conversations with Middle Easterners.

The far more likely scenario is that they have no choice but to appear to support Arafat and his thugs or risk being punished themselves.

Well, either Arafat or the people with no power, like Abbas. Not much of a choice.

So how much support does Arafat really have?

You'd be suprised how much support he can rally if he was exiled. That is why Isreal is extremely hesitant to exile him. He will be more of a threat on the outside. Killing him might be the worse option.

[Craig Read]

No one will 'rally' around the world's ugliest terrorist, except uglier female friends perhaps.

The power vacuum will be quickly filled.

Killing Arafat would give the Palestinians the chance they say they want - a constructive government, dedicated to building a state.

The ugly one should have been dealth with LONG ago.

[nova_satori]

No one will 'rally' around the world's ugliest terrorist, except uglier female friends perhaps.

The power vacuum will be quickly filled.

Killing Arafat would give the Palestinians the chance they say they want - a constructive government, dedicated to building a state. The ugly one should have been dealth with LONG ago.

Is there anything of substance here that hasn't been so distorted and warped by propaganda, bias, complete lack of understanding of their side, and just unbridled hatred?

It saddens me that there are people like Craig who would rather shoot first then ask questions.

[Achilles]

I have to agree with Mr Farrius. To make Arafat a marytr would mean war for the United States. Arafat will soon enough resign or be kicked out because of the huge amount of negative media floating around. If the US plays its cards right, which is almost imposible with Bush in charge, Arafat my be gone by the end of the year. This solution will not cause even the slightest bit of controversy in Congress because their favorite course of action is none. The US should stop believing itself to be a "Globo Cop" and just stick it out.

[Whistler]

If taking Arafat out is an option let the Israelis handle it...I’m not sure we could find him.

[Craig Read]

Well he is in his Ramallah compound with his ugly cohort. The Mossad could do the job in a second. Exile is not an option, Arafat will go back to Tunisia, plot, run arms and money and disrupt the peace process.

Death by a thousand cuts is appropriate - one cut for every murdered Jew.....