Arafat Has Stomach Cancer

"terrorist chief Yasser Arafat..."

Thats a bit harsh. What evidence do you base that statement on?

David

Um. Arafat is the leader of the Fatah movement, whose military wing is the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a State Department-recognized -- and Arafat led -- terrorist organization.

Does Arafat control the brigades?
Arafat’s advisers say he does not; Israeli officials say he does; and different leaders of the group tell different stories about whether they take their orders from Arafat. “Our group is an integral part of Fatah,” Maslama Thabet, one of the group’s leaders in the West Bank town of Tulkarm, told USA Today in March 2002. “We receive our instructions from Fatah. Our commander is Yasir Arafat himself.” But another of the group’s leaders, Naser Badawi, told the New York Times days later that while “we respect our leader,” the decision “to carry out attacks remains with the Aqsa Brigades leadership.” Badawi added that Arafat has never approached the group to ask it to stop its suicide bombings, which Arafat has publicly condemned. Palestinian officials have said that most of the group’s members are on the payroll of the Palestinian Authority, often because they serve in both the brigades and in one of Arafat’s 14 formal security services. In April 2002, Israel captured Marwan Barghouti, the West Bank leader of Arafat’s Fatah and a leading figure in the brigades. In June 2002, President Bush decided to call for Arafat’s removal after receiving Israeli intelligence reports showing that Arafat had approved a $20,000 payment to the brigades.

So yes, Yasser was and is a terrorist.

Arafat disappearing is nothing but good in the long term. However, I doubt this will lead to a lasting peace in the near future. For reasons I don't fully understand, Arafat is a huge power in the Palestinian world. The other terrorist groups (even Hamas) seem to give him quite a bit of respect. The power vacuum he will leave behind will have to be filled and I doubt there is anyone to fill it.

One thing's for sure: whatever happens will be interesting.