World without Arafat

Id like to hear some opinions on this as i dont really know much about him or how people (especially inthe middle east) feel about him.

This man is a criminal and a Terrorist!!!!

He is responsible for the deaths of thounsands of people worldwide.

Once he is out of the picture, the Palestinian people will now be able to create a homeland without this man screwing things up!

Agreed. His death will be the best thing to happen to the palistinians in years. They might actually make some progress now.

I don't think we will see much difference in the short term.

Arafat has been increasingly sidelined in politics, trapped in his home in Ramallah and even attacked by other palastinian political groups. Recently some close aids were killed by another Palastinain group wanting his power.

Probably the biggest thing that Arafat weilded was the money from the european union and the wages supposedly paid to staff, from which he stole much and bribed many.

Otherwise Hamas, funded by Iran, and other paramilitary groups have been fighting over the corpse of his organization for a long time.

One of his few positive attributes was that it gave Israel and the US a person who claimed to represent the palastinain people. As a result peace agreements were always worked out with him. With his death there is no one person who claims to represent the chaotic society as a whole.

His death may take the wind out of a few of the palastinian attackers, however there are so many other groups wanting a slice of the pie that his absence will be immediatly filled.

At a practical level he died long ago...

Many of us grew up in the 80's, when Arafat's name was synonymous with "terrorist". How he came to be regarded to be a "politician" is beyond me.

As for how he is regarded in the Middle East... He is seen as a champion of the Palestinian plight, and an old warrior. Of course, to us, tactics of deliberately targetting civilians are beastly, but this seems to be a sign of "ingenuity" on Arafat's part by many in the arab world.

He had his own militant sects of terrorists, and is a key figure behind the institution of Arab "charities" that funnel and launder money to terrorist organizations around the world.

There are few people in this world, whose death I'd cheer, but Arafat is one such man. The world will be a much better place without him....

Many of us grew up in the 80's, when Arafat's name was synonymous with "terrorist". How he came to be regarded to be a "politician" is beyond me.

Lol! I grew up in the 80s too, and Arafat was considered as a hero over here (Greece). Well, it all depends on one's point of view...

I'm growing up in the '00s and Arafat's name IS synonymous with terror. Some people just overlook Arafat's true motive. Hopefully soon his name and all it that it evokes will be past tense.

Originally posted by masterp

Many of us grew up in the 80's, when Arafat's name was synonymous with "terrorist". How he came to be regarded to be a "politician" is beyond me.

Lol! I grew up in the 80s too, and Arafat was considered as a hero over here (Greece). Well, it all depends on one's point of view...

There is a saying: "If you kill a man you are an assasin, if you kill thousands you are a leader"

I just wish we could see that terrorist Ariel Sharon up on the slab with him when the time comes.

Hamas wanted Arafat out, so this is a situation to be watched.

I say the palestinians have a chance IF they STOP the terror, Bush will see they get thier state..

Originally posted by Gazrok
Many of us grew up in the 80's, when Arafat's name was synonymous with "terrorist". How he came to be regarded to be a "politician" is beyond me.

Amen to that my brother!

Of course, as netchicken pointed out...the change would be for such a brief moment that the world could blink it's eyes and miss it...

Edit: Removed typos that made me sound like Golom...

[edit on 11/4/2004 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Well,

It is an interesting question.

If the new government in control can control the terrorists-the world will be a better place.

There are already signs that they will not. How can you take any kind of government there seriously, when they can't/won't control their own people?

Let them have their "state"-they have been offered everything they wanted except full control of Jerusalem-not going to happen people.

Close all border to Israel from there and if they continue their terrorist attacks declare a full on no holds bar war, not the little incursions they do now.