Quote:
Originally posted by shamrock_uk:
Hmm....I'm not sure about that. Part of Arafat's big problem has been holding back the militant factions and retaining control. It may be hard to visualise for some people, but Arafat was something of a 'moderate' in the PLO and so if he goes, I think the chances for peace will only lessen.
Without him as a focus, the public will rally about the figure most able to unite them, and as so often in the Arab world the best ideology to do this is Islamic extremism. I can't see the more moderate older Palestinians being able to hang on to public support and power in the face of this new younger and dynamic force in Palestinian politics
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You can't seriously describe Arafat as a moderate and keep a straight face can you Shamrock? I can only think that your young,(no insult intended here mate) and haven't had the benefit(?) of hearing about this conflict for as long as I have.
Have a read of this and then we'll continue our discussion.
http://www.usainreview.com/2_27_Forgotten_Terrorist.htm
Don't be fooled by the benign light that he has been painted in in the last decade or so. He has been, and I suspect has right up to now, been in full control of terrorist ops coming out of Palestine for a long time now. Presidents and Prime Ministers have come and gone, but he always remained. He had an almost innate knack of twisting the media to his own advantage to deflect attention from his own involvement. This has always been his strength. The region will be better off without him. It may cause a lot of trouble initially, but the area is still better off without him.
[ 11-05-2004, 11:51 AM: Message edited by: Skippy1 ]