Posted on 07/09/2002 3:49:01 PM PDT by Brian Mosely
AMMAN — Arab leaders have told Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat that neither the United States nor Israel will agree to deal with him again.
[On Monday, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Secretary of State Colin Powell has ended communications with Arafat. "He has no plans to talk to chairman Arafat," Boucher said. "I think we made that quite clear."]
Arab diplomatic sources said Arafat's allies in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have, in recent weeks, come to terms with the prospect that Arafat will probably be replaced. They said Arafat has rejected several offers to go into exile, Middle East Newsline reported.
Israeli sources said the decline in Arab support for Arafat has been dramatic over the last two weeks in the wake of President George Bush's call for a new democratic Palestinian leadership. They said Arafat's former allies are now searching to support a replacement for the Palestinian leader who will be most understanding of their interests.
"The idea is to make it clear to the Palestinians that Arafat is the sole obstacle to the goal of achieving a Palestinian state," an Arab diplomatic source said. "This has placed unprecedented pressure on Arafat."
The sources said both Washington and Jerusalem would resume efforts to discuss a Palestinian state once Arafat steps down.
Arafat, increasingly isolated from his people and under pressure from his former Arab allies, is expected to step down by the end of the year.
Arab and Israeli diplomatic sources said Arafat has been dismayed that his authority and freedom of movement have been whittled down to the point where he could be removed in a bloodless coup. The sources said Arafat is considering a proposal by such Arab countries as Egypt and Saudi Arabia to accept a ceremonial post, such as president, in any new Palestinian government.
Under the proposal, Arafat would be able to remain in the Palestinian areas but lose his administrative authority. On Monday, the Jordanian opposition Al Majd weekly quoted senior Palestinian sources as saying that Palestinian Legislative Council speaker Ahmed Qurei is Arafat's most likely successor.
The sources said Arafat has been firing and rehiring his security chiefs in a series of moves that have demoralized his remaining supporters. They said his decisions have been erratic and are being ignored by such security veterans as Preventive Security Apparatus chief Jibril Rajoub and intelligence chief Tawfik Tirawi.
The Bush administration has dismissed Arafat's appointments, including his 100-day reform plan. "While it offers promising elements of change, the plan is only likely to strengthen the unacceptable status quo," Robert Satloff, policy planning and strategic director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said.
But, but, the media all said we can't choose other people's leaders, and Europeans, Arabs and UN would never go along with it. What happened?
Once again Bush has exercized leadership to change the pardigm, and others are scambling to keep up.
Attaboy, George. (With a tip o'the hat to Arik, Condi, Rummy.)
Lemme see, Leslie Van Houten Manson Murdering Slut Pig is denied parole. The Son of Sam is denied parole. It's looking like, at long last, Yasserpigdoo is denied 'parole'.
Maybe their is, once in awhile, genuine justice at the hands of man. Very encouraging. Farout.
That is interesting for one reason - it shows that while a genocidal murderous maniac, Arafat has been a tool for the Arab states. And that they will replace him, if they have to, with something equally genocidal but with more miles to go.
They should all be driven into the sea.
He's holding out for an invitation to go into exile in Democratburg, a suburb of Liberalville.
Makes some of the carping, whining and name-calling toward Bush and his supporters seem as petty as it really is. GW may not be great - yet - but he's darned good. Ask Arafat. Once Bush pulled the rug out from under him by calling for a change of Palestinian leadership before anything else happens the Arabs that support Arafat started looking elsewhere for a new 'leader' in Palestine. Arafat's days are numbered and everyone knows it...thanks to President Bush.
Him and Alex Balwin could share a condo together.
Because he would have to live with his wife who is living it up in Paris. I heard that Arafat is a homosexual. He likes men. He doesn't like women. He only married to get an heir. He wound up with a girl kid. The kid's Mom says the daughter can't grow up to be a suicide bomber because she isn't a boy. The wife says that suicide bombers are heroes. I could be wrong about all of this.
Yes, indeedy. During the clintoon admin, Arafat was a frequent visitor. He was at the WH, Camp David, Wye, and several other places. His first class travels are done.
Bush isn't giving him another chance. The Palestinians know that this isn't clintoon in the WH. The Arabs (Arafat and bin Laden, for two) who assumed that clintoon was a reflection of the American spirit made a sad mistake. And I say that with great glee!
There's a chance here, but it's less than 50/50, IMHO. What cannot happen is a commitment from the United States to support this in any way militarily; that is simply unacceptable to those whose grudging consent is necessary for the cessation or amelioration of violence. This one is going to have to be handled with a delicacy not seen in U.S. foreign policy for quite a long time - is Bush, or more properly, is his staff up to it?
NEWS FLASH TO ARA-O-FATSLOB: Don't hold your breath cause it ain't gonna happen.
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