*** THE PLAN TO REMOVE ARAFAT *** http://www.fpif.org/commentary/0107arafat.html
By R.S. Zaharna
(Editor's Note: Inside the U.S. the pervading view--as shaped by the U.S. government and the New York Times--is that Arafat and the Palestinian people are primarily to blame for the breakdown of the peace process and persistent violence. Elsewhere in the world the Israel-Palestine tensions are commonly regarded differently--Israel is seen as an occupying power that has disregarded world opinion, international law, and human rights norms. Under President Sharon, this arrogance has deepened--with dire consequences for the Palestinian people and for stability in the region. Undoubtedly, the failures of President Yasser Arafat as leader and statesman are contributing to the problems facing the Palestinian Authority, but a focus on Arafat obscures the root causes and victims of the violence. A new FPIF commentary looks at Arafat's control of the Palestinian Authority and Israel's "security" strategy. Excerpted below, the essay by R.S. Zaharna is posted at: http://www.fpif.org/commentary/0107arafat.html. Another new commentary by Stephen Zunes, included below, takes Democrats to task for their failure to protest the targeted killings of Palestinians.) <snip> Michael Pugliese