Yasser Arafat has finally died. I am not sure how much of you guys keep up with the news, but he was the President of Palistan. Some people saw him as a terrorist, and some as a good person. For those who know about him. How did you see him, if at all?
-S2k
ID:275781
 Nov 10 2004, 9:16 pm
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Nov 10 2004, 10:56 pm
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Repiv
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He was a great Yasser, albeit very fat.
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Yasser was many things. Early in his career he was the leader of one of the most violent anti-Israeli terrorist groups and responsible for many civillian deaths. However, in the 1990s, the PLO shifted into the more moderate Palestinian Authority and showed a willingness to work through more peaceful means. Arafat was a key leader in the process. He worked with both Israeli and American leaders towards a peaceful resolution. Unfortunately, setbacks to the peace process and the election of a US president more interested in anti-terror rhetoric than Middle East peace eventually derailed the peace process. Israel continued to undermine Arafat's authority with his constituents, eventually isolating him within his compound. As a result, Palestine became increasingly fractured and Arafat had trouble quelling more militant groups who saw him as a traitor to their cause.
Arafat's death is a tragic culmination of a failed policy between Israel and Palestine. Hopefully, with new leadership the Palestine Authority will be able to move forward in the peace process. However, with the current makeup of the Likkud and Bush's staunch pro-Israel/anti-Islam stance, I am not optimistic. I expect current events in the Middle East to spur the militants to make a grab at power, much to the chagrin of the majority of Palestinians who simply want peace (just as their Israeli neighbors do). | |
Jmurph wrote:
Yasser was many things. Early in his career he was the leader of one of the most violent anti-Israeli terrorist groups and responsible for many civillian deaths. However, in the 1990s, the PLO shifted into the more moderate Palestinian Authority and showed a willingness to work through more peaceful means. Arafat was a key leader in the process. He worked with both Israeli and American leaders towards a peaceful resolution. Unfortunately, setbacks to the peace process and the election of a US president more interested in anti-terror rhetoric than Middle East peace eventually derailed the peace process. Israel continued to undermine Arafat's authority with his constituents, eventually isolating him within his compound. As a result, Palestine became increasingly fractured and Arafat had trouble quelling more militant groups who saw him as a traitor to their cause. You say that like the failure to resolve conflict resulted in his death. The only thing its an end to is his life, and the end of his life has nothing to do with the failed "policy." | |
I didn't imply any causation, merely an end to a stage.
cul·mi·nate
v. intr. cul·mi·nat·ed, cul·mi·nat·ing, cul·mi·nates
1.
1. To reach the highest point or degree; climax: habitual antagonism that culminated in open hostility.
2. To come to completion; end: Years of waiting culminated in a tearful reunion.
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