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Reply With QuoteI hope the successer can find a peaceful way of co-existing with Israel and gets a just state for his people.
Veteran leader Yasser Arafat dies
The veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has died in a French hospital, nearly two weeks after being transferred from the West Bank.
Mr Arafat, 75, dominated Palestinian politics for 40 years and there is no clear line of succession.
But Palestinian leaders have agreed a plan to prevent a power struggle and chaos in the volatile Gaza Strip.
Analysts believe his death could provide an opportunity to restart the Middle East peace process.
BBC News website's world affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says it might force Israel to make good on its claim that it was only Yasser Arafat who was blocking peace talks.
Deep coma
Mr Arafat had been in a coma since 3 November and later suffered a brain haemorrhage.
However, Palestinian officials repeatedly insisted there was no question of switching off his life-support machine.
A top-level Palestinian delegation visited Mr Arafat at the Percy military hospital near Paris on Tuesday to find out more about his condition.
Their visit ended a row with Mr Arafat's wife, Suha, who they said had withheld information.
She earlier accused her husband's colleagues of conspiring against him and attempting to "bury" him before he was dead.
The Palestinian leader was transferred to the military hospital in Clamart on 29 October, suffering from a blood disorder.
Tests showed he had a low count of blood platelets, which are needed for clotting, but doctors were unsure what caused the condition and made no official announcement about the cause of Mr Arafat's illness.
Doctors were said to have ruled out cancer and poisoning.
Burial plans
Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei has already been assigned some of Mr Arafat's powers.
His predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas, is running the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, headed by Mr Arafat for more than 40 years.
The Palestinian parliamentary speaker, Rawhi Fattuh, will take over as president of the Palestinian Authority until an election is held to fill the post.
Mr Arafat is due to be buried in the grounds of his half-demolished compound in the West Bank, where he had been kept under virtual house arrest by Israel for two-and-a-half years.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon earlier made it clear he would not allow his old adversary to be buried on the Temple Mount - also known as the Haram al-Sharif - in occupied East Jerusalem
Egypt said it was willing to host a state funeral for Mr Arafat.
The proposal would enable Arab leaders to attend.
There are fears of chaos in Gaza, already destabilised by inter-factional fighting and uncertainty over Israel's planned pullout from the area.
The Israeli military remains on high alert.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3984841.stm
I hope the successer can find a peaceful way of co-existing with Israel and gets a just state for his people.
Well, God shouldn't have to think much about which way his soul is going.
"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have."
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
NEVER FORGET
One never speaks ill of the dead. One must be magnanimous to the enemy too. To forgive is Divine.
However, he is still not 'technically' dead. The 'top' cleric has said.
"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
HAKUNA MATATA
If there's a hell I hope he's rotting in it for all of eternity.
Now that he has passed away, It is God to judge him, we can cleanse ourselves by forgiving him - Now lets move to a process leading to the creation of a viable Palestinian state and economy.
Why should we forgive a terrorist prick? Im sicked by how the media are ignoring this fact, I mean I look on CNN to see a couple of French soldiers saulting his coffin, have they forgotten his past? Have they ever heard of the Black September arm of the PLO?Originally Posted by tarek
Well then, don't forgive him -- suit yourself -- "Have they forgotten his past" you ask, as if there are those amongst us those whose hands are clean. Either way, moving on to create a viable palestinian state and economy is what we should keep our focus on.
We have new paradigm, a new opportunity, playing the self-righteous victim is not the need of the day. The world is witness, that what can be done, can also be undone, this should sober us, not make us arrogant and petty.
What do you all suppose the consensus of the Israeli people is? A lot of celebration? A little nervousness regarding who will pick up the batton? Will his successor be better, worse...?
"And a political candidate who jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts is not a person you want as your Commander-in-Chief." - George W. Bush - October, 2004.
Yasar Arafat doesn't deserve the forgivness of anyone, only our hatred and disrespect.
He's dead. Move on. Otherwise, he'll drag you to the grave with him. There's nothing you can do to him (or for him). Take care of the living ... or join the dead.
Chimo
These days from what I've read of the French, they seem to embrace the more controversial leaders, i.e. Saddam. Why, is beyond me.
But, now, at this point in time, I have to agree with the Office of Engineers. Let Arafat go, and bury his past with him.
I don't wish this of many people, but I hope it was painful.
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry
I agree the man didn’t deserve to die in his sleep.
"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have."
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
NEVER FORGET
Arafat is a hero to his people. One cannot wish that away.
What is debatable is the way the solution was being sought and to some extent Israel did not help matters too since its own security interest were at stake.
The cause of his death remains a mystery. I wonder why? It should be stated or else more controversies will arise and interested parties will give their own interpretation which will lead to more confusion and even bloodshed. With his passing away, maybe the moderates on both sides will be able to chalk out a scheme for peace and leaving controversies will not help.
To build a memorial in Ramallah will become a rallying point. It will be dangerous, but I reckon there is no two ways about it.
Could Arafat have been dead many days before and they discovered it just now?
"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."
I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.
HAKUNA MATATA
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