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| Middle East |
| Israelis debate merits of dumping Yasser |
| 2002-06-07 |
| The unrelenting wave of terror attacks is causing a growing clamor in Israel for the expulsion of Yasser Arafat, but key security advisers caution against such a gambit and officials say it's not on the agenda for now. Arafat condemned and disavowed the attack, but his words fell on deaf ears among Israelis after 20 months of violence in which many suicide bombings and other attacks came from groups associated with the Palestinian leader. "Don't fear expelling Arafat," wrote the mass-circulation Maariv daily in an unprecedented editorial, and a front-page commentary by respected analyst Zeev Schiff in the liberal Haaretz daily predicted the idea would receive renewed government consideration. It's a tough decision. Dumping him into a clean, comfortable Alzheimer's clinic somewhere would be best, but even then the Arabs will deny the fact of his dotage. And who's gonna bell the cat? Killing him will arouse international sympathy for him, at least if it's done obviously — say, a rocket from a helicopter or even a car bomb. Best thing for all concerned would be an overdose of insulin with expressions of innocence all around, but then the problem is getting somebody close enough to him to administer it. Second best would be to turn Barghouti, spring him, and then let him do the dirty deed, at which point the whole thing can be leaked and somebody can shoot him, thereby solving two problems at once. Almost as good would be to convince Saadat that Yasser's going to have him bumped off and maybe he should act fast before it happens. An alternative approach would be to convince one of the teen tough guys in PFLP that Saadat's on the list and maybe he should protect his Fearless Leader. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |