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Middle East
Yasser was pressured into appointing a PM...
2003-02-15
By declaring his approval of appointing a Prime Minister, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat bowed to pressure from the Middle East "quartet" – the US, Russia, the EU and the United Nations, according to the British press Saturday, February 15. "Arafat has been under huge pressure from the United States to appoint a Prime Minister – and the letter, sent to Blair before his talks with George Bush in Washington last month, was apparently intended to be passed on to President Bush. Both the U.S. and Israeli governments are refusing to speak to Arafat”, the Independent reported Friday, February 14.
"Yasser who? Ariel, do we know anybody named 'Yasser'?"
"Yasser... Yasser... Ummm... I don't think so, George."
"He's not the guy that runs the gas station down the road, is he?"
"No. That's Bob. But gimme time. It'll come to me... Oh, well. Maybe not."
The British daily pointed out that the idea of a Palestinian prime minister was floated as a way of getting round Israel's refusal to deal with Arafat, and Bush's call for Arafat to be replaced as Palestinian leader. The idea is that Arafat will be "kicked upstairs" to a symbolic role as Palestinian leader with a Prime Minister taking over the day-to-day running of what is left of the rapidly disintegrating Palestinian Authority (PA), and negotiations with the Israelis. The news came against the backdrop of a new round of talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials. The appointment of a Prime Minister is one of the provisions in the "roadmap", a peace plan drawn up by what has become known as the Middle East "quartet". "The letter said, for the first time, that Arafat accepts the roadmap without reservations, and he accepts all the steps outlined in the roadmap, including that he appoint a Prime Minister," the Independent quoted an anonymous Palestinian official as saying.
"Yeah. Yeah. We surrender. Until we get some more arms and ammunition, and if Bush takes out Iraq, we prob'ly ain't gonna get 'em, unless Iran kicks in..."
“Arafat may have felt pressured into accepting a Prime Minister. The U.S. and Israeli governments have been trying to marginalize him and his popularity among Palestinians is at a low ebb. Many Palestinians say the only reason they support him as Palestinian leader is because Bush called for him to be replaced. They say it's up to them to choose their leader, not President Bush.”
If they actually did that, it wouldn't be any of our business. But they don't, so it is. If there ever is a Paleostinian state, Yasser isn't going to be remembered as one of its great lights. It'll be something that happens in spite of him, not because of him.
Posted by:Fred Pruitt

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