Goldsnow, what you say is one of the possibilities. By the way, whatever happened to Milosevich. I always thought that he championed Serb supremacy and the Serbians would stand behind him on that issue. Didn't he also perpetrate nepotism and turn on the Serbs for his and his family's personal gain? If that is correct, then I don't think Arafat has turned against the Palestenians. However he has had some personal gains.
And another factor in all this is Israel. If Israel and their proxy, the US say that Arafat must go, then that in itself is a rallying issue for the Palestenians to keep Arafat in the forefront instead of a mere figurehead. However it is also critical on what Saudi Arabia's, Egypt's and Jordan's stand is on this issue since they hold a significant clout with the Palestenians, much more than the US.
Another interesting issue will be Baghrouti, who is currently in a Israeli jail. It would be interesting to see if the Israelis will release him and let him campaign freely. The pressure will be on Israel to do so. After all he peacefully submitted to his arrest.
And the issue that Israel is raising about Arafat sanctioning $20,000 for Al Aqsa brigade is no issue at all for several reasons. We have done similar things in the US such as Iran-Contra, the funding of covert operations by the CIA. Israel also does that via the Mossad. It is like the pot calling the kettle black. Besides, the US way is to reserve judgement until we hear all sides of the matter. A basic tenet of civilized law. Doing otherwise would be tantamount to falling a victim of propaganda. |
