BY JAMES TARANTO
Tuesday, January 2, 2007 2:58 p.m. EST
The World's Smallest Violin
Saddam Hussein is no more, and Palestinians, who whooped it up on 9/11, are down in the dumps now, the Associated Press reports from Ramallah:
The execution of Saddam Hussein sent many Palestinians into deep mourning Saturday as they struggled to come to terms with the demise of perhaps their most steadfast ally.
Unlike much of the rest of the world, where Saddam was viewed as a brutal dictator who oppressed his people and started regional wars, in the West Bank and Gaza he was seen as a generous benefactor unafraid to fight for the Palestinian cause, even to the end. . . .
During the first Gulf War in 1991, the Palestinians cheered Saddam's missile attacks on Israel, chanting "Beloved Saddam, strike Tel Aviv," as the Scud missiles flew overhead.
He further endeared himself to the Palestinians during the recent uprising with Israel by giving US$25,000 to the family of each suicide bomber and US$10,000 for each Palestinian killed in fighting. The stipends amounted to an estimated US$35 million.
An AP photo accompanying the dispatch shows an old Palestinian man wiping his tears with his kaffiyeh. Touching, isn't it?
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