Arafat. Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?

[maveric]

Or a combintion of both.
Is he kind of like the IRA?

[aquart]

1. Do his people seem free to you?

Anyone who advocates real negotiation or compromise with Israel is murdered. Real free.

He NEVER wanted a settlement because there was nothing to be gained by it for him. But boy did he do well by holding out that distant promise.

He took a bunch of displaced Arabs and manufactured a non-existent nationality and forced it with terrorism down the world't throat. Hell, it was a living. Whatcha gonna do?

[R3dD0g]

3. His 'people' have a degree of autonomy that they didn't have

before he started.

Where the fuck do you get off saying the Palestinians are a 'non-existent nationality'? Who the fuck made you the arbiter of who is a nation?

[newyorican]

5. Actually...

Give credit where it's due. We have an admission that there are displaced "Arabs". For the moment let's overlook the obvious cognitive dissonance in refusing to call them by their rightful name, Palestinians, and push on to the next logical question.

Who displaced them?

[UpsideDownFlag]

2. wow....*ducks* nt

[HEyHEY]

4. Guy with a cool hat

[Behind the Aegis]

6. terrorist

I only hope his successor will actually be able to forge a peace agreement. Of course it takes two, so something will have to give on the other side, as well.

He was a vile man. I take no pleasure in his death, but I will not shed a tear for him!

[Catholic Sensation]

7. the worst thing to happen to the palestinian people.

ever.

[geek tragedy]

8. Ringo Starr look a like n/t

[sofa king]

9. Terrorist to the bone.

Whatever he may have accomplished in his lifetime, it cannot nor should it ever be separated from Yassir Arafat's central role in the formation of modern terrorism.

Like a knuckleball pitcher, you always knew what Arafat was going to throw when things got tight, except instead of baseballs Arafat threw explosives-laden adolescents.

Also like a knuckleball pitcher, Arafat lived his entire life without seeing the perfect opportunity played out on the world stage. The ideal situation for a knuckleballer, according to Charlie Hough, is a stadium with the lights out. The ideal situation for Arafat would have been the chance to exterminate the Israelis with someone else's army while nobody was watching.

Alas for Yasser, that chance never came, though he got close at least twice and tried a dozen times. Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that the Palestinian people owe everything they have to Yasser Arafat. The fact that they have less than they did when Arafat founded Fatah is a point worth pondering.

Edit: Englander shows that there were Jewish terrorists, too. I fail to see how that mitigates Arafat's well earned reputation.

[Englander]

10. "..central role in the formation of modern terrorism"...

Irgun,haganah,lehi were way ahead of the PLO in use of terror.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irgun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haganah
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehi_%28group%29

Your link is broken.

[LARED]

13. You seem unable to address Arafat's role as a terrorist

It seems that every time someone points out Arafat's legacy of terror your response to to point out there are other terrorists.

Can you even acknowledged Arafat as a terrorist?

[number6]

11. ineffective leader

imo

[IndianaGreen]

12. Statement of Meretz USA on the Death of Yasser Arafat

Statement of Meretz USA on the Death of Yasser Arafat

New York, NY....The following statement was issued by Harold M. Shapiro, Chair, and Charney V. Bromberg, Executive Director of Meretz USA, upon the passing of Yasser Arafat.

“The death of Yasser Arafat brings to a close the remarkable and problematic career of the father of the Palestinian national movement. His long-term quest to unify the many disparate elements of the Palestinian polity is diminished by his failure, in his later years, to unambiguously make the personal and national choice for the peaceful partition of lands claimed by both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

“Prime Minister Sharon’s proposal for unilateral disengagement from Gaza was premised on the assertion that a Palestinian negotiating partner was lacking. Arafat’s passing means that this premise must now be put to the test. Among the leaders of the Palestinian Authority most likely to assume leadership are several who have, over the past four years, consistently and vigorously denounced terror and the second intifada as contrary to Palestinian national interests. Now, we look to them to take concrete measures to stem violence.

“We call on the President of the United States, who has reiterated his commitment to the creation of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state, to support quick elections which will legitimize the new leaders, and bring Israel and the Palestinian Authority back to the negotiating table without undue delay. We call upon our government, the government of Israel, and the Palestinian Authority to accept the challenge and rewards of direct negotiation which can lead to the end of occupation, the settlement of all claims, and recognized and permanent borders for Israel and a Palestinian state: in a word, peace.”

http://www.meretzusa.org/cgi-docs/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default&ID=100&view_records=1&ww=1

[TheKingfish]

14. Just FYI

My Poll - Sharon terrorist or peacemaker, which was removed, had Sharon as a terrorist in a landslide.

[Lithos]

15. Locking

Polls are not allowed in the I/P forum.

Lithos
I/P Forum Moderator
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