By refusing to leave Ramallah for a Paris hospital, it would seem that way. As CNN reminds us, there may still be known terrorists inside the Muqata under Yasir’s protection. Israel has agreed to let Arafat return from hospitalization, but has it guaranteed it won’t deal with those miscreants while the caudillo is gone? Arafat himself who, according to reports, floats in an out of consciousness and is suffering memory loss would seem to be in no condition to deal with such eventualities. But who knows? The behind the scenes jockeying in this deathwatch must be fascinating. I await the post-mortems.
OOPS: Both Debka and Haaretz are now reporting that good old Chirac is sending a plane. Dept. of Uh-Oh… Debka adds this interesting bit:
Top Palestinian Authority officials are drawing back from assuming crisis command. They fear punishment for officiousness if Arafat recovers. Political steps therefore hang on medical team’s decisions. Abbas and Qureia lead one of two camps forming up to claim succession. Rival headed by Hani al-Hassan and Azzam al Ahmed.
As he was leaving, he was heard to say:
“Someone save my seat. No really I mean it, I will be back. Save my seat.”
This sounds very much like what happened the day Stalin died. Khrushchev & his buddies were afraid to even enter Stalin’s room.
Of course, the rumor has always been that when they found Stalin near death, they deliberately refrained from sending for the doctor…
I fully expect a PA civil war next year, if not sooner. They’re already getting haggared by their hired terrorists for not meeting the payroll. With the world’s oldest terrorist gone, the payment will really be diverted.
Those two factions are held back by the fear that he might recover. Hamas and Hezbollah are not nearly so concerned. A long, lingering death could well paralyze the PA until it’s too late.
My guess is that the caudillo, as Roger calls him, has likely lost all touch with reality (more than his usual detachment, that is).
I say this because of the photo released in his blue PJ and green stocking cap. I believe those in control of the photo op purposely released this to shrink him in the eyes of his people; in essence preparing them for the change that will soon be necessary whether or not his heart continues pumping.
I cannot imagine that the Terrorist-in-Chief would allow himself to be photographed in such a diminshed state unless he had truly diminished mental capacity. I also observe that the expression on his face appears much more giddy than his usual grotesque grin.
Just in case y’all missed Lileks
“…could well paralyze the PA until it’s too late”?
From what I’ve been reading the last couple of years, it seems like the PA is paralyzed already.
All Arafat’s death means is a new batch of conspiracy theories, probably relating to the US elections (or maybe the Red Sox?). Just meaningless noise.
Whatever happens, the tiny majority of extremists (TM) in the PA will kill each other and anybody else they can reach, and we all know who’ll be blamed. Late in the Oslo years you used to see speculation about younger, more rational leaders taking over after Arafat died, but at this point in history I wouldn’t bet on that. When the dust settles there’ll be a new thug in the Muqata flapping his hands impotently, sobbing for “justice” in English, howling for blood in Arabic, and passing out wads of cash to killers. Business as usual.
BigFire: What does “to haggar” mean?
The ‘fear’ on the part of the henchmen may stem from holding two or tree Arafat’s, distantly divergent, living wills.
I recommend comrade Marcel Matley to get to the bottom of it.
I believe “to haggar” means to dress in Viking clothes, go out pillaging with a cowardly sidekick, and then come home to a long-suffering, wisecracking wife.
Oh, wait a minute. That’s the definition of “to Hagar.” Never mind.
Actually, the pajama is not blue but orange.
Isn’t it odd that Sharon gets his historic vote on the issue of moving settlements at the same time Arafat is so ill?
Stand by for the Mother of all Car Swarms
Isn’t it interesting how sometimes the way people end up looking is how they have been acting? Arafat is as ugly as his deeds, something that would barely seem possible.
Arafat’s Swiss Bank Account by Issam Abu Issa, founder of the Palestinian National Coalition for Democracy and Independence, a Palestinian democratic reform movement.
Never fear, the French are here!
“France will be always on the side of the Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat”, (the) French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier declared Thursday.
“France, as I told you (Arafat) in Ramallah on June 30, will be always on your side to back your effort in favor of a just and negotiated peace,” Barnier said.”
In a related story, the French Interior Minister has covertly sent a mime to stand in for Arafat as he falls in and out of consciousness in his Ramallah compound. The newsreport photos are actually of the mime grinning and not saying anything but using his artful hands to describe a big box that he somehow has gotten into but now which feels like a prison without any way out…
It might have been “too late” a year ago.
Perhaps I should have said “until their factions are no longer relevant”, or maybe “until the last vestiges of the PA are swept away”, or “until it no longer matters if they act or not”.
Maybe I’m giving in to the Dark Side here, but all I have to say is, “I hope it hurts.”
charlotte
LOL.
And to All,
The energy and complexity of the PA is not easy to know or understand, not for us, nor for the Palestinians.
When Arafat dies, there is no way to predict what will happen. Any number of scenarios may be partially or fully correct, ie, civil war, rise of “moderates” with the PA, intervention of Jordan and Egypt (constructive), or Syria and Iran (destructive), and so on.
Here lies one example of a true data deficit when it comes to a systems analysis, in this case, of the PA post-Arafat.
What is known by the Israelis, is that they do not want to be held liable for his death, and thus they are allowing him passage to Paris (where else?) and for now, his return.
If Arafat was setting himself up for Martyrdom, he’d have checked into a British NHS hospital… or better still, a Canadian one…
Well, here there are other ideas and one is:
“Yasser Arafat faking illness?
Paris hospital trip allows PA leader
to escape confinement after 2 years”
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41162
“Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum, said, “Arafat has proven himself over the years willing to stoop to any depth to pursue his murderous career and I would not put it past him to fake illness or even death. That said, this episode may well be a real health emergency.”
Gissin stressed, “I don’t know what [illness] Arafat has. Our only involvement was to extend our consideration to the perceived humanitarian problem.”
Hope the SOB dies soon.
There will obviously be the question of the burial place.
I suggest an Arab Country – France would do nicely