[MRM]

Arafat is a corrupt terrorist who survives on the blood of innocent people. You cannot compare anything the Israelis have done to his campaign of death against innocent civilians.

So Sharon "triggered" the latest Palestinian Intafada by a visit to the Temple Mound? Excuse me, but since when does visiting a Holy shrine (Holy in three religions, no less) that should be open to the public amount to a triggering of a genocidal campaign? Same question goes for theterrorists who occupied the Church of the Nativity. Sharon can't visit a public site without starting (carefully controlled by Arafat) riots, but Arab gunmen can occupy Christianity's most Holy site with impunity and great public sympathy?

The answer is that Arafat maintains his position by manipulating the Palestinians into violence against Israel, and the Arab nations do the same. Why doesn't Syria give the Palestinain refugees a home? Or Egypt, Lybia, Iran, Iraq, etc? It's because if they ever became something other than displaced people who focused their rage at Israel, they would turn on the corrupt dicaters like those that run the Arab states. Meanwhile, Arafat gets rich. Know who runs the duty free shops in the Arab world? The PLO. Know who gets a cut of every deal? Arafat and his cronies.

It is difficult for Americans to understand Arafat. of The closest analogy would be that of a Godfather or warlord. He is simply the head of the most powerful crime family in the Mid East. He does not deal in good faith. He takes what he can and kills as he wants or needs to maintain his position.

I agree with Sharon about how Isreal should have dealt with Arafat when they had the chance. As for someone worse coming after him, deal with him in the same way until a Palestinian Attaturk arrises. Until then, there will be no peace in the Middle East because the ones who can stop the violence are the ones who profit by creating it.