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The United States is making an intensive effort to secure a lasting cease-fire in the conflict, where some 800 people have been killed on the Palestinian side and more than 230 people on the Israeli side since Sept. 28, 2000. That's a laugh. United States efforts now are oriented around putting pressure exclusively on Arafat to crack down (really crack down) on the terrorist groups. The US peace effort is to let Arafat know that his lukewarm cooperaion in the past is no longer adequate. The traditional American stance of "condemn both sides and try to work for accomodation" is out the window now, as of a couple of days ago. It's really rather surprising that the Arab League doesn't recognize this -- and it speaks well for their disunity and (whatever the antonym of "formidable" is). Arafat, in the mean time, is in a dither and can't seem to get his story straight. Over the last day in different interviews he's variously said that he doesn't care about America, that he needs America to bring pressure to bear on Israel, and that he doesn't need that because he'll really take care of the militants himself. I feel like I've got a front-row seat at a coin-flipping contest; does this man actually have a concrete plan? Of those, the one most deserving of the "DUHH!" award is his claim that the US has a pro-Israel bias. Quite an acute observation, I must say. Nothing gets by that man. (Except, apparently, for hundreds of militants and dozens of suicide bombers.) Arafat's time has come, and I think he knows it. He's frantically scurrying around looking for a way out, and I don't think he's going to find one. And now even the Arabs have abandoned him. They've given him some lukewarm words of encouragement, pro forma condemnations of Israel, but no concrete action. He's on his own -- and he's never been strong enough to stand on his own. (discuss) |
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