Stardate 20011213.1724 (On Screen): So Israel has completely cut off contact with Arafat and the Palestinian authority, and American envoy Anthony Zinni is saying that his mission is near to being a complete failure. Whether deliberate or not, the situation had become one of "Good cop, bad cop". Zinni is talking to Arafat and I think delivering a very stark message: "You can no longer dither. You can no longer make symbolic gestures and have them accepted. You can no longer delay. Only substantive action by you will get you out of this. I still want to try to find a peaceful solution here, but there is no longer any way to get that by trying to wring concessions out of the Israelis. If you don't finally get off your ass and
really crack down on the militants in a manner which is clearly decisive
and permanent, then I'm going to be forced to go home -- and then the Israelis are going to kill you and destroy the Palestinian nation and let loose bloodletting in the occupied territories which is going to make the last year look like a picnic. I'm expecting a call from Washington to come home any time now; I figure you've got about another four minutes and thirty seconds. My bosses in Washington are fed up with you, and I mean you personally, and are not going to restrain Israel anymore. America has spent twenty years trying to deal with you and has gotten jack results, and we've had enough. You may not have noticed but the US has now been the victim of a major terrorist attack, and the American voting public are no longer sympathetic with anyone who even looks like they're tolerating terrorism or using half measures against it, and that means people whose initials are Yasir Arafat. After me, the deluge. Now
off your ass and do what you know you have to do, because that is the only way that you are going to survive, and by that I mean keep breathing."
I hope that's what he's saying, because nothing less will inspire Arafat to actually do something totally out of character: actually make a major commitment which will be difficult to carry out and then really try to stick to it. I really don't want to see that area go up in flames, but if Arafat doesn't really start to move then that's what is going to happen. All the moderate voices are now stilled. (discuss)
Predictably, the Arab nations are asking for an emergency meeting of the Security Council. I don't know why they're bothering; they know full well that te US will veto anything substantive.
