The Decision to Murder Arafat

[DuctapeFatwa]

I am assured by Uri Avnery, (Avnery; two time member of the Israeli Knesset, who served in the IDF in the 1948 and 1967 wars) the leader of the Israeli peace organization, Gush Shalom, that Sharon has endorsed a policy to kill Yasser Arafat.
"Let there be no mistake about it, the government of Israel has resolved to commit a cold-blooded murder. Sharon means to do it, he means to kill Arafat", says Avnery...

This is no commonplace mistake in judgment, it is a decision of such magnitude and far reaching implication that it cannot be measured in terms of our normal understanding of things.
The death of Yasser Arafat will fulfill Mr. Bush's vision of a world polarized into "us against them".
I already know what side of that great divide I am on, do you?

http://www.aljazeerah.info/Opinion%20editorials/2003%20Opinion%20Editorials/September/15o/The%20Decision%20to%20Murder%20Arafat,%20By%20Mike%20Whitney.htm

[MysticMind]

1. if there is evidence tying Arafat to terrorism..

Then killing him isn't murder, it's self-defense.

[StandWatie]

2. He's seventy-four

He's an old man thats been under house arrest for nearly two years. Imagining that he has the energy, motivation, or ability to be a "terrorist" requires complete Israeli indoctrination.

[MysticMind]

3. no not to be a terrorist himself..

But to support and direct finances to terrorist groups. I'm not saying he is still involved in terrorism or not but it's not totally illogical to assume he probably still is involved. Being 74 doesn't exempt one from organizing terrorist attacks.

[StandWatie]

4. why bother?

Why in the name of God would he want to know anything about "martyrdom operations" or whatever?

[MysticMind]

5. what do you mean

Arafat loves playing the victim according to Madeleine Albright.

[Aidoneus]

6. the death of 500,000 Iraqi children is "worth it"

according to her also, what's your point?

[MysticMind]

7. you totally misquoted her...

Look up that quote in context. The interviewer said "500,000 Iraqi children were killed by the sanctions. So are the sanctions worth it?" She said yes and disputed the ridiculous notion(started by Republicans mind you) that the sanctions killed 500,000 Iraqi children.

[Aidoneus]

8. I misquoted nothing

Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that's more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price--we think the price is worth it.

--60 Minutes (5/12/96)

[MysticMind]

10. that was a leading question..

End of story. Sanctions didn't kill 500,000 children.

[Darranar]

11. Evidence?

The sanctions were inhumanitarian atrocities, whether they killed half a million children or 50,000 children.

Btw: Iraq Sanction Deaths

[DuctapeFatwa]

12. You're right, probably closer to millions

We don't have any way of knowing, because the US does not count the number of children it kills in any country where it chooses to carry out population reduction operations.

I would imagine that most folks who are heavily invested in the defense and energy industries would agree with Ms Albright that the profits are more than worth it!

[StandWatie]

13. yeah, right..

How do you think half a million or so wouldn't die once you block Chlorine shipments? Do the Iraqi's have some magical resistance to water-born diseases?

[Darranar]

9. That rumor was started by REPUBLICANS?

They started the sanctions in the first place, and they supported it throughout the Clinton years. Not to mention the fact that plenty on the left were strongly against the sanctions.

[StandWatie]

14. of course they weren't

It was "started" by doctors without borders because they were there and counting.