Still a Player (Arafat interview with ABCNEWS)

[WheresWaldo]

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/arafat030919.html



Woodruff: Is it international pressure that has kept the Israelis from moving against you?

Arafat: I have been elected by my people under international supervision. Even President Carter was one of the observers who was supervising the election campaign.

Woodruff: But the did make a threat against you. Do you take it seriously? Do you fear for your life?

Arafat: For your information, I am here under siege for about three years. And not only that, the damage and what we have faced from their airplanes, from their tanks. But the most important thing is not what we are facing here, although it is against international law, but what our people are facing.

Woodruff: What is your opinion of the wall?

Arafat: They are not only building a wall around Jerusalem, which is preventing our people — Muslims and Christians — from going to pray, but also they have started building quickly this wall around all our cities and towns. But not only that, this wall is confiscating 58 percent of the West Bank. Who can accept this? We have accepted 22 percent only! 22 percent!

Woodruff: Is there any wall you would accept?

Arafat: If they want to make their wall in Tel Aviv, who can prevent them? But not in our land!

Woodruff: What is the line that you would accept?

Arafat: I am not speaking! It is not my business! My business is only when they make fatal mistakes on my land according to the agreement. How can this be accepted internationally?

Woodruff: How do you think it has been accepted internationally?

Arafat: Even President Bush had refused it!

Woodruff: President Bush said yesterday, on Thursday, that you are a failed leader.

Arafat: This is what he's saying, but he has to remember that President Clinton was dealing with me, his father was dealing with me. And he was in the beginning with me.

Woodruff: Are you saying you are the only one who can make peace for the Palestinians?

Arafat: No, the Palestinian leadership, which I am one of them, making the peace, and I've been accepted to make the peace with the Israelis.

Woodruff: Are you able to control the street?

Arafat: I am doing my best.

Woodruff: Does Hamas have more control than you?

Arafat: You have to know we are the authority of the Palestinians — that has been recognized by all the Palestinians.

Woodruff: If you want to control suicide bombers, can you stop them?

Arafat: We have stopped them and we've succeeded.

Woodruff: Can you stop them again?

Arafat: Yes, and yesterday they had called, they are ready to return back to truce.

Woodruff: Do you want to stop them now?

Arafat: What?

Woodruff: Do you want to stop the suicide bombers now?

Arafat: Ask them and ask your American representatives how many times we have succeeded to stop the suicide bombers and arrest them.

Woodruff: But do you have the power now to stop them?

Arafat: You are not fair and thank you.


ANY RESPONSES??? AND PLEASE, CAN WE AVOID CHILDISHNESS HERE

[LastDemInIdaho]

1. Serious reply

Arafat did not answer any questions honestly or directly. I wish he would be honest.

[Darranar]

2. He's a true politician...

decieving and misleading and dodging. I also completely doubt his sincerity.

[WheresWaldo]

3. A PR disaster for the Palestinians?

and ABC says at the top that arafat could stop suicide bombings if he wanted to. I didnt get that from anything he said in the interview. Am I reading something wrong?