Arafat drops dead...
and how fittingly in France... now if only the fad would catch on with the ruling class there, huh?
No matter... bigger fish to fry on this side of the pond. Please see the press release from former President (?!?) Jimmy Carter, the bleeding heart would be Socialist's web page on the event (with my pithy comments in bold, of course...)

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Statement by Jimmy Carter on the Death of Yasser Arafat  
 
  11 Nov 2004  
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jon Moor
404-420-5107


Yasser Arafat's death marks the end of an era and will no doubt be painfully felt by Palestinians throughout the Middle East and elsewhere in the world.
Gee, will it be as painfully felt as the shrapnel from a Palestinian homicide bomber's bomb belt by innocent Israeli men, women and children?
He was the father of the modern Palestinian nationalist movement. A powerful human symbol and forceful advocate, Palestinians united behind him in their pursuit of a homeland. While he provided indispensable leadership to a revolutionary movement and was instrumental in forging a peace agreement with Israel in 1993, he was excluded from the negotiating role in more recent years.
In other words, he was responsible for the organization, funding and carrying out of terrorist attacks. He illegally bankrolled his terror campaign by pilfering world funds meant to relieve his country's social problems. In 1993, he helped forge an agreement which he then sanctioned breeching less than a year later, and resisted all attempts to come to any negotations or discussions. He was self-excluded.

My hope is that an emerging Palestinian leadership can benefit from Arafat's experiences, be welcomed to the peace process by Prime Minister Sharon and President Bush, and be successful in helping to forge a Palestinian state living in harmony with their Israeli neighbors.
If they're smart the new Palestinian leadership will quit the terror campaign, negotiate a reasonable peace with their neighbors, break all ties with Hamass and Islamic Jihad and become a member of the world community.

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Of course, any progress that could occur is equally in the hands of the Israelis. They haven't exactly been reasonable through the long course of strife in the region. Maybe it's time everyone took a step back and a long breath and tried this again.

Oh, and President(?!?) Carter, go fuck off, ok?
pearls before swine...