I wonder if they're about to whack Arafat.Follow

Or are just messing with his head.

God willing.

No, I mean right now, not in general. They've surrounded his compound with tanks.

Some stuff in passing about it on c-span

Yeah they've got to keep up some semblance of stability and even-handedness so as not to embarass the US. And the States of course have to keep some semblance of face for the int'l community. Then again Bush seems to only care about that because of Coli.

Anyway, Israel wouldn't want to stop getting all that nice military aid and equipment and all, now would they? What was it at now, a billion a year?

But maybe Sharon's had enough and doesn't give a **** anymore. They've been routinely assassinating Hamas leaders lately..

There really aren't that many people who will miss Arafat. He's been a useless figurehead for the Palestinian people. They really deserve someone that can at least pretend to be effective.

If you want to know what made the modern middle east, look no further than Jimmy Carter. His abandonment of the Shah in Iran, a *STAUNCH* US ally, lead to the overthrow of the Shah by an extremist anti-american government. Because of this, the US went to the nutbar Hussein in Iraq and we supported him because he was an enemy of Iran. Things progressively turned worse from there.

Iran was the strongest force in the middle east and supported the US. Jimmy "The Appeaser" Carter screwed it, and the entire middle east, up.

Carter was short sighted. He's a nice guy, don't get me wrong. He truely believes that deep inside everyone, there's a person waiting to build homes for the poor. But the sad truth is that there *IS* evil out in the world and it can't always be reasoned with.

Even now, Carter is still calling for appeasment. Him, and those like him, will never be able to see that sometimes, evil is just that. Evil.

Some things in the world *are* black and white - not shades of grey.

No doubt, if I were president, I'd end up getting the world headed for armageddon.

Jimmy Carter sure can throw a horseshoe!

Eb

Yeah I guess that's why he won the fuc[/b]king Nobel Prize, because he was foolish about middle east policy. I guess the Camp David accords were a huge mistake.

Carter has done more to futher the mid east peace process than any man alive. Trying to somehow blame him for the fuc[b]ked up mess Bush and Regan made is pathetic and moronic in the extreme. Take thirty seconds to learn some history before you post your chile-like oppinion on matters clearly too complex for you to comprehend.

Stick to wathcing the WWE.

Edited, Wed May 5 15:02:19 2004 by Smasharoo

why there was an anti-americain sentiment in iran..

Carter has done more since he got out of office, then he ever did in office. there is no denigning the fact that he is a good man, but there is also no need to agrue that he was a good president.

he and ford stand on about the same level of competence when it came to leading the USA. not saying DW bush is doing much better, but he is doing.

the camp david accord was a good idea, but so was the 'roadmap to peace' that bush started and look were both got us. no place good.

IMHO there is nothing good that can come out of the ME until it grows up as i mentioned in an other thread. the entire ME is much like the world was 1 thousand years ago or so and has not grown up since. they are still basicaly a trible community with tribale ways.

if you are that old thinking, you will never be able to relate to the rest of the world that has grown up past that.

its like trying to get a 6yr old class to understand highschool chemistry. you just cant do it. or to get that same 6yr old class to read and comprehend McBeth(sp?) its just not going to happen until that class of 6yr old children grow up. then and only then with time will they understand those things.

the whole of the ME is like that group of 6yr old children, but they are about one thousand years behind that 12th grade class, sadly they are playing with the 12th graders toys and lives.