So Yasser is dead, is this a good or a bad thing ?

[Gengi]

Yasser Arafat died this morning, I, personally, think this may be a 'good' thing. He may well have been the darling of the Palestinians, but I think he was a major stumbling block toward some form of 'peace'.
I hope that the new Palestinian leadership is strong enough to try a different tack than Arafat seemed to follow. I hope they reign in the terror groups that surround the Palestinian cause, and I hope that this will make the Israelis think twice about destroying people houses and assassinating 'political' leaders.

Lot of hope, is there much chance ?

Later

 

[oblimov]

bad thing

i didnt like the way GWB was getting involved in his burial rights.

besides the palestinian people dont trust any of the other potential replacements so if anything they will be in a state of unrest and internal disputes for the next few years

just my 2c

 

[SilverHood]

Good thing, and at the same time, a bad thing.

He was the one person most palestinians respected... now they'll have to find some other flunkie to follow, who may well be more millitant that Arafat.

At the same time, the disunity that's going to occur following his death may give everyone a chance to think, or it may cause inpreccedented violence.
Time will tell.

 

[Doh_boy]

I don't know much about this but he was the leader they wanted and all loved so he can't have been all bad. AFAIR he only stated that he wanted a 'viable' state rather than what isreal wanted which was a number of little seperate city-state things surrounded by isreal. Isreal were/are scared that if there's one palastinian state then it will make it easier for the terrorists to attack israel. This all may be wrong since it's ages since I've read anyhthing about this.

one thing, though, I can see israel doing something incredibly stupid around his burial. Hopefully I'm wrong.

So far there seems to be three possibles, the first prime minister (the one who was more liberal who quit due to arafat's meddleing) who would be seen as his own man. since he didn't cow to arafat when he was alive. There's the current prime minster, who seems to be ok, but nothing particularly special. There's one bloke who's in an israel jail who was close to arafat in the 60's. They represent the three directions the palastinans can go. I think

 

[Wij]

Arafat was a dictator without a country. Not a great leader at all. Unfortunately, like most dictators, he has deliberately not left anyone as a credible alternative. So, it's bad that he was the Palestinian leader but it's also bad now he's dead.

 

[Draylor]

1 less terrorist in the world. A good thing without a doubt.

 

[throdgrain]

Its a bad thing for him no doubt about it ...

 

[GDW]

his badgers will sorely miss him

 

[maxi]

1 less terrorist in the world. A good thing without a doubt.

Can you expand upon this please? It's grossly over simplified and completly ignores the implications of his death.

 

[ReActor]

Would have preferred Sharon to go first.

 

[GDW]

His comment is pretty clear. Less terrorists equals a good thing. The man was a terrorist in th e1960's,70s and 80s. A small portion of his followers loved him for his earlier actions. Regardless of their beliefs or motives his earlier acts were terrorist by definition. Still always sad when anyone dies however.

 

[maxi]

That's what I'm getting at. yes Less terrorists is a good thing, but the death of one, depending on the circumstances of death, does not always mean 'Less Terorrists'. Killing isn't a cure, it's an act of punishment.

WhilstArafat wasn't gunned down or anything his death could mean any number of things, one being a more moderate palestinian leader. Which MAY bea good thing for the middle east peace process, but even that may lead to those loyal to Arafat(or harder line of action) doing their own thing. Simply saying his death is a good thing without at least a half-assed explanation, well...it's not enough.

 

[Frizz]

Still always sad when anyone dies however.

Not sure about that tbh.

 

[JBP|]

personally i expect to see the shit starting to fly between isreal and the palestinians anytime within the next 6 months or so

 

[Tom]

Agree with Wij tbh.

 

[dysfunction]

Agree with Wij tbh.

Me too.


I just hope the peace process between Israel and Palestine goes well from now on...

 

[Sar]

Would have preferred Sharon to go first.

Well that would leave a huge hole tbh
















In the X Factor panel.




Seriously though, I think this was a bad thing. God knows who's going to take over now - just hope it's not some fucking complete nutcase looking to start WWIII.

:/

 

[Lester]

His people live in abject poverty, under extreme conditions (rightly or wrongly) and yet he is rumoured to have billions salted away. You gotta love your leaders...

 

[Wij]

People agree with me ?

*blush*

 

[nath]

Agree with Wij tbh.

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.




I don't necessarily disagree though

 

[Ch3tan]

It's a bad thing, because lets face it the Isreali government don't want peace anyway.