So what happens to the world when Arafat dies?

[greenbriar]

all out war???

[Spiffarino]

1. What good has he done up to this point?

Clinton and Barak gave him a golden opportunity for a homeland and peace and he pissed it away out of fear for his own life.

Fuck him. He can rot.

[Maple]

2. Arafat is a moderate

Wait'll you see what he was holding down.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

6. That's exactly right.

Most people don't know understand this.

[Spiffarino]

9. I don't doubt either of you for a second

...but that doesn't negate the fact that he pissed away his people's hopes. At least he could have tried something different and seen how his people would respond. Now he sits in a coma waiting to die, instead of dying with his boots on as a martyr for his people's cause.

Please don't misread this - I don't espouse or encourage martyrdom - but he's the one who said he would rather die a martyr.

[Cleita]

3. Not so bad.

Sharon won't have any enemy to bounce off of unless he gets replaced by some beheading, terrorist radical type. Somehow I have confidence that the Palestinians are ready for another kind of leader. Time to move on.

[IronLionZion]

4. Kaboom

Sharon needs to go too. Then maybe some sensible leaders on both sides can accomplish a peaceful solution.

[hatrack]

5. Whatever his place in the Palestinian spectrum . . .

I somehow have a great deal of difficulty believing that (as we approach the 20th anniversary of the first intifada) most Palestinians are going to be looking for "moderate" political leadership. It just isn't going to happen.

[forgethell]

7. Well, the world

finally has a chance for peace in the region. But I doubt that it will happen. Arafat has stirred up too much hatred, and the Israelis will not easily trust his replacement.

[andym]

8. No immediate war. There will be greater polarization

The PLO will be weakened. Hamas and their allies will be elected leaders of the Palestinians. That will create a very polarized situation with Israel.