How Arafat died
Sorry for a longer break than expected. A quickie and then I have to get to work (in more ways than one).One of my children suddenly asked me tonight whether it was true that the Mossad poisoned Yasser Arafat. I said that was a lie and that Arafat died of AIDS. He asked me what AIDS is and I said that it is a disease. He thought about that for a minute and said "it's too bad Israel didn't kill him."
Smart kid. (He really is a smart kid, by the way - no comment which one it is).
Labels: AIDS, Yasser Arafat
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:58 AM
3 Comments:
Just think, peace with and treatment in Israel would have given him a few more years. It's a shame 'Palestinian' leaders don't see that peace and cooperation with Israel would be greatly beneficial for both sides.
"He thought about that for a minute and said "it's too bad Israel didn't kill him."
I remember reading that at the time Arafat and the PLO were forced to evacuate from Lebanon, an Israeli Special Ops. team was close by, and an Israeli sniper actually had Arafat in the cross hairs. Supposedly, from that article, the team got orders to stand down and not shoot Arafat. If so, that's a pity, a wasted golden opportunity.
Some years back in Afghanistan, the US had a fleeting, golden opportunity to kill Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban. (This was before Omar and all the top Taliban schweinhundts boogied out of Afghanistan and relocated in Quetta, Pakistan.) An armed Predator was overhead, but they needed to get permission from some HQ Army lawyer at HQ. He unfortunately took too much time doing legal navel-gazing. When he got back to the force with permission, he was told it was too late. Mullah Omar had gone to ground and the golden opportunity was squandered.
Carl, no offence, I know you're a lawyer, but IMO, lawyers have no place in combat tactical decision-making. Combat branch officers in command have to be given that latitude and the chain of command all the way to the top owes them support.
Lo, another thought, what you said brought to mind Abba Eban's famous quote that Pali leaders "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity." Very smart, articulate guy, the late Mr. Eban!
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