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| Middle East | |
| Thousands rallied around Arafat following Israel's threat | |
| 2003-09-12 | |
Israel's security cabinet on Thursday agreed in principle to expel Palestinian President Yasser Arafat from the region. Palestinians, led by none less than Arafat himself, reacted to the Israeli decision with unrestrained rage. Palestinian prime minister-delegate Ahmad Qurei shelved efforts to form a new government, saying Israel's decision will "blow up" the entire region. "This step undertaken by the Israeli government is a dangerous act that threatens every opportunity for peace," he said in a statement. Thousands of Palestinians rallied to the veteran leader's compound in the occupied West Bank city of Ram Allah late on Thursday. Arafat vowed to stay put in his headquarters as Palestinians poured onto the streets of cities across the West Bank and Gaza Strip after word spread he would be expelled. "You are brave people, my loved ones. Abu Ammar is staying here," he said, using his nom de guerre while blowing kisses to the masses who had gathered. Members of Arafat's Fatah movement urged civilians to remain around the clock outside of the president's headquaters to protect him from any Israeli attempt to remove him.
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| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #10 Mossad should spread rumors of a Pal civil war. That Arafat has been providing info to help Israel target Hamas members and Hamas wants him dead. If that doesn't get the shooting started Israel can use a sniper to take out Arafat and blame it on Hamas. |
| Posted by: Yank 2003-9-12 5:59:36 PM |
| #9 Hmmmm...wonder if some sneaky Israeli will start rumor that an Israeli force is coming for Arafat,and while all the good citizens rush to protect Arafat,those tricky Israelis go after someone else without having to worry about civilians getting in way."Be vewy,vewy quiet,I'm hunting Hamas" |
| Posted by: Stephen 2003-9-12 3:45:10 PM |
| #8 OP - When I hear refs to this tactic it always brings to my mind the funniest Bruce Willis bit I ever saw, from The Last of the Boy Scouts. He's ex-Secret Service and these bad guys have him tied up in a chair. One of them is hitting him in the face as hard as he can, but Willis' character hardly bats an eye. In frustration one of them asks what it takes, what causes him real pain. He says, "Play some rap music." I second that opinion. |
| Posted by: .com (Abu This RoP™ Asshats) 2003-9-12 11:26:58 AM |
| #7 Time for some heavy metal and humongous speakers, totally surrounding the compound. Play it at about 230 decibels for several hours, then go in and wrap the squirming, screaming bodies in blankets and take them to an interrogation shelter. NOBODY will offer any resistance. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2003-9-12 11:11:28 AM |
| #6 Quick, how fast can the IDF put up a fence to contain them? Clearly these are the fools who support arafat, and therefore terrorism... |
| Posted by: flash91 - fatwah you talkin bout willis 2003-9-12 9:28:10 AM |
| #5 I think that the idea of announcing Arafat's impending removal without doing it is a way of saying to him, "The next suicide bomber will finish you off." The Israelis will leave him alone until one more homicide bomber detonates. Then he's outtahere. |
| Posted by: Arnold Kling 2003-9-12 9:12:13 AM |
| #4 Just like a tramp metal magnet or a sediment trap. Good show, Arafish! Thanks for the tactical advantage! |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-9-12 8:56:08 AM |
| #3 Having hundreds of people hanging around the entrance to the office means that the entire Force 17 will have to be on guard to protect Arafat from being harmed by either one of the unhinged or from just getting tired and cracking his skull when he falls. This probably makes organizing terrorist attacks marginally more difficult and getting intel on future attacks marginally easier. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-9-12 8:34:21 AM |
| #2 Do the Israelis have Beehive rounds for the Merkava? |
| Posted by: Mike 2003-9-12 6:28:18 AM |
| #1 Another day, another Palestinian hissy fit. Did he do a rendition of Sally Field's "You Love Me!" speech, too? |
| Posted by: Baba Yaga 2003-9-12 1:19:58 AM |