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| Israel-Palestine |
| King of Jordan: Arafat should consider stepping down |
| 2004-05-18 |
| Jordan’s king is quoted as saying Palestinian leader [ kleptothug for life Yasser Arafat should consider whether to step aside. King Abdullah tells The New York Times that Arafat should take "a long look in the mirror" [yucky metaphor but at least he didn’t say ’stand naked’] and decide whether his position is helping the Palestinian people or not. Israel and the United States often have pushed for Arafat to step aside. The Palestinian has even frustrated his fellow Arab leaders -- though it is rare that they publicly voice that frustration. [Egypt and Jordan have supposedly been ticked at Arafat for many, many years now] Abdullah had told reporters in Jordan that Palestinian leaders "need to get their act together." He also says Iraq’s next leader should be a "tough guy" with a military background, who’s capable of holding the country together. |
| Posted by:mhw |
| #3 King Abdullah tells The New York Times that Arafat should take "a long look in the mirror" and decide whether his position is helping the Palestinian people or not. If Arafart had any shred of decency, this would have happened a long time ago. That he's still in charge and made recent statements about "terrorizing" the enemy is proof enough that the "Palestinian people" isn't what he cares about. Abdullah had told reporters in Jordan that Palestinian leaders "need to get their act together." Their act is together. Arafart runs the show, and that is all. He also says Iraq’s next leader should be a "tough guy" with a military background, who’s capable of holding the country together. Arab populations and strongmen/dictators: like hand in glove. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-05-18 11:22:23 AM |
| #2 Abdullah hasn't gotten any of *his* Palestinians killed in clashes with the Israelis recently, nor have I heard of the Kingdom of Jordan financing, training, supporting, or protecting suicide bombing operations. Of course, that might have something to do with Jordan being a small, poor, weak tribal state with no oil to speak of, and heavily reliant on American aid and military assistance. But the point still stands. Abdullah is positively benign by regional standards. Hell, even compared to his father, who had Black September and the 1967 to live down, he's pretty good. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2004-05-18 9:48:48 AM |
| #1 Jordan is a Palestinian majority state. I would point out to King Abdullah that whether he is helping the Palestinian people by staying in his current position is a question he needs to answer. |
| Posted by: Phil B 2004-05-18 9:00:06 AM |