Why Won't Araft Just Die?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-10-31 02:12pm

CLAMART, FRANCE - Yasser Arafat underwent tests for a viral infection and other ailments Sunday, after doctors ruled out life-threatening illness for the ailing Palestinian leader.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat blows kisses as he is helped out of a helicopter Oct. 29 in Amman, Jordan.

Arafat, 75, reportedly felt more lively after spending his second night in a French army hospital, where he was rushed Friday after collapsing two days earlier in his West Bank compound in Ramallah.

Doctors conducted tests for viral infection and other ailments Sunday, said Arafat aides who initially reported was suffering from gallstones or a bad case of the flu. They expect results by Nov. 3 at the latest.

Aides said Saturday that all types of life-threatening conditions have been ruled out, but no medical professionals have publicly confirmed the news.

Arafat has a low blood-platelet count, which prevents blood clotting and can indicate a range of ailments, including cancers such as leukemia.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday that he will not let Arafat be buried in Jerusalem if he dies.

The decision to move Arafat came Thursday after Israeli officials assured him they would not place restrictions on his travel. In past years, Israel had warned he wouldn't be allowed to return to the Palestinian territories if he left.

The executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization held its first meeting without Arafat on Saturday. They have temporarily delegated his powers to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his predecessor, Mahmoud Abbas.

Arafat has not groomed a successor despite heavy lobbying in recent years. If he is incapacitated, many analysts expect chaos to reign while rivals jockey for his job.

He has shown symptoms of Parkinson's disease since the early 1990s and Israeli officials believed he had stomach cancer.

Seriously the guys worse than a roach. Even if the Israeli's ever did kill him, I'm sure his body would continue to scuttle around and cause trouble.

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-10-31 03:19pm

I asked the same question with one of English teachers in my first year of high school. Truth be told, she was somewhat of a bitch. So, midway through the Fall Semester, she ended up getting in a car accident and needed a replacement for her artifical hip. So, we celebrated thinking we had a week or two of freedom.

She was back on her feet and in the classroom less than two days later, I shit you not.

Anyway, the running gag/joke for that next two weeks went two ways, that a.) It would not die, b.) it was alive...

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2004-10-31 03:46pm

We can always hope on complications...

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-10-31 03:50pm

CJvR wrote:We can always hope on complications...

I'll keep my fingers crossed. How this fuck ever got the Nobel Peace Prize is beyond me.

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-10-31 03:57pm

*sigh* Where's Walter Model when you need him.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2004-10-31 05:02pm

It'll get worse if he does die. He's kept some of the less radical elements tied to the PLO rather than Hamas, but when his charismatic presence is gone...

It's gonna be bad shit in the Middle East when that happens.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » 2004-10-31 05:08pm

It's already Bad Shit in the Middle East! Aren't you paying attention?

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-10-31 05:20pm

frigidmagi wrote:It's already Bad Shit in the Middle East! Aren't you paying attention?

Yeah, if Arafat dies than things may heat up a bit. But on the whole I don't think it'll be all that much greater. Besides the man is a terrorist he should have been killed years ago.

CJvR · Post by **CJvR** » 2004-10-31 05:22pm

The Dark wrote:It'll get worse if he does die

It will get worse anyway. Changing leadership is one chance of having something good come out at the end.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2004-10-31 05:26pm

CJvR wrote:
The Dark wrote:It'll get worse if he does die
It will get worse anyway. Changing leadership is one chance of having something good come out at the end.

It'll be one hellashish power vacum. WHats left of the PLO and Hammas will probably squabble amongst themselves to get the big chair. That said, I guess we can hope they'll bomb each other for a time.

I got to wonder if perhaps a grass roots effort by the poor, honest to god people of Palastine will, perhaps, raise up and get themselves a leader.

Probably not, but.....

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-10-31 05:27pm

CJvR wrote:
The Dark wrote:It'll get worse if he does die
It will get worse anyway. Changing leadership is one chance of having something good come out at the end.

Like it will hopefully be with this upcoming Tuesday.

Galvatron · Post by **Galvatron** » 2004-10-31 06:12pm

Before I clicked on it, I wasn't sure if the subject line was supposed to read Arafat or Ashcroft.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-10-31 06:26pm

Galvatron wrote:Before I clicked on it, I wasn't sure if the subject line was supposed to read Arafat or Ashcroft.

Well Ashcroft is another one I wouldn't miss.

Flakin · Post by **Flakin** » 2004-11-01 12:06am

Because he's powered by 'Hate!(tm)'.

Although, according to some recent news reports, the buzzards are already picking apart his powerbase.

Oh, its not that surprising that Marrowfat was awarded the nobel peace prize.. even Hitler was nominated for it...

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2004-11-01 01:02am

Hitler was nominated?

Are you serious?

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-11-01 01:05am

President Sharky wrote:Hitler was nominated? Are you serious?

Source

Hitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1938! Leading the campaign for years was the renowned author, Gertrude Stein. As early as 1934, she told a reporter that Hitler should be awarded the Nobel peace prize. "I say that Hitler ought to have the peace prize, because he is removing all the elements of contest and of struggle from Germany. By driving out the Jews and the democratic and Left element, he is driving out everything that conduces to activity. That means peace ... By suppressing Jews ... he was ending struggle in Germany" (New York Times Magazine, May 6, 1934).

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-11-01 01:05am

Crap, let me try the link again.

Here

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-11-01 01:17am

The Dark wrote:It'll get worse if he does die. He's kept some of the less radical elements tied to the PLO rather than Hamas, but when his charismatic presence is gone...

It's gonna be bad shit in the Middle East when that happens.

Hopefully, PLO and Hamas will start fighting for his position and begin blowing each other up. Which is all good for us: the less islamofascist terrorists are there, the better, and no Israeli bulldozers would be involved, either.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-11-01 01:20am

fgalkin wrote:
The Dark wrote:It'll get worse if he does die. He's kept some of the less radical elements tied to the PLO rather than Hamas, but when his charismatic presence is gone...

It's gonna be bad shit in the Middle East when that happens.
Hopefully, PLO and Hamas will start fighting for his position and begin blowing each other up. Which is all good for us: the less islamofascist terrorists are there, the better, and no Israeli bulldozers would be involved, either.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Except then people would bitch and moan about Israel doing nothing to stop the violence.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2004-11-01 02:14am

Except then people would bitch and moan about Israel doing nothing to stop the violence.

Better than complaining that Israel's causing the violence.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2004-11-01 02:36am

The idea of Hamas, Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Islamic Jihad all carving each other to bits for control of Palestine, counts as dinner theater in my book,

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-11-01 02:47am

HemlockGrey wrote:
Except then people would bitch and moan about Israel doing nothing to stop the violence.
Better than complaining that Israel's causing the violence.

Not really, damned if you do damned if you don't.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-11-01 07:09am

Sokar wrote:The idea of Hamas, Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and Islamic Jihad all carving each other to bits for control of Palestine, counts as dinner theater in my book,

Don't forget the so called younger generation of PA leaders, who want 'transperecency, and end to corruption', they have some guns

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2004-11-01 02:47pm

Since Arafat was the sort of National Symbol for the Palestinians, if he dies I predict

A. Hamas will gain a lot of strength

B. We might actually be able to move farther forward in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Part of the problem was that Arafat simply benefitted from being in the negotiations, not necessarily finding a solution; it all helped him maintain power.

Xenophobe3691 · Post by **Xenophobe3691** » 2004-11-01 02:59pm

Personally, I think that the peace process will actually start making a few steps that are somewhat meaningful. Arafat personally gains from the Intifada, however, the average Joe and Jane Palestinian are getting quite tired of all the crap resulting from this "war", from harsh countermeasures to quite a loss of livelihood both directly from the lack of tourism and indirectly from that lack draining money from the economy...