(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Though he remains confined to Ramallah, Arafat continues to be a far too powerful figure. The size of the Palestinian security force he still commands dwarfs that at the disposal of Abbas. And then there's the matter of the mischief Arafat can make with the billions of dollars in his personal bank accounts. The official budget of Abbas pales by comparison. The important thing for U.S. policy is that there be no double standard on the issue of terror. The two sides have reached this moment of opportunity precisely because they believe Mr. Bush when he says terror won't be tolerated. If the Palestinians become convinced they cannot bomb their way to statehood, sooner or later a leader will arise who will make their independence a reality.
2003-08-01 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive