(National Review) Victor Davis Hanson - If one believes that Arafat is not merely an ex-terrorist but a contemporary criminal as well - given the proximity of killers in his midst - then past American support for his Tunisian mafia was crazy. In an era when Arafat had recently felt like the White House was his second home, and the fatally flawed Oslo agreements were still spoken of in near religious language, President Bush had the courage to sever the pathological relationship. The Americans have made it clear that Arafat's brutality makes peace with Israel impossible, while his innate corruption precludes any chance that there will ever be prosperity and consensual government for the Palestinian people. So it is now the Palestinians' call - fair and periodic elections, free speech, and civic audit - not ours. And that, too, is as it should be.
2004-03-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive