Arafat Dead...

[The Mad Monk]

Reserved for details as they come in.

I was listening to the press conference on the radio when a reporter mentioned it and asked for a response.

DrudgeReport: Israeli TV says Arafat Braindead

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1616207,00.html

Site is down for me.

[Urban Ranger]

This is going to be bad.

[Cruddy]

I really can't see a more "moderate" leader getting the popular support of a majority of Palestinians.

Mind you, I'd like to be proved wrong here.

[Arrian]

I think it could be a good thing. The short term could be ugly (I hope not), but in the long run, I think the Pals really needed a new leader.

-Arrian

[Ben Kenobi]

Who could be less moderate than Arafat?

Now we'll get a chance to see some real compromises with the Jews on Palestine.

[Solver]

Clinically dead, not yet completely.

[Solomwi]

I concur with Arrian. It's also tempting to view a large segment of Palestinians as eager to move forward toward real peace, but having held back due to loyalty to Arafat. I'm not that naive, though.

[lightblue]

On the BBC news tracker it say "Paris hospital denies Israeli media reports that yasser Arafat is dead. More soon."

[Asher]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&e=17&u=/nm/mideast_arafat_dc

Arafat Reported Clinically Dead; PM Denies

13 minutes ago

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat (news - web sites) was declared clinically dead on Thursday in a French hospital, Israeli television said citing French sources.

But Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie denied the report, saying: "I have just spoken to the officials in Paris and they say the situation is still as it was. He is still in the intensive care unit."

Israel's Channel Two television cited unnamed sources in Paris saying that Arafat underwent a brain scan and was found to be "no longer alive."

Palestinian sources earlier told Reuters that the Palestinian president, who was admitted to hospital last week with a mysterious stomach illness, had slipped into a coma.

[MrFun]

one less terrorist

[Wezil]

Well, let me be the first.



Now we can at least hope for a future instead of the standstill of the Arafat years...

edit: I guess Mr. Fun beat me. Good news travels fast.

btw, good thing we don't allow a dead pool at ACS - that would be insensitive

[MrFun]

I beat you to the celebration, Wezil.



Don't you love x-posting?

[Arrian]

It's not so much whether the next leader is more "moderate" than Arafat. The key is pragmatism. If you think moderate = pragmatic (it can be the same, but not necessarily, I think), then ok. But LotM has made a pretty good case lately for Sharon being a pragmatist - despite not being moderate at all.

-Arrian

[Dinner]

Damn! You beat me to the thread.

[The Mad Monk]

Good news travels fast.