Power Struggle to Fill Arafat's void
Hey bbking...... TOG reference was mainly to provoke you.. I was sure that you were banned at one point... apologize for the error.. I only have one handle and I have never been banned..
The reality is that there is going to be a huge power struggle, that has the potential to be extremely violent. It is unfortunate that people like Revolution think that the "Palestinians are 75% in favor of suicide bombings" and 100% this and 100% that...
The fact of the matter is that there has been a number of groups battling for power within the PLO. The good thing that Arafat did was bring some semblance of a unified front for the Palestinian people. However in the background, he was consistently battling to keep control.
It is typical in these type of struggles that the most ruthless group wins. Many blamed Arafat for not being able to keep his people in check. The fact of the matter is that some of these groups were sabotaging any peace efforts. Usually, in a given population, these groups represent a very very small percentage of the actual population. But because they are ruthless, violent and tend to have stockpiled weapons, they frighten the moderates. In the meantime, the moderates are still struggling with the moral and political issues, the fanatics are running the country.
I have heard many people say that they think that Arafat's death will help the peace process.. I am fearful that we are going to see a rise in terrorist activity. And if the fanatics gain power, the Middle East will be in a terrible position.