Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Cabinet on Sunday approved a U.S. proposal aimed at ending the month-old siege outside Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's compound in Ramallah. The U.S. plan calls for U.S. and British personnel to guard six Palestinians wanted by Israel, and in turn Arafat would be allowed to leave his compound and move freely in the Palestinian areas of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate response from the Palestinian leadership.
This is a crummy idea from several points. First of all, it commits the U.S. and Britain to provide prison guards for six thugs for up to 18 years or until Yasser pardons them, which'll be next month. During that time they'll be targets for Palestinian mobs who'll come by to spring the thugs. If they're lucky, they'll just be slapped around, like the UNIFIL troops. If not, they'll be killed - they're Imperialists, after all. Second, it lets Yasser run around the PA territory and resume rousing the rabble for more murder. There doesn't have to be a third, but a little thought can come up with more... |