- Yipee!!!


Ailing Arafat going to Paris for medical treatment.

I rarely make political comments on Dirtyknees, but I have to tonight. Arafat is sick. He either has leukemia or some other platelet disorder like ITP (they're not telling the whole truth). He could bleed to death, have a stroke, or die from the complications of chemotherapy. I am sad for him, his family, and the entire state of Palestine. Call me soft if you want; I always side with the underdog.

Sharon has promised to gradually pull Israel out of Gaza. The Palestinians are screwed if Arafat dies. There isn't a clear successor and without a strong leader, they're at risk for a bloody and disasterous civil war. Nothing could be worse for these people on the eve of liberation.

Israel has kindly allowed Arafat to leave his half destroyed palace/prison so he can receive medical treatment in Paris. The U.S. has half-heartedly addressed the situation publicly. An official from the State Department suggested this isn't a political issue, but a personal issue for Arafat and his family.

You know most of Israel, the U.S., and the rest of the Judeo-Christian world are counting down the seconds until Arafat's death. I'm not going to argue that Arafat is a terrific guy or say that I am praying for his full recovery. I am, however, hoping for peace in that area of the world and hoping it will spill over to the rest. Instability in the Middle East isn't good for anyone.