Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Old bump on new road

Friday, May 30, 2003 | 9:26 a.m.

JUST ABOUT THE TIME there appears to be some hope for a first step down the road mapped out for Middle East peace, another boulder appears. With both the French and Yasser Arafat involved, it appears to be a very large rock.

Last Monday it was French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin pumping life back into Yasser Arafat in their meeting. The next day Arafat let the world know that he, not Prime Minister Abu Mazen, also known as Mahmoud Abbas, is in charge of all negotiations with Israel.

An editorial comment in U.S News & World Report describes Arafat as "the man who signed the Oslo agreement in 1993 and signs the checks for the terrorists. He is the same man who rejected an Israeli offer of 97 percent of the West Bank with a capital in parts of Jerusalem because his dedication to the destruction of the Jewish state is greater than his dedication to a Palestinian state."

Arafat is much more than the magazine gives him credit for being. After refusing to accept Israel's generous offers in the United States, he returned home almost three years ago and started the bloodiest streak of terrorism ever experienced in Israel. He has never lost his desire to kill Jews and drive them into the sea. Over the years he has often talked about peace in English and then in short order has turned to speaking Arabic and retracted those statements. Everybody in the diplomatic world has come to realize that Arafat is a quick change artist.

There is the saying that we should deal with Arafat because it's necessary to "make peace with enemies and not friends." He has fooled many powerful leaders for a period of time but none of them trust him. Only the leaders of several Arab nations support him because they want him to stir up trouble for the Jews. They are the same leaders who fund terrorists groups that have long records of killing Israelis, Americans and others who don't follow the dictates of Islam. He is a useful tool for the leaders of many Islamic nations but even they know he can't be trusted.

Six years ago Fawaz Turki, a Palestinian living in the United States, wrote the following in the Washington Post newspaper:

"The United States, notorious over the years for underwriting the survival of two-bit dictators around the world, has latched on to yet another one of these in the person of Yasser Arafat, whose woeful disregard for the human rights of his own people Washington continues not only to wink at but to urge him on, presumably in the name of stability in the territories."

Some things have changed in the past couple of years. President George W. Bush has told America that he has no intention of working with Arafat. Bush knows Arafat is a snake who changes his skin every morning he crawls from bed. He also knows that Arafat has already undermined Abu Mazen and controls the money and the terrorists. Terrorism is one weapon that Arafat has no intention of giving up and will block all attempts to do it.

Early this month, when Arafat was still grinning in the background, Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley warned in a press release: "Despite the formation of a new cabinet, Yasser Arafat remains the head of the Palestinian Authority, and maintains power over the PA's finances, security, and negotiations. While Arafat continues to wield so much power, a breakthrough in the peace process is unlikely. Pro-Arafat forces dominate the new cabinet, while only a few ministers owe their loyalty to Abu Mazen. ..."

Frances's encouragement has brought Arafat boldly upfront again. Let's face reality. Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Bush have no intention of playing games of peace with Arafat. What France has done is further weaken the role of Abu Mazen and made any real progress down the road to peace almost impossible.

What can be done? Next week Bush is supposed to visit with President Jacques Chirac of France. Allow me to suggest our president have a note delivered to Chirac telling him to call off his dog, Villepin, and strengthen the hand of Abu Mazen. If he doesn't, then there is no need for a meeting or time for a glass of wine.