What do you think will be the outcome of this now inevitable event? Could we see a "Rally 'Round the Flag" similarity in the area? Could a Civil War break out? Or a rather hard-lined war between the already-battling and war-ravaged areas?

Your thoughts...

The first big problem is where to bury Arafat. In the Islamic tradition, he must be buried within twenty four hours of his death. The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are discussing the issue. Then there is the problem of his successor. There will be a political struggle, and it could turn into an armed struggle. Anyone seen as being favored by the Israelis will be unacceptable in the eyes of the Palestinians. What I don't know is where Hamas will figure in this. All in all it could lead to a large mess, or it could lead to a new opportunity for a peaceful resolution depending on how it goes. My guess is that trouble is a good bet.

Originally posted by Imagineer
The first big problem is where to bury Arafat. In the Islamic tradition, he must be buried within twenty four hours of his death. The Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are discussing the issue. Then there is the problem of his successor. There will be a political struggle, and it could turn into an armed struggle. Anyone seen as being favored by the Israelis will be unacceptable in the eyes of the Palestinians. What I don't know is where Hamas will figure in this. All in all it could lead to a large mess, or it could lead to a new opportunity for a peaceful resolution depending on how it goes. My guess is that trouble is a good bet.

I personally think he IS dead already and keeping him on life support to figure where to bury him and sort out any arising problems... I think it is gonna be a huge problem when they annouce it...

Palestinian officials granted Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei some of Yasser Arafat's financial and security powers so he could attend to urgent matters that could not be delayed, a Palestinian official said.

The PLO executive committee transferred the powers to Qurei to deal with urgent administrative and financial matters as Arafat's health further deteriorated Thursday, according to committee member Qais Abdel Karim.


Determined to allay fears of chaos and internecine fighting, Palestinian officials in Ramallah and the Gaza Strip have been working hard to ensure that normal life is not disrupted as a result of Arafat's absence. Until now, it appears that they have succeeded in preventing a slide into political and security turmoil.


http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1099451901262

I don't think a Civil War would break...at least I hope not.

No, I think that Palestine will stay Prime-ministerless for a certain amount of time, and maybe some conflict will happen between them and the Israeli's...
Oh God, I really hope the Israeli's don't force a prime-minister on them just to stop the hassle...it would just make it worse.

Originally posted by Imagineer
In the Islamic tradition, he must be buried within twenty four hours of his death.

Actually, I think he's a Christian...

Originally posted by Innocent Sweety
Actually, I think he's a Christian...

Bleap, wrong answer.


THE MUSLIM ARAFAT
PART ONE

Portraying himself as spiritual successor to Caliph Omar, the PLO leader builds a solid Muslim-Christian Alliance against Israel in the battle for Jerusalem.

YASSER Arafat is universally regarded as an Arab nationalist intent on establishing a secular, democratic Palestinian state. But the fact, is he is not. Arafat is a Muslim. And it is his faith that is central to his vision, and drives his cause.

As his role model, Arafat has chosen the seventh century Islamic hero, Caliph Omar Ibn el-Khattab. The PLO leader has called Omar Mohammed's right-hand general, and the second Muslim caliph after "the Prophet's" death his spiritual forbear.

It was Omar who brought almost the entire Middle East under the sword of Islam. In 638, after commanding some of the most brutal campaigns in history and destroying Jewish and Christian populations in numerous towns and cities, Omar finally wrested Jerusalem from Byzantium (Christian) rule.

When the Byzantine patriarch Sophronius surrendered the city to the caliph, he handed over the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The two men signed an agreement whereby the Arabs would permit Christian civil and religious freedom in the city, and the Christians would pay tribute for the privilege.

Control of the Christian holy sites was kept firmly in the hands of the Muslims. The Omariya treaty contained the added condition that Jews not be permitted to live in the city.


http://christianactionforisrael.org/medigest/feb97/marafat.html

Arafat joined the Muslim Brotherhood and served as president of the Union of Palestinian Students from 1952 to 1956. By 1956, Arafat graduated with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and served as a second lieutenant in the Egyptian Army during the Suez Crisis.



Ideology of Muslim Brotherhood:

The Muslim Brotherhood opposes secular tendencies of Islamic nations and wants return to the precepts of the Qur'an, and rejection of Western influences. They also reject Sufi influences. They organize events from prayer meetings to sport clubs for socializing.

The organization's motto is as follows: “Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”

Okay so I thought wrong :) thanks for clearing that out old-reb.

It's just that I always see him celebrating Christmas and other Christian holidays but never saw him celebrating Eid or whatever. Plus his name used to be Mohammed-something but he changed it to Yasser Arafat, so I thought that he changed it cause he converted.

Anyway, good to know...

Originally posted by sandy73
I personally think he IS dead already and keeping him on life support to figure where to bury him and sort out any arising problems... I think it is gonna be a huge problem when they annouce it...

Hah that's hilarioius. Sorry if I'm rude, but it is...

Originally posted by sandy73
I personally think he IS dead already and keeping him on life support to figure where to bury him and sort out any arising problems... I think it is gonna be a huge problem when they annouce it...
--------------------------------------

This statement is probably not far from the truth.

Yahoo is now saying he's dead.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&u=/nm/20041109/ts_nm/mideast_arafat_dc_126

According to the secretary of the Palestinian authority Arafat is still alive, all though his condition appears to be deteriorating rapidly, and he has suffered brain heamorrhage.

I guess he got better...:D

Surely, no one thought that he would live forever.

let's just save the Isaelis and the 'Palestinians" (who still don't have a country, due to Arafats failure as a leader...ie... hate/war monger... and banker to boot...) the trouble of tryin to figure out where to bury the piece of shit and bomb the french hospital that he's been "lying in state" in for the past several days.... hell, we could kill two birds with one stone.....
Does anyone truly believe that Arafat has been that instumental as a tool in the "peace process"? He's been trying to kill the state of Israel since his youth.....
And his wife, holy shit..... she's probably a drinkin buddy of patty heinz-kerry...... heh heh heh...

Well now he actually is dead. The announcement was made by Palestinian Authority officials, and is being carried by the BBC and Israeli media. He will be buried at his compound in Ramallah. The Israelis have approved this. We shall see what happens next.

Thanks for the "update" imagineer.... I hear he'll lie in state in Cairo, Egypt...then they'll ditch his ass... Anyway.... I'm curious to see what happens with PLO fanatics types and all the other idiots when the "world leaders" come to pay their "respects" in Cairo......
I'll be glued to the news.....

Yes, I find it funny that the media is treating this like some great hero has died. Someone deserving of our respect and admiration. The man was a terrorist.

Good riddance. He was a pest and would have committed genocide in an instant if he had the power.

I'd love it if a group of Israelis dug up his body and placed it in the New York landfill, then called the PLA to tell them their deed.

Arafat was a terrorist, and does not warrant respect.

yasser arafat was a cancer on the "true" cause of the Israeli/Palestinian peace process.... Bury him in Israel? Sure, if ya can find a big enough cesspool......