Word: arafats
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...Europe, the atrocities committed by Israel’s army are more widely reported than in the United States. American Middle East policy doesn’t have much support over here either; as far as they are concerned, Sharon is just as bad, or worse, than Arafat. And why, they ask, should we tell the Palestinians that Arafat can’t be their leader when we preach democratic leadership and we ourselves have a moron like Bush in office...
...Sharon and Arafat couldn’t agree if it was raining,” Dukakis said...
There certainly is no consensus within the President's top circle of advisers. Hard-liners like Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wanted Bush to push for Arafat's ouster. But Secretary of State Colin Powell has urged Bush to advocate political and economic reforms without demanding Arafat's removal. Powell, says a senior U.S. Middle East expert, suffered a "frustrating" defeat...
...Arafat remains popular among Palestinians. But there are some signs of discontent. Mohammed Dahlan, former head of security in Gaza, has been addressing crowds of as many as 2,000 in recent months. He talks of "mistakes of the intifadeh," according to Israeli intelligence, and is said to have backed a protest by Palestinian workers angry that the recent violence has cost them their jobs...
Another potential challenger to Arafat is Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, who is a founding member of Fatah, Arafat's political movement. Abu Mazen has been privately urging Arafat to adopt a more conciliatory line with the U.S. and has criticized Arafat's support of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which has been behind many recent suicide bombings. "Abu Mazen is sick of Arafat," a senior Fatah official tells TIME. "He has lost hope of any progress." Abu Mazen visited Washington in early 2001 for prostate-cancer surgery and, while recovering, met with Powell at the State Department...