Got chemistry, can relate<\/p>\n
Personal chemistry is going to feature in relations that
\nSingapore conducts with its two main neighbors, Indonesia and
\nMalaysia. When all is said and done about treaties, memoranda of
\nunderstanding and complementing one another's economic strengths,
\nit is the easy, personable relationship the leaders enjoy that
\nwould smooth out discord and disagreements which are bound to
\ncrop up in competitive bilateral relations. The personal
\nfriendship that Mr Lee Kuan Yew developed with President Soeharto
\nin his long years as prime minister was what brought harmony to
\ndealings between two unlikely neighbors.<\/p>\n
Conversely, an inability to \"click\" will be a serious
\nimpediment to ties in a region that is anything but homogeneous
\nin governing ideology, ethnic makeup and levels of progress,
\nbesides contrasting world views. The power trajectory of the
\nthree countries' new leaders did not intersect fully. Mr Lee
\nHsien Loong and Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia had known each other
\nreasonably well before they ascended the premiership. Still, they
\nneed to cultivate each other. But neither of them can be said to
\nbe \"thick\" yet with Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, who traveled in a different orbit until quite
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
This is added reason why Prime Minister Lee should invest in
\nhis personal relationship with Susilo. It had been noticed in
\nJakarta -- with much appreciation -- that Mr Lee had attended the
\nPresident's inauguration last month. His official hello call in
\nJakarta this week drew from his host warm words of friendship.
\nIndonesian leaders of Javanese cultural reflex set much store by
\npersonal warmth and politesse. Naturally, frequent contact will
\nnot mean much if the chemistry is not right. The three new
\nleaders are fairly equable in temperament. None seems given to
\ndominating the other. There is a good chance they can hit it off,
\nto the region's overall gain.<\/p>\n
It is Singapore's lot, however, to have its leaders
\nstereotyped as business-like, impatient to see results. This is
\nno handicap, provided mutuality of interest is observed. On Mr
\nLee's visit, the Indonesians raised matters such as an
\nextradition treaty and sand exports. Singapore has practical
\nconcerns about economic cooperation and the region's response to
\nthe terror threat. There are sensitivities on both sides. If
\nthere is chemistry in the mix, no issue can seem forbidding.
\n-- The Straits Times, Singapore<\/p>\n
Taking Fallujah<\/p>\n
The combat in Fallujah is intense and the ultimate outcome
\ncannot be certain.<\/p>\n
The challenges that are presented by urban warfare, not least
\nhidden roadside bombs, have been anticipated and new technology
\nemployed to limit the damage. It is, though, impossible to outwit
\nall possible attacks and both the United States and Iraqi forces
\nwill sustain casualties.<\/p>\n
Fallujah is not the only rebel stronghold. There are other
\nplaces where law and order is far from ideal. But Fallujah has
\nbecome a symbol of a wider contest. If the United States is seen
\nto have won on the ground in military terms and the authorities
\nin Baghdad are perceived to have regained political control
\noutside the capital, Iraqis will feel far more secure.<\/p>\n
The most important objective now is to ensure that as much of
\nIraq as possible is in a state where free and fair elections can
\nbe completed next year and full power handed to the
\nrepresentatives of the people. The fight for Fallujah will
\nlargely, but not exclusively, determine whether that entirely
\nnoble aim can be realised.
\n--- The Times, London
\n
\nArctic thaw<\/p>\n
Not only has it moved beyond the realm of science fiction, but
\nthe Arctic ice cap's melting has been much faster than anyone has
\nsuspected. That is one of the important conclusions of a report
\npublished at the behest of the Arctic Council, a forum composed
\nof eight nations with Arctic territories, including the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
The report describes some of the possible environmental
\neffects of this change. Many northern animal species, including
\npolar bears and seals, are likely to become extinct. Vegetation
\nand animal migration patterns around the world will shift.<\/p>\n
But although the report's scientific conclusions will be the
\nsubject of an international conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, the
\nauthors intentionally do not offer specific recommendations,
\npolitical or environmental, on how to halt or cope with these
\nchanges.<\/p>\n
Such recommendations are supposed to come from diplomats and
\nindigenous representatives who will also be meeting at the
\nReykjavik summit, however. And already, these are the subject of
\ncontroversy: Some participants have accused the Bush
\nadministration of resisting a mild endorsement of the report and
\nof rejecting even vague language suggesting that greenhouse gas
\nreduction might be part of the solution. Given the thorough
\nnature of this report, and given that the election is now over,
\nthat would be inexcusable. At the very least, we hope that the
\nfinal language reflects a practical, commonsensical and
\ndepoliticized approach to what will certainly be one of the most
\npressing environmental issues of the next half-century.
\n--- The Washington Post<\/p>\n
Battle for Fallujah<\/p>\n
Many British people regard the battle beginning at Fallujah
\nand last week's casualties among the Black Watch with dismay,
\neven revulsion. They perceive an ugly predicament in Iraq growing
\nworse by the day, and Tony Blair allowing hapless British troops
\nto be dragged ever deeper into it. Here, they say, are the first
\nfruits of the re-election of George W. Bush, an ignorant and
\ndangerous man. Heaven help those shackled to his chariot wheels,
\nwhen he really gets into his stride.<\/p>\n
There are good reasons for questioning Bush's fitness to lead
\nthe world, and for savaging his administration's handling of
\nIraq. Yet it seems gravely mistaken to go beyond this and start
\nto hope -- as so many French and German people hope -- that
\nWashington's hubris will be humbled in the Sunni triangle. Even
\nBush's Western critics should beware of wanting him to fail in
\nEyerack.<\/p>\n
Win or lose, we are in this together. If America fails, we all
\nfail. If Iraq dissolves into anarchy, as well it may, the world
\nwill be the loser. The fact that the United States has not used
\nits power wisely since 2003 does not diminish our profound need
\nfor this power, to save us from the consequences of failed and
\nfailing states. In Iraq, we are where we are. Political defeat or
\npremature withdrawal threaten not only a vacuum and even greater
\nbloodshed, but lasting damage to world order.<\/p>\n
If Iraq is to have any chance of becoming viable, January's
\nelections are critical. It is impossible to make every part of
\nthe country secure for polling in the next two months, but the
\ninsurgents must be pushed back and weakened. Breaking their hold
\non Fallujah is a crucial step.
\n-- The Telegraph, London<\/p>\n
Deportation from Oman<\/p>\n
Among factors that have given a bad image to Pakistan is
\nillegal immigration. As a news item reveals, the deportation by
\nOman of 602 more Pakistanis brings the number of those expelled
\nfrom that country to 33,000 in four years. If to this are added
\nPakistanis deported from other countries, the number reaches
\nmind-boggling proportions. Most of them are poor and illiterate
\npeople from rural areas. They left the country because of lack of
\njob opportunities. Which is a reflection on our ability to have a
\nmore productive agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
Pakistan is lucky because its agriculture is dependent on
\nirrigation and not on the vagaries of nature. Unfortunately,
\nseveral factors have inhibited the growth of agriculture, the
\nforemost being an outdated land-ownership pattern that does not
\ngive the tiller of the soil a strong stake in productivity.
\nInvariably, our peasant is poor and illiterate. For that reason
\nhe is left with only one option -- to go to the cities in search
\nof jobs. There, he often falls victim to \"the Dubai syndrome\".<\/p>\n
The way the unscrupulous among the recruiting agents exploit
\nthese people is a story unto itself. They ask them to pledge many
\nmonths' salaries in advance before being smuggled to the Gulf
\ncountries. Invariably, it is the illegal immigrants who are
\ncaught and punished and not the recruiting agents who thrive on
\nthe former's misery. The only way to stop illegal emigration is
\nfirst to improve the country's economic condition and provide
\njobs to the people so that the compulsion to migrate is not
\nthere. At the same time, the government should keep an eye on the
\nactivities of recruiting agents.<\/p>\n
The illiterate emigrants often do not know the basics of
\nmodern travel and immigration rules. Consequently, they lend
\nthemselves to manipulation by recruiting agents. What the
\ngovernment can do is to do some \"debriefing\" when a batch of
\nillegal immigrants returns, find out who sent them abroad
\nillegally and take action against those responsible. This should
\ninclude jail terms, besides canceling the recruiting companies'
\nlicense to operate.<\/p>\n
-- The Dawn, Karachi<\/p>\n
;AP;
\nANPA ..r..
\nEditorial Roundup
\nUNDATED: to everyone.
\nJP\/<\/p>\n
UNDATED: to everyone.
\n[
\nHelsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Finland, on the Fallujah offensive,<\/p>\n
The second attempt by the United States to quell the
\ninsurgency in the Sunni area of Fallujah is a telling example of
\nthe bad choices the occupying force has been forced to make,
\ncaused by its own earlier mistakes and neglect. Unless Fallujah
\nand other similar hotbeds fall under the control of the interim
\ngovernment, the elections planned for January cannot be plausibly
\nheld.<\/p>\n
But if the civilian casualties and material damage caused by
\nthe offensive are great the rage of the populace could grow and
\nthe already limited ability of the government would collapse and
\nelections become even more impossible.<\/p>\n
The previous attempt at occupying (Fallujah) in April was
\nsuspended precisely because the price to pay was considered too
\ngreat. The United States cannot afford another failure if not for
\nanything else but its own prestige, and the recent election
\nvictory has given President George W. Bush's administration a
\nfreer hand.<\/p>\n
However, the destructive strikes in recent days in various
\nparts of Iraq are an indication that the insurgency is not
\nlimited to a few separate hotbeds. The United States can easily
\nwin every individual fight, but its strength and resources don't
\nseem to be sufficient to bring peace to the whole expansive
\ncountry.
\n[
\nRocky Mountain News, Denver, Colorado, on the legacy of Yasser Arafat:<\/p>\n
On Sept. 9, 1993, Yasser Arafat signed a letter to Israeli
\nPrime Minister Yitzhak Rabin pledging that the Palestine
\nLiberation Organization \"recognizes the right of the State of
\nIsrael to exist in peace and security.\" That was a lie, and it is
\none of many reasons the world should not mourn the passing of
\nthis petty tyrant. ...<\/p>\n
The list of crimes the PLO chairman has incited or been
\nassociated with over the years would stain every page of a good-
\nsized book. Highlights, however, would include the slaughter of
\nathletes at the 1972 Olympics by Black September; the
\nassassination of U.S. diplomats in Sudan in 1973; the massacre of
\nschoolchildren at Maalot in 1974; a bus hijacking that killed 35
\ncivilians in 1978; the slaying of Leon Klinghoffer on the Achille
\nLauro in 1985; the torture and execution of Palestinian
\ndissidents, especially during the intifada of the late 1980s and
\nearly '90s; and the suicide bombings of the Al Aqsa Martyrs
\nBrigade in more recent years.<\/p>\n
... Arafat's death will provide Palestinians with an
\nopportunity to turn away from the violence of half a century to
\nchoose a more productive course. ...
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/insidedenver.com\/drmn\/opinion\/article\/0,1299,DRMN-38-3306492,0 0.html
\n---<\/p>\n
Bradenton Herald, Bradenton, Florida, on Bush and his
\npolitical capital:<\/p>\n
President Bush certainly is entitled to \"spend the political
\ncapital\" he earned by winning re-election. ... The big question
\nis, how much will his capital buy in what could be a contentious
\n\"marketplace,\" a Congress and nation sharply divided by war,
\nsocial-values issues and fiscal policy.<\/p>\n
Bush's tone and demeanor at last week's post-election news
\nconference indicated he sees his victory as a mandate for a broad
\nagenda of domestic reforms on which he campaigned. Certainly,
\ncompared to some elections in which the victor claimed a mandate
\nby a far smaller margin -- John F. Kennedy did so after beating
\nRichard Nixon by 2\/10 of 1 percent -- Bush's 51 to 48 percent,
\n3.5 million-vote margin over John Kerry could empower the
\npresident to set ambitious goals for his second term. ...<\/p>\n
Certainly the president is entitled to push the policies that
\nhe thinks are in the nation's best interests. But it would be a
\nmistake to do so in a partisan atmosphere. He pledged to work
\nacross party lines to help heal the rifts caused by the campaign.
\nIf he breaks that pledge, he could find himself in the same
\nfailed-second-term syndrome as some predecessors who overreached.
\nBush indeed has political capital. We only hope he spends it
\nwisely.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/stories\/04\/11\/07\/edi-editorial002.cfm
\n---
\nSan Francisco Chronicle, on the Fallujah attack:<\/p>\n
The immediate military outcome of the offensive by U.S.
\nsoldiers and Marines against insurgents in control of Fallujah is
\nhardly in doubt. Our troops, accompanied for symbolic purposes by
\nthin ranks of newly trained Iraqis, will take charge of the city,
\nnotorious for the killings and dismemberment of four American
\ncontractors last March.<\/p>\n
... The Fallujah offensive is supported by the interim Iraqi
\ngovernment of Prime Minister Ayad Allawi in the hope that
\npacifying Fallujah will help the country to hold credible
\nnational elections in January.<\/p>\n
Yet, questions remain about the likely success of this
\nstrategy. Some in the minority Sunni community threaten to
\nboycott the voting, while clerical leaders of the Shiite majority
\nsee it as their path to power.<\/p>\n
... United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is not
\nconfident that Iraqi violence can be quelled sufficiently to
\ncreate an effective election climate, or that a military
\noffensive now will aid the democratic cause. He warned against
\nlaunching the Fallujah offensive. ...<\/p>\n
The Bush administration's policy for remaking Iraq faces hard
\ntesting in the next few months.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/sfgate.com
\n---<\/p>\n
Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, on the killing of
\nDutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh:<\/p>\n
Many Americans may have missed the story of how Dutch
\nfilmmaker Theo Van Gogh was shot, had his throat cut and had a
\nlong jihadist manifesto pinned to his flesh with a knife as he
\ncried out for mercy. This happened in Amsterdam, the most pacific
\nand tolerant of European capitals, in broad daylight, last
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
Van Gogh, the great-grandnephew of the famous artist, was a
\nprovocative satirist and social critic with secular postmodern
\nliberal views. His film \"Submission,\" features a woman in a see-
\nthrough burka telling the story of an abusive and violent
\nmarriage from which her own family would not protect her for
\nreligious reasons. ...<\/p>\n
The suspect in Van Gogh's death is a 26-year-old Moroccan
\nimmigrant who belonged to the same Islamist cult as Abu Musab al-
\nZarqawi, who directs the jihad in Iraq. ...<\/p>\n
... There can be no place in Western civilization for people
\nwho react to those who offend them by murdering them in cold
\nblood or issuing religious edicts calling for their death. ...<\/p>\n
... Also deplorable is the apparent answering crime to Van
\nGogh's death: The bombing of an Islamic elementary school on
\nSunday. The bomb, whether by design or great good fortune, went
\noff at 3:30 a.m. The most hopeful thing we could say is that the
\nbombers were trying to send a message without sending blood into
\nthe gutters, but hate is hate, and crime is crime, and the
\nbombing, like the murder, was both.
\n----
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.ldnews.com\/Stories\/0,1413,139101412523478,00.html
\n---
\nThe Post-Standard, Syracuse, New York, on morality:<\/p>\n
Morality may be the surprise issue of the 2004 campaign. But
\nwhose morality?<\/p>\n
According to exit poll interviews, one-fifth of the voters
\ncited \"moral values\" as their chief concern. Words like
\n\"morality,\" \"faith\" and \"family values\" seemed to resonate as
\nnever before in the electorate. And of those voters, eight in 10
\npicked President Bush.<\/p>\n
This doesn't mean challenger John Kerry is somehow less
\n\"moral\" than Bush. The former altar boy who carried a rosary and
\nBible with him on the campaign trail has no less \"faith\" than the
\nincumbent. So how come his \"values\" failed to impress all those
\nAmerican voters?<\/p>\n
... If you don't happen to be an evangelical Christian; if
\nyour views of \"morality\" and \"family values\" don't include a ban
\non gay marriage or civil unions, outlawing abortion and embryonic
\nstem-cell research; if you are uncomfortable erasing the line
\nbetween church and state; this election provided only cold
\ncomfort.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.syracuse.com\/opinion\/poststandard\/index.ssf?\/base\/opinion- 3\/1099648586315781.xml
\n---
\nThe Herald, Everett, Washington, on President Bush's second term:<\/p>\n
If people learned anything about George W. Bush in his first
\nterm, it's that he isn't afraid to think big. Those who love him
\nadmire his zeal; those who loathe him are terrified by it.<\/p>\n
The mild overture he made to Democrats following his re-
\nelection last week hardly signaled a retreat from his aggressive
\nstyle. It was an invitation to help him implement his party's
\ngoals, not an offer to compromise them. But even in that light,
\nthe president has a rare and real opportunity to forge consensus
\nand make historic progress on some difficult, long-standing
\nissues.<\/p>\n
Two of them: Social Security reform and the Israeli-
\nPalestinian conflict.<\/p>\n
Social Security, as Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan
\nhas warned repeatedly, cannot in its current form support the
\nimpending retirement of 77 million baby boomers. Major changes
\nmust be made, and they'll be unpopular. ...<\/p>\n
In the Middle East, the distraction of the war in Iraq kept
\nthe Israeli-Palestinian peace process on the back burner of U.S.
\nforeign policy. Now, with a leadership change coming to the
\nPalestinian Authority, the president should seize the moment and
\nreassert traditional U.S. leadership. ...<\/p>\n
Historic opportunities don't often intersect with a leader who
\nhas the vision and political capital to take advantage of them.
\nWe hope this president realizes that.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.heraldnet.com\/<\/p>\n
GetAP 1.00 -- NOV 12, 2004 01:22:26
\n;AP;
\nANPA ..r..
\nEditorial Roundup
\nBy The Associated Press=
\nJP\/<\/p>\n
By The Associated Press=
\nHere are excerpts from editorials in newspapers around the world:
\n---<\/p>\n
---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/opinion
\n[
\n-- La Nacion, Buenos Aires, Argentina, on post-election
\nAfghanistan:<\/p>\n
For the first time in 5,000 years, Afghans have freely chosen
\ntheir national leaders. Hamid Karzai was declared the winner in
\nthe first presidential elections in the country, which has been
\nplagued for years by tyranny, wars and high levels of poverty.<\/p>\n
After three weeks of investigating, authorities determined
\nthere was no fraud that should invalidate the result of the
\nelections. The joint electoral committee that Afghans formed with
\nthe United Nations confirmed that Karzai earned 55.4 percent of
\nthe votes cast Oct. 9. In addition, a call has been made for
\nopponents to cease fighting and work together to rebuild the
\nnation. ...<\/p>\n
The country's economy has grown by 15 percent over the last
\nthree years, small businesses have multiplied, and some 3.3
\nmillion refugees living in neighboring countries have returned.
\nThese positive facts inspire hope that the first electoral
\nprocess in Afghanistan will mark an opportunity to end the
\nenormous poverty ... that prevails in that society.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.lanacion.com.ar\/opinion\/Nota.asp?nota-id=652116
\n[
\nSueddeutsche Zeitung, Munich, Germany, on the U.S. and Iraqi offensive in Fallujah:<\/p>\n
The offensive in Fallujah is filled with political and
\nmilitary symbolism, which is why America's future in Iraq could
\nbe decided in this city.<\/p>\n
The attack by U.S. troops and Iraqi National Guard members
\nfalls between two elections.<\/p>\n
In the United States, the commander in chief has just been
\nfreshly legitimized. ... In Iraq , elections are supposed to be
\nheld in January, by which time the offensive should long have
\nbeen successfully concluded.<\/p>\n
Such a success would strengthen the incumbent Iraqi Prime
\nMinister, (Ayad) Allawi.<\/p>\n
But Fallujah is more than a town -- it is now the symbol of
\nresistance, it is the insurgents' recruitment office. ...<\/p>\n
This, in the eyes of the occupied nation, is where its
\nrelationship with the occupiers will be decided. For the
\nAmericans, Fallujah is supposed to become an example of strength
\nand determination.<\/p>\n
Washington cannot accept terrorism and Islamic extremism
\nbecoming established.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.sueddeutsche.de
\n[
\nLa Stampa, Turin, Italy, on Bush's administration:<\/p>\n
With 59 million Republican votes at his side, President George
\nW. Bush begins to design his strategy for the new four year
\nterm. ... Don't pull back a millimeter from the fight against
\nterrorism and stay on the offensive against those States that
\nsupport it, without repeating the same mistakes committed in
\nIraq.<\/p>\n
Bush wants to stay on the offensive against terror because
\nthis is the mandate he received by an electorate who has rewarded
\nthe idea that only by promoting freedom worldwide, you can obtain
\nfreedom domestically.<\/p>\n
We are now at a time when the new administration takes shape
\nand this is the right moment for Europe to attempt to influence
\nthe course of events in Washington. It's not a coincidence that
\nBritain's Prime Minister Tony Blair is to arrive at the White
\nHouse and France's Foreign Minister Michel Barnier has launched
\nthe proposal to strengthen the dialogue between the US and the
\nEuropean Union. Both will put Bush's intentions to the test.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.lastampa.it\/redazione\/default.asp
\n[
\nStavanger Aftenbladet, Stavanger, Norway, on the U.S. elections:<\/p>\n
It was the biggest turnout since 1960. The Kerry camp was
\noverjoyed. Commentators in the U.S. and Europe were sure that a
\nbig turnout would help the Democrats. Instead, George W. Bush,
\nwith his message of patriotism and conservative Christian values,
\nhad the largest reserves.<\/p>\n
For liberal America, this must be food for thought. Bush is
\nthe most controversial president since Richard Nixon. He is mired
\nin Iraq, which costs American lives every week. He hasn't created
\nnew jobs. He has given huge tax breaks to the rich. And he has
\nthe majority on his side anyway. ...<\/p>\n
The Republicans, the party for the economic elite, managing to
\nmobilize average citizens is result of a weakening link between
\nthe economy and politics. ...<\/p>\n
With the economy removed from politics, values, culture and
\nstyle moved in. ... Bush has managed to play on the antipathy
\nrural voters and laborers often feel toward the urbane, liberal
\nelite.<\/p>\n
(For the Democrats) a key question will be how to renew a
\ndialogue with the social groups they alienated.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/stavanger-aftenblad.no\/<\/p>\n
[<\/p>\n
Singapore Straits Times, on Arafat's legacy:<\/p>\n
The imminent departure of the gravely-ill Yasser Arafat will
\nremove the only icon that Palestinians have had since their land
\nwas transformed by the United Nations into the Jewish state of
\nIsrael 56 years ago. He reinvented himself from being a civil
\nengineer in Kuwait, part of the six-million-strong Palestinian
\ndiaspora living in various countries but not in the independent
\nstate that it yearned to have.<\/p>\n
He was a practitioner of the in-your-face school of politics
\nwhose primary weapon was his personal veto: No to opportunities
\nfor Palestinian statehood offered by sympathetic leaders like
\nformer U.S. President Bill Clinton, no to anything other than
\nfull and complete possession of the historical Palestinian
\nhomeland -- the maximalist approach that Israel would never
\ncountenance. Like many ambitious men with a driving dream and an
\nemotionally charged constituency, Arafat substituted stubbornness
\nfor statesmanship. That is why Palestinians now lack a clear
\nvoice for their cause. Arafat has left behind only a tattered
\nflag for them.<\/p>\n
That flag will never be hoisted in an independent Palestine
\nunless the re-elected and energized U.S. President George W. Bush
\nbrings intransigent Israelis, Palestinians of all ideological
\nhues, the overly cautious Europeans and the United Nations, to
\nthe bargaining table.<\/p>\n
As Arafat's name becomes one for the ages, it is fair to ask:
\nWhat if he had been more practical on behalf of dispossessed
\nPalestinians and less focused on grandstanding? His flag would
\nhave stood for full-fledged statehood today, not as a symbol of a
\nworthy cause that failed during his extraordinary lifetime. Say
\nthis for Yasser Arafat: he was sui generis but that was not
\nenough.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/
\n[
\nThe Egyptian Gazette, Cairo, Egypt, on Arafat:<\/p>\n
Like comatose Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian cause is clinging
\nto life. Both have been co-related for decades. But Arafat's
\npassing should by no means sound the death knell to the long-
\nunresolved problem.<\/p>\n
Arafat is an enduring symbol of his people's struggle for
\nnationhood. He epitomizes their dream for ending Israeli
\noppression and forging a new future. Like all freedom fighters,
\nArafat's larger-than-life stature will live on. What will things
\nbe like after Arafat's departure? The question is on the minds of
\nseveral sides ... the Palestinians, the Israelis and the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
Tel Aviv and Washington have been at pains to marginalize
\nArafat, depicting him as a main obstacle to making peace between
\nthe Palestinians and the Israelis. Arafat's physical
\ndisappearance is most likely to come to the pleasure of both
\nIsrael and the United States. They will be hankering after
\nfinding someone to step into his shoes. Of course, this hand-
\npicked successor will have to promote the American-Israeli
\nagenda.<\/p>\n
Arafat's disappearance may galvanize the United States to
\nrevive efforts to broker an end to the Palestinian-Israeli feud.
\nThese endeavors should be sincere, impartial, and most important
\nof all, based on U.N. resolutions. Sticking to these yardsticks
\nholds the key to a happy ending to everyone.
\n---
\nOn the Net:
\nhttp:\/\/www.eltahrir.net
\n[ MORE[<\/p>\n
GetAP 1.00 -- NOV 12, 2004 01:15:35<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/got-chemistry-can-relate-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }