On removing Arafat

According to The New York Times, a debate is raging within the Bush administration over "whether to press for the removal of Yasser Arafat" as leader of the Palestinian Authority. At the same time, The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon's top brass have persuaded their civilian leaders to put off confronting Saddam Hussein until next year, or perhaps "not to do it at all." The two debates, over what to do with Arafat and Saddam, have more in common than meets the eye.

The first commonality is that, broadly speaking, the same people who are squeamish about ousting Saddam also tend to argue against removing Arafat.

Bush seems rather bogged down at the moment when it comes to meeting this strategic challenge. His generals seem to be overwhelmed by the prospect of taking on a two-bit dictatorship, and his diplomats are grabbing at Arafat's latest reform scam, which is more about staving off real democracy that promoting it.

In response, Bush should trust his instincts. The same group that is finding endless reasons not to take on Arafat or Saddam would never have approved his "axis of evil" speech and would be happier were it never given. They were wrong about Afghanistan and they are wrong again now. ... If the stakes are as high as he says they are, then it is time for Bush to be less respectful of these irresponsible voices and to start overruling them.

-- The Jerusalem Post