On suicide bombers and Arafat

We must state things simply. The blood bath carried out in Israel recently by terrorists of the Palestinian movement Hamas was barbaric...

Israeli authorities have placed responsibility for the attacks on Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority; they accuse him of trying to sabotage the United States' latest attempt at mediation. That accusation is arguable... The weekend blood bath further weakens the Fatah chief. The attacks further undermine his authority, which has been precarious for 18 months - since he refused to follow up on Ehud Barak's proposals for peace, since he launched an intifada that he is incapable of stopping...

For Arafat, the moment of truth has arrived. He can no longer claim to lead the Palestinian movement if he does not take action against Hamas.

-- Le Monde, Paris