the press (http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/450983.html) called it "harsh blistering criticism" which multiplied the effect


In what is considered a rare attack on the Arafat, Larsen said: "Regarding the crucial area of security reforms, the president of the PA has lent only nominal and partial support to the commendable Egyptian effort aimed at reforming the ailing Palestinian security services.

"All those who yearn for peace have already and repeatedly argued President Arafat, in public and in private, [must] take immediate action to restore this diminished credibility," Larsen said.


this is the first time that i notice that the UN has dissed Arafat.
Israel has been singled out as an evil renegade pariah for decades, but criticizing Arafat has always been a big no-no... a taboo of some sort.
a taboo that was broken a few days ago.

personally, i don't really think there's anything harsh in these words... but hey, maybe it really is a big deal

anyway, in the same press release Larsen criticized Israel, as always, as routine would dictate , but Arafat's feelings got really hurt anyway
"who is this pesky little top-UN-envoy? my dick is bigger!"

so Arafat banned him (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1089695514559&p=1078397702269).
persona non grata.


The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday declared Roed-Larsen persona non grata and accused him of being biased to Israel.

...
PA officials told The Jerusalem Post that the decision to ban the veteran Norwegian diplomat from the Palestinian territories was taken by Arafat personally.
...

The decision, the first of its kind since the establishment of the PA, was taken after Larsen, a longtime friend of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, publicly criticized him for failing to implement reforms and stop the violence.


however, for some strange reason, Coffee Anan did not replace Larsen
the reason i am surprised is because when 'palestinians' say "jump" the UN asks "how high?"
so this is a very unusual development


UN Secretary General Kofi Annan gave full backing to his Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen, who was banned by the Palestinians over his harsh criticism of Yasser Arafat.
...
"The secretary general wishes to express his full support and confidence in Mr Terje Roed-Larsen as his special coordinator for the Middle East peace process," spokeswoman Marie Okabe said in a statement.

"Mr Roed-Larsen speaks on his behalf," she told AFP.


i wonder... is this the beginning of a beautiful trend where people who are frustrated with Arafat actually criticize him? in public? or is Larsen's career about to be over?

some reactions to the ban (source (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1089695514559&p=1078397702269)):


Larsen is "unwelcome in Palestinian lands" following his recent remarks against Arafat and the PA, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Arafat, told reporters in Ramallah.
...
Abu Rudeineh went on to dub Larsen's remarks as "suspicious" - a term used by Palestinians to suggest collusion with Israel.
...

... one PA cabinet minister with close ties to Larsen described the decision to ban him from the Palestinian areas as "disgraceful and harmful" to the Palestinian issue.
[but who's gonna listen to him, right?]


so basically, Larsen is an Israeli "agent"
and we know what they do to Israeli agents, don't we...

S0 I see Oth your stance on the UN has suddenly changed…how very interesting indeed. Larsen is right Arafat hasn’t done enough to change the security situation on the ground. Arafat is not some God; he isn’t the nicest man on Earth. Palestinians cannot be absolved of their responsibilities as well, and as a result I think it more then appropriate that the UN has condemned the inability of Arafat to do anything. Although we shouldn’t look at this from a skewed perspective, Israel’s illegal actions are not helping the situation either. Both sides are acting like a bunch of brats, and I support sanctions on both of them to finally shut them up.

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD74604
a call for Arafat to resign from a London-based Arab news paper


"The greatest service Arafat can do for the Palestinians is to submit his resignation and throw down the gauntlet to Israel and the Quartet. If he does this, the Palestinians will esteem him, and he will do an important service for the [Palestinian] cause."

you should read the full (short) translation to get the rationale for the conclusion

criticism (http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD74504) from Director of Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research
"But the PA chairman [Arafat] exploited the resignation of Abu Mazen's government and established an emergency government headed by Abu Alaa, and took back the important powers regarding law enforcement and preserving internal security: He created a National Security Council, to be a source of authority in all security matters. This council was established with Arafat at its head, and its members are the prime minister, the interior minister, and the heads of the security apparatuses.

...

"It is difficult to understand the silence and obedience of the PLC in light of the contempt for the amendments it ratified not so long ago. Why don't the legislators demand accountability from the government for its laxity in carrying out its missions and for the voluntary concession of its powers. And why don't they pass another new amendment to set out the rules demanding accountability for the PA chairman, as someone in charge of the National Security Council?

"The continuation of the status quo threatens to create a grave precedent in the Palestinian political regime - one that will bring us back to a [one]-ruler political system. In light of this precedent, what will prevent the ruler from establishing a National Economic Council, a National Justice Council, and other national councils that strip the government of its constitutional powers one by one, transferring them to the head of the PA, and trampling the Basic Law and standards of proper governance?


we have a dictator on our heads who does not only create his own rules, but tramples on the sort-of constitution of the 'palestinians' as he pleases

and he is untouchable in the pop-media

man, this is every politician's dream!

nico you remind me of my mom... when me and my younger sis would fight, when i was the instigator, i'd get shit for it. when she was the instigator, we both would get shit for it

is it possible to criticize Arafat and no body else but Arafat, even for one little instant?

as for my stance on the UN, this is probably the first thing they've done that i actually like... ever

we have a dictator on our heads who does not only create his own rules, but tramples on the sort-of constitution of the 'palestinians' as he pleases


Too be fair oth, Israel is doing the exact same thing right now. Israel tramples all over international law without inhibition.

is it possible to criticize Arafat and no body else but Arafat, even for one little instant?

No, because Arafat is an effect to a cause. Surely I don’t think Arafat is the best man for the job but my opinion on Arafat really is quite ambivalent in comparison to my views on Israel. Arafat for better or for worse is the elected leader of the Palestinian people. He hasn’t done enough for the Pals that is true, he hasn’t used the funds given to him wisely, there is surely corruption, the lack of heavy handedness vis-à-vis the Pal terrorist groups, etc. But looking at the circumstances it is somewhat understandable as to why Arafat gets away with what he has done, because the political position Israel is imposing on the Pals is literally unsustainable. If you want someone to talk to in the Pal political organization, then you have to start following international laws, respect the right of Palestine to exist, and build your wall on your territory (I personally have no problem with the wall being built, if it were done legally). It reminds of the Nazi’s (I know Godwin’s law) but the reason why the Nazi’s got into power was because of the deprivation of the German people, they were desperate, and when people are desperate they will elect anyone who instills nationalistic fervor into them. Israel has created that climate for the Pals, and Israel is the reason why Arafat is so popular. Trust me, if Israel pulled out of her occupation, dismantled the settlements, and pushed the wall where it should be. You would have the international community on your side, and the Pals would quickly moderate. But Oth, unless extremists like yourself make up your minds, peace or war. The situation on the ground will never change.

as for my stance on the UN, this is probably the first thing they've done that i actually like... ever

Then I am sure that I won’t be hearing complaints about it soon.

a-flippity-flop-flop (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/451692.html)


Palestinian UN observer Nasser al-Kidwa denied on Wednesday that the top UN envoy to the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen had been barred from Palestinian territory after he criticized President Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

"No actions will be taken to prevent Mr. Larsen from entering the Palestinian territory," al-Kidwa said. "We are not rescinding anything because we have not decided anything," he told reporters at UN headquarters. "We haven't taken any decision yet, pending a thorough discussion with the [UN] secretary-general."


contradicting yourself again?
man, you're almost as confusing as Kerry

first you go "he is persona non grata"
then you go "we never said he is persona non grata"
will you make up your lying mind already?

if you were just "going through consultations" and "nothing has been decided", then why call up a press conference and publicaly anounce to the world, in more than one ways, that Larsen is unwelcome?

this is Baghdad Bob style
or should i say Ramallah-Bob

a flip flip floppity flip flop (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/452463.html)

now, contradicting previous report, which contradicted the report before that, not only is Larsen banned from "palestinian" areas, but Arafat has asked "militant" groups to enforce the decision


A spokesman for the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militant group with ties to Arafat's ruling Fatah movement, said on condition of anonymity that Arafat aides asked the group to release a statement in conjunction with Islamic Jihad barring Larsen from the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Palestinian officials were infuriated earlier this week when Roed-Larsen - long considered close to Arafat and sympathetic to the Palestinian cause - said at a UN Security Council briefing that Arafat was blocking vital reforms within the PA and accused him of hindering peace moves.

"People in Arafat's office called us and told us that Larsen's statements are just another part of the conspiracy to delegitimize Arafat," said the Al-Aqsa spokesman.

"They told us Larsen is now with Israel and America... They asked us to intervene to stop him in his tracks," he said.


"stop him in his tracks"? does that mean suicide bombing his convoy if he shows up in Ramallah?


On hearing that Arafat had declared Larsen unwelcome in the PA, U.S. ambassador to the UN John Danforth telephoned the Security Council, asking, "What does it mean? That the UN designated person dealing with the Middle East and representative with respect to the Quartet is persona non grata?"


no. it means Larsen is welcome to the PA, however, upon arrival he will quickly become persona non alive-a

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/452469.html

the Gaza police chief asked for reforms from Arafat and in turn was kidnapped today by "militants"... though later released.

2 other top commanders have submitted their resignation to Arafat (i don't know if he'll accept or whether he'll arrange them to have a little accident involving AK's) first because of the kidnapping, secondly because of the lack of reforms

the UN representative of the so-called Quartet that's responsible for the "palestinian"-Israeli peace process was banned (and now threatened - see post above), also because Arafat refused to accept and initiate reforms

what's going on here?

this reminds me of Stalin's axiom: "a man, a problem. no man, no problem"
so if people come to Arafat with problems, how does Arafat solve the problem? either kidnaps, threatens with no payment, threatens with bodily harm, threatens with death, threatens with being labeled a collaborator, or bans him from the "palestinian" terrotories

A TRUE LEADER!

i wouldn't be surprised if some "Palestinian" killed Arafat the way things are going

... and then all will be well, eh, Pothead?.

well, much better

S0 I see Oth your stance on the UN has suddenly changed…how very interesting indeed.

I'm no fan of arafat otheadp, or sharon for that matter but you do seem to employ the UN much like america does. Which is, the UN are idiots... unless of course they agree with us then they're the bastion of truth.

the thing is, the "Palestinians" are used to the UN being automatically on their side no matter what the issue is. this interesting development from the Jew-hating (http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005245) and Israel-hating organization, which has never in 60 years held a anti-Semitism conference, and which continuously singles out Israel and demonizes it, is a very pleasant development

oh looky here, new development
some French citizens were abducted by "militants" and the "Palestinian" prime minister has resigned (http://news.google.ca/url?ntc=2M0A0&q=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1090067665640_79/%3Fhub%3DTopStories)

some are reporting that the whole government is about to mass-resign

Arafat, just do everyone a favour and comit suicide... come on.. be a martyr...

looky looky who Arafat apoints as his new top security chief: HIS COUSIN (http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/452493.html)!


The crowd shouted slogans against Mussa Arafat, the PA Chairman's cousin, who was appointed on Saturday following a series of kidnappings by gunmen demanding an end to corruption in the security forces.


on a slightly different note, unlike the government, the "Palestinian" propaganda machine is at full force. despite the fact that Qureia resigned, it does not mean in any way that he is disagreeing with Arafat

Arafat refused to accept the resignation, PA Minister Saeb Erekat said, and added that Qureia's decision "does not reflect differences" with the PA chairman.


so what the fuck does it reflect??? he didn't like his office? the pay wasn't all that? or maybe Arafish was obstructing him at every decision and initiative, refusing to grant him any real powers other than ceremonial ones, refusing demands from his gov't, his ministers, Egypt, the "Quartet", the US, Israel, his workers, EU........

Arafat, please, just die