"..Arafat ..ineffectual thug.."

Dueling legacies?
January 17, 2006 - Posted by Paul at 12:38 PM - "With Ariel Sharon's exit from the political scene, mainstream commentators and politicians have tripped over themselves in praising his recent policies of disengagement with regard to Palestinians. The man the MSM once regarded as a butcher is now lauded as a visionary whose legacy may well be peace. All of this is quite premature. Cliff May points out, however, that Sharon has left one indisputable legacy -- he has demonstrated that terrorism can be beaten. By sending tanks and troops to re-occupy Palestinian communities that Arafat had turned into terrorist bases, by killing top terrorists, by building a wall, and by treating Arafat like an ineffectual thug instead of a peace partner (all to the dismay of many who now praise him), Sharon crushed the intifada and made Israel a much safer place. That's a legacy to be proud of. One hopes that it is not negated by any subsequent legacy."