A fallen Leader...A divided region

It seems that the loss of Arafat has thrown a power vacuum in the Palestinian territories. Crowds gathered and mourned for their leader who had lifted their hope for state hood as well as smuggled billions of dollars away from them into private accounts (which his family will be unable to use).

Photo by Loay Abu Haykel/Reuters

Arafats wife mourned for him at an airport, and Israel itself beefed up security in order to prevent retaliatory attacks carried out in his name. Although Arafat has won the Nobel Peace prize (although ironically he himself is responsible for much of the instability in the region) he will be remembered mostly for the way he carried himself as leader of a terrorist regime. The US and UK are now reaching out to the PA, in hopes that dialogue will now be brokered by moderate PA leaders. Selah.