Reality Based thoughts on Arafat and his death

When I need to have some event or issue sorted out I often check to see if The One True Tami has anything to say about it. Today she didn't disappoint with her thoughts on the death of Yasser Arafat. She gave us a simple but pretty complete rundown on Arafat's career.

Personally, I don't think that Arafat's death changes anything that's going on.

• In the 70's, he was a dangerous terrorist who murdered innocent people.


• In the 80's, he was a leader recognized by the world, determined to hold out for the one thing he would never get.


• In the 90's, he became a figurehead, not actually influencing any of the actions of those around him - someone to mention if you were mentioning someone distasteful.


• In the 21st century, he faded into leadership obscurity. With no power to stop any terrorist activities even if he wanted to, there were no teeth left in his public image. Negotiating with him was a completely pointless exercise, as he could never actually deliver anything he promised.

Thanks Tami, that pretty well sums it up. All the hate and distrust won't be buried with Arafat so nothing will really change.