General Colin Powell, now combining even more closely than usual the Pentagon with the State Department, was afraid to go to Gaza; and rightly so.

So the Israelis let Yasser Arafat take a little trip to the Ramallah reservation for the first time since Intifada II has been raging.

Yet the real message to General Powell, and the clear challenge to General Sharon, is coming from the Palestinian Street, and rightly so; as well from demonstrations in Beirut, Amman, Baghdad, and other Arab cities. And there on the Palestinian street Arafat's credibility is far lower than ever before; his room to maneuver far more narrow than before; his days numbered...at least such is the usually unspoken hope.

As usual the Arab client-regimes, Arafat's included, have been making fools of themselves with comments about "waiting to see" what Sharon does and expecting "new policies" from Powell/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Bush. They have no serious policies of their own, they have little strength even all together, and most of all they have seriously diminished credibility (which wasn't very significant to begin with).

The Arab world remains fractured, divided, and confused; everywhere repressive, corrupt, and inept. And so the Palestinians face not only blockade, impoverishment, and bondage; they also now face the spectre of "transfer" and another "nakba" (catastrophe). They try to stand tall and they attempt to maintain their dignity; doing so under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. But because of so many mistakes in the past; and because of such weakness and duplicity in the Arab world all around them; the foreseeable future may well now be worse for them than the recent past.

Palestinians have greeted the arrival of US Secretary of State Colin Powell by burning his picture and an American flag.

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat said he hoped Powell's arrival to the region would herald strong American involvement in peace efforts in the tradition of previous US administrations.

The protests come after last week's American and British air strikes against Iraq.

Demonstrators fired weapons in the air and burned posters of Powell with the slogan, "Go back, we don't need you".

Powell has already met caretaker Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak who told him that Arafat must crack down on Palestinian violence and incitement against Israel.

Arafat spokesman Nabil Aburedeneh said the Palestinians want to see American pressure levied on Israel to stop what they describe as excessive force by Israeli forces.

Arafat said: "The most important thing is that there is a strong position from the American administration. President George W. Bush told me recently that he will continue along the path of his father and President Bill Clinton.

"We hope that Powell's visit will be part of such an American strategy (of involvement)."

The Bush administration has signalled, however, that they will tone down the intensive US role in Middle East peacemaking that was fostered so ardently under Clinton. Israelis and Palestinians have been locked in conflict for five months and 407, mostly Palestinians, have died. [Ananova News]

Upcoming tomorrow from MER: Details about the circumstances and conditions the Palestinians are now being forced to endure -- various forms of collective torture attempting to either bring about their submission or to provoke them so as to provide the excuse for their further subjugation and possible "transfer".

Mid-East Realities

www.middleeast.org

Source: http://www.middleeast.org/articles/2001/2/83.htm