But that's according to Mr. Jimmy Carter -- think Camp David Accord, where so much was done to establish peace in the Middle East. But then, in rode Mr. "six-gun packin'" Ronald Reagan. Five minutes after he was sworn into office, Iran released their hostages. It was party-time, as folks across the nation pulled literally trillions of yellow ribbons from their trees -- and the conflict in Israel was forgotten. Humans are notorious for their short, 2D attention spans in the 4D world of global politics. I liked the man, don't get me wrong, but -- so much for peace in the Middle East.

Arafat is a go-between for Israel and Palestine. The recent hits indicate that Israel is tired of him and wish for a new moderator. As for who is actually in charge of Palestine, look to its militia forces.

Dan