The Weekly Standard’s Fred Barnes has a succint analysis of what he calls “the Terrorism Loophole” — referring to Yasser Arafat’s ability to avoid paying the price for his continued transgressions:

[…] for years now, Arafat has been directing or facilitating terrorism against women and children in a democratic country, Israel. He’s allied himself with groups whose goal is the extermination of Israel. He’s responded to generous terms for a peace settlement with Israel with still more terrorism. He’s rewarded and honored suicide bombers who’ve killed Israeli non-combatants. He’s reneged on agreements and broken promises and lied. Yet the world treats him like a legitimate national leader who, while sometimes misbehaving, is not a loathsome outcast.

And thus we get a measure of Arafat’s triumph in the latest violent clash with Israel. Only weeks ago–particularly after a ship en route to Arafat subordinates with 50 tons of sophisticated weapons was captured–Arafat was seen as unlikely to hold on as Palestinian leader. He’d violated the Oslo Accords for the umpteenth time, only this time egregiously. He was regarded as unwilling or unable to quash terrorist attacks on Israel by Palestinians. He was given an ultimatum for reviving talks with Israel: a week without violence against Israelis and the arrest of terrorists known to have planned or carried out attacks on Israel. Arafat met neither condition.

Where has he wound up? Better off.

[…] The lesson for Arafat? In the end, terrorism works. The civilized world will not come down on him as it has on bin Laden, the al Qaeda terrorist organization, and the Taliban. Arafat may be ostracized for a while, but not forever. No coalition will be organized to hunt him down. Rather, when things get bad enough, high-level mediators will beat a path to his door to negotiate. And instead of being dismissed as a pariah, he’ll be treated as indispensable to peace in the Middle East. It’s a sad story for everyone but Arafat–sad but true.

Update: Seven Israelis dead in suicide bus bombing; blast challenges truce. But never fear: “PA officials say truce declaration possible Wednesday”…

Whew! And here I was thinking the violence might actually continue on…

Oh. And remind me to give Dubya a slap to the ear for forcing me to agree with something Bill Bennett (or one of his ghostwriters, maybe…?) has to say.

I suddenly feel so…dirty…

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