The American Spectator

Jed Babbin’s proposal that both Messrs. Sharon and Arafat renounce terrorism seems eminently reasonable. Without this precondition, there can logically be no common interest in peace.

But Mr. Babbin’s earlier comments, in which he states that Secretary of State Powell is publicly demanding that Sharon negotiate with Arafat, became moot Sunday morning when Mr. Powell appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Perhaps Mr. Babbin missed that program.

Mr. Sharon has made his position very clear. To him, Mr. Arafat is an “enemy.” Mr. Arafat, obviously sensing that he’s in trouble, has condemned further terrorism in the wake of Tuesday’s suicide bombing at a pool hall in Israel.

Jed Babbin replies: Mr. Kellogg seems to take Mr. Arafat’s statement condemning terror at face value. There is nothing about Mr. Arafat that can be taken this way. He has never lived up to his word, and will not do so now.

Negotiations cannot be had with Arafat — period. He is not the master of his own fate. The Palestinians are mere pawns in the larger game, being conducted by nations including Syria, Iran, Iraq and Libya — to destroy Israel. Any negotiation without the heads of state of those nations (and Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, the supposed moderates) is simply incapable of reaching any peace because those who are making war won’t be at the table.