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February 18, 2007

The Bin Laden-Fuckin', Arafat-Murderin' George Bush

A few months ago a book called Ariel Sharon: An Intimate Portrait came out. It's by the late Uri Dan, who was Sharon's longtime confidant/bootlicker. It sounds like it's worth skimming, at least for these two parts:

From a new review in Ha'aretz:

Speaking of George Bush, with whom Sharon developed a very close relationship, Uri Dan recalls that Sharon's delicacy made him reluctant to repeat what the president had told him when they discussed Osama bin Laden. Finally he relented. And here is what the leader of the Western world, valiant warrior in the battle of cultures, promised to do to bin Laden if he caught him: "I will screw him in the ass!"

Dear God, I hope no one tells David Broder about this!

Then there's this, from a column by Uri Avnery:

Just before he died, Uri Dan, who had been Ariel Sharon's loyal mouthpiece for almost 50 years, published a book in France. It includes a report of a conversation Sharon told him about, with President (George W.) Bush. Sharon asked for permission to kill Arafat and Bush gave it to him, with the proviso that it must be done undetectably. When Dan asked Sharon whether it had been carried out, Sharon answered: "It's better not to talk about that." Dan took this as confirmation...

Is there proof that Arafat was murdered by Israeli or other agents? No, there is none. This week I again ran into MK Zahalka, and both of us concluded that the suspicion is growing stronger, together with the conviction that Arafat's absence is felt now more than ever.

PREVIOUSLY: "Did you tell her I'm going to kick his sorry motherfucking ass all over the Mideast?"

(Ha'aretz review via Chris Floyd, via the Angry Arab)

Posted at February 18, 2007 10:49 PM | TrackBack
Comments

I wonder if George has figured out, that before he can bend Osama over, HE'S GOT TO CATCH HIM FIRST.

Posted by: Mike Meyer at February 19, 2007 01:25 AM

"I wonder if George has figured out, that before he can bend Osama over, HE'S GOT TO CATCH HIM FIRST."

That's probably why he's stopped looking for him.

Posted by: Scott at February 19, 2007 02:13 AM

Forget about Osama! Bush has forgotten because he's more than happy screwing the entire world instead! He's certainly got me squealing like Ned Beatty!

Posted by: JLaR at February 19, 2007 02:14 AM

The mob, mafia, nothing but the mob, pure and simple.

Posted by: abb1 at February 19, 2007 03:04 AM

Sure, and why shouldn't the Bush Family be like the Genovese Family. All ruling families are alike, or something like that.
It's all there in Gus Russo's great book--"The Outfit: The Role of Chicago's Underwor;d in the Shaping of Modern America."

How does "I will screw him in the ass" sound in Hebrew? Does it have a Biblical ring? Maybe we could put it on our $100 bills?
Probably better than IN BUTTFUCKER WE TRUST

Posted by: donescobar at February 19, 2007 08:45 AM

Jonathan, I don't know how you find these illuminating quotes at precisely the right moment. I just finished reading Dana Priest's second article on the state of affairs at Walter Reed. Then I read this.

There is a certain sort of person who thrills to these bizarre and vengeful dares Bush is prone to making. Bob Somerby calls the presumed adults who love this stuff "thigh-rubbers". But there are also many kids who have gotten caught up in this bravado-soaked version of American exceptionalism and they're in JROTC classes right now, waiting to do their duty. And if they're unlucky, they'll find themselves in Walter Reed, being told they had a pre-existing condition or were 'slow' to begin with, so no disability payment for them.

And like the death of Arafat, of course it's best not to talk of this...

Posted by: Aunt Deb at February 19, 2007 09:08 AM

OK, I'll bite.
How does the suspicion that Arafat was assassinated (presumably by Mossad) "grow stronger?" Avnery publishes his suspicion. Others repeat it. That spreads the suspicion, but without a shred of evidence, how does it get "stronger?" Wouldn't it be helpful, first, to examine the Arafat-Avenery relationship? Then, the possible evidence for an Arafat illness? And, finally, to discover sources and fragments of evidence pointing to an assassination?
"Done undetectably," indeed. Bush is supposed to have suggested that? Try to picture him saying it. Does he do adverbs?

Posted by: donescobar at February 19, 2007 10:08 AM

It seemed clear in 2003 and 2004 that the powers in more than one faction of the PLO had come to see Arafat as an obstacle. And when the end came, there was a distinct atmosphere of hushing it up.

The divisions inside the organization made a real investigation would a huge risk, and meant that no one had the logistical and moral authority to conduct it.

It's going to be unknowable for a long time to come, and Sharon knew that as well as anyone, so it was safe to make his boast.

And, if the conversation took place, of course Bush didn't say "undetectable"; there are plenty of combinations of one- and two-syllable words that convey the same idea.

Posted by: Nell at February 19, 2007 10:41 AM

This fits with an aspect of Bush's psychology that I call "fratboy dominance" -- though I do feel guilty about disparaging civilized fraternity members when I use the term. More direct examples are the insulting nicknames, the Lieberman kiss (which I doubt Joe was comfortable with at the time), the bald head rubbing, the Merkel shoulder rub, clasping the faces of various congressmen, asking Webb about his son after being told that it was a touchy subject, ridiculing Karla Faye Tucker's death row appeal, and no doubt plenty of events I'm forgetting at the moment.

It also fits with the idea that negotiating -- or even allowing people who disagree with you to keep their jobs or be in the same room with you -- is a sign of weakness that must be avoided at all costs.

Posted by: KCinDC at February 19, 2007 11:06 AM

That is it...George Bush and Ted Haggard are both in on the same deal...if only he could be brought down like Haggard was...caught in the act of fucking Arab men in the ass...yeee-haaa!

Posted by: En Ming Hee at February 19, 2007 11:30 AM

The "fratboy dominance" does capture the spirit of our prexy.
But the Avnery hero-worship of his pal Arafat is ugly, especially in light of Arafat robbing the PA and the people blind--the Atlantic had a well-documented piece a while ago on his millions in European bank accounts.
The boys in the ME are just a swarthy version of our own gang on K Street.

Posted by: donescobar at February 19, 2007 11:33 AM

Arafat--No matter how it was done, much like Begin, good bye bomb-thrower and good riddance. Too bad everyone waited 50 yrs too long, a lot of LIVES and a lot of OUR TAX DOLLARS would have been spared. If it only could have been Henry Kissinger.

Posted by: Mike Meyer at February 19, 2007 11:56 AM

You know, Arafat may not have been a great guy, and if he died naturally, I might say good riddance. But if he was assassinated, that's a very different thing. I might have said "good riddance" if Saddam had died peacefully in his bed. But "good riddance" to Saddam hardly means I need approve of the method used to eliminate him. If he was indeed assassinated in secret, it's absolutely disgusting - never mind that it's murder, it's a horrible use of power, a way to subvert any sort of democratic control, any prayer of openness and dialog. It has to be condemned absolutely. They had the guts to kill Yassin in the open, wheelchair bound though he was, which is a step far above killing someone in the dark.

Posted by: saurabh at February 19, 2007 02:05 PM

Well, when you are a mob boss, naturally you'll employ both methods for different reasons: some you'll murder openly - to make an example; others you'll disappear to sleep with the fishes, no one will ever know what happened to them. Depends on the circumstances.

Posted by: abb1 at February 19, 2007 04:10 PM

Rats, En Ming Hee pretty much beat me to my idea of Bush using Ted Haggard as his proxy for screwing Bin Laden's behind. The only problem is that Ted eliminated himself by taking a 3-week cure (sing ala Gilligan Island's "a 3-hour tour").

Posted by: Bob at February 19, 2007 04:29 PM

saurabh: I must take exception. How is that ANY different than, say, paying trillions to hire an army to kill thousands. I would wager you send YOUR donation on time every time. Mr.Arafat and his colleagues Mr. Begin and Mr. Saddam Hussain have many, many witness whose BLOOD cries out against them from the very ground it was spilled upon. Assassins one and all, I for one am not aghast by any method that rids the earth of them, be it execution, assassination, or natural causes. They are all better off dead and so is the world. Some folks really do need killing.

Posted by: Mike Meyer at February 19, 2007 09:43 PM