Palestinians, too, are now faced with an historic choice: Support the terrorists and face the Talibans fate or choose to become citizens of a nation, not just a disputed territory, by refusing to abet those who would immolate women and children in the name of peace. By choosing a leader, not a puppet of Hamas and others, they will have the opportunity to live in a sovereign nation free from terror, one that is open to trade and its resulting prosperity.

Safety and stability must be secured before any meaningful economic growth can take hold in the Middle East. Jordan, Egypt and others in the region will benefit when the area is free from Arafat and his overseers, but will not prosper until trading partners and investors feel the area is stable enough to fully leverage their markets. Jordan's King Abdullah II, a bit of a maverick in the Arab world, said in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal that the region couldn't long withstand the dispute between Israel and Palestinians. He said that if countries were on the wrong side of the Bush Doctrine, explained succinctly by the president as "either you're with the United States, or you're against the United States in the war on terror, then they have "a serious problem. Abdullah gets it. He understands that with Arafat's brand of government in the region, the people and economy of the region will continue to suffer mightily.

In his address to the nation last month, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said, "Arafat is the greatest obstacle to peace and stability in the Middle East. Sharon also said Palestinians should know they are "the primary victims of the current situation brought about by Arafat . The direct victims of the violence aren't the only ones who suffer; rather, all the people of the region endure the fear, poverty and lack of hope that violence foments.

The aim of terrorists and those who support them is not to create a nation, but to destroy one. Their aim. Sharon claims, "is to expel (Israel) from here ... to bring us to total despair. The campaign against Israel and peace will continue whether it is Arafat or any one else at the head of the Palestinian National Authority. The movement to drive Israelis into the Gulf of Aqaba and out of the area completely is the singular goal of those pulling Arafat's strings. They, along with Arafat. must be purged. Arafat is not a statesman striving to bring freedom to Palestine. He is merely a terrorist tool. No amount of negotiations, peace treaties, special envoys or handshakes on the White House lawn will change that