2004。11。17。

(Note: on his website http://www.caochangqing.com, on Nov. 15, 2004, Mr. Cao Changqing wrote an article “阿拉法特是「巴勒斯坦的毛泽东」”. Over the years, I have read some of his writings, of which I concur with some but also disagree with many. A general impression I get from his articles is that he is perhaps one of the most skillful students of Chairman Mao’s mantra “凡是敌人拥护的我们就要反对，凡是敌人反对的我们就要拥护”, even though he hates Mao to the bone. Sometime he seems to be very emotional, to the extent of being unreasonable. Most of all, I have this feeling that his strong ideological crusade and anti-whatever-China advocation are more to his personal pursuit than to the concern for the 1.3 billion people in China. Several times, I wanted to pick up the pen and rebuke some of his very emotional and yet irresponsible opinions, but didn’t. This time, I think he went way out of line. In the rebuttal below, his original writing is quoted between “>>>>”and “>>>>” paragraph by paragraph, followed by my comments. )

阿拉法特死了。看到成千上万的巴勒斯坦人彻夜围聚哀悼，我想到当年毛泽东死的时候，中国人也是这样；蒋介石死的时候，台湾有上百万民众排队送葬。原因只有一个，在没有新闻和言论自由的地方，人们不知道独裁者的真相，把暴君当作英雄。

>>>>

How to define "暴君" and "英雄", it all depends on the historic context and the people. A person can be a "暴君" to certain tiny group of people, but a "英雄" to a much large portion of a society. Also, he might be a "暴君" in today's media but could well possibly be an extolled national "英雄" in the year of 2500. The emergences of Mao and Jiang are both the necessity of that particular Chinese history; it is too simple and not fair to use these black and white words "暴君" and "英雄" to describe them. You did that, and it only shows you are not a very responsible person, to say the least. Now, specific to your “暴君" indictment to 阿拉法特, my words are: “What are and how dare are you?” A minimum component of being a “暴君" is that he kills countless his OWN people for the purpose of his PERSONAL interest – be it economic or ideological. Did 阿拉法特 kill any Palestinian so that he could live a better life? Did 阿拉法特 kill any Palestinian so that he could get closer to his ideological dream? He killed, but only the enemy of his people. (Remember he was in the war, and war only knows death.) He fought all his 75 years for his ideological dream, but that is also the dream of EVERY one of his people – to have their own country. He may be a "暴君" to the enemy of his people, but certainly a "英雄" to his own people for whom he sacrificed all the earthy things you and I enjoy – sex, woman, kids, beach, a night of sound sleep, a warm dinner together with own family. He gave up all of these and more for the dream of having a country for his people. And you call such a person a "暴君"? Even his adversaries call him a “terrorist” but not a tyranny. Again, what are you? The savior of the mankind?

虽然在开罗的葬礼上，埃及和阿拉伯世界的领袖们，都哀悼阿拉法特，并给予很高评价。还有包括联合国秘书长安南在内的名人们，也给阿拉法特戴上不少「高帽」。但毛泽东死的时候，当时世界名人们的唁电、颂词同样是无以计数。这些什么都不能说明，而阿拉法特自己的作为，自己的纪录才是他的墓台铭，而不是王公贵族等权力者们在葬礼上的表演。

>>>>

It seems that you don’t like “世界的领袖们” and “王公贵族等权力者们”. That’s perfectly fine with me, as we little people should all sing the song of the weak. However, from what I have read of your other writings, it also seems that you sing the song only selectively, and some times wholeheartedly sing the extolling to the strong. For example, you are a more GOP than a GOP, and you are a complete admirer and proponent of George Bush, the supreme leader of today’s “free world”.

纵观阿拉法特的一生，正如《从贝鲁特到耶路撒冷》作者、《纽约时报》左派专栏作家弗瑞德曼（Thomas L. Friedman）在其「沙漠上的瞬间足迹」中所说，你可以给阿拉法特各种头衔，但他是一个「坏蛋」。他在历史上的地位，就如同沙漠上的脚印，瞬息消失；不是无足轻重，而是毫无痕迹。因为是他把屠杀平民的恐怖主义首次带到国际政治之中。

>>>>

Please, just show some fairness, read some editorials for us from any Arabic or Muslim media, not just one American Jewish writer, notwithstanding a one branded a “leftist” by you. Also, a correction on your “innocent” error: well before Arafat, many other people did “恐怖主义”and killed innocent ones for their course – the former Israeli PM Begin is one, the current Israeli PM Sharon is one (go back and check what he did to the Palestinians in history), and more, your and my partial forefather Mongol Khan is one.

阿拉法特在1988年宣布放弃恐怖主义之前，从事了长达20年类似拉登那种恐怖活动。前罗马尼亚共产政权负责情报的官员佩斯巴（Ion Mihai Pacepa）曾在《华尔街日报》发表题为「我知道阿拉法特是被克格勃支持后从没有改变的恐怖份子」的文章，以他和阿拉法特打交道的亲身经历，揭示了阿拉法特的手下人如何在苏联克格勃支持下，绑架和杀害3名美国外交官、谋杀了11名参加慕尼黑奥运会的以色列运动员的内幕。佩斯巴回忆说，1973年5月，罗共总书记齐奥塞斯库和阿拉法特共进晚餐时，阿拉法特说到高兴处，炫耀说，那些行动（指绑架杀害美国外交官和以色列运动员）我们干得「非常小心」。资料片显示，当年阿拉法特听到以色列运动员被杀害的消息后兴高彩烈，和911后录像带中拉登听到纽约世贸大厦被炸、几千平民被杀害后那种高兴的情绪一模一样。

>>>>

It is too simplistic and self-deceiving to talk about “恐怖活动” without considering its roots, the large context of social and cultural conflict, the fact of complete asymmetry between the two warring sides, and other very important factors. It is a horrible cancer and must be extricated, but only after knowing its cause. Human beings are generally nice and kind. A sane person will not hate, or at least not kill, another one out of no reason, and certainly you can not say that these millions and perhaps billions of people in the world who hate or don’t like some couple of countries are all insane, unless you yourself are insane. The right approach is to go to the root (like what the French president said), and take a long term, cohesive and universally consented plan to solve the conflict.

当时苏联克格勃头子把阿拉法特称为「忠诚的马克思列宁主义者」，并通过佩斯巴之手，把阿拉法特和他的助手通过罗马尼亚转送到苏联培训。当时苏联指示齐奥塞斯库，把卡扎菲的利比亚和阿拉法特的巴解组织作为两个主要支持对象。齐奥塞斯库还为阿拉法特在布加勒斯特修了豪华别墅。

>>>>

Please, my Mr. Anti “马克思列宁主义者”. First of all, your claim that Arafat is a “忠诚的马克思列宁主义者” is just so out of blue and so stretched – go and check NY Times and Washington Post for the last 10 years; how many times did “Arafat is a Marxist” appear in them? Secondly, please, please in your future writings distinguish the difference between the Marxism as an economic and social idealism and the

tyranny as a person like 齐奥塞斯库. This mixture has been a fixture in all your past writings, which shows that either you are so ignorant, or insidiously deceit, or just plainly stupid.

1993年，在美国和欧洲国家的斡旋下，巴以双方在挪威首都签署了「奥斯陆协议」，以军撤出约旦河西岸和加沙地带，该地由阿拉法特自治政府管辖。后来在美国戴维营，以色列左派总理巴拉克对阿拉法特提出的方案90％都予以同意。但这两个机会都被阿拉法特葬送了。他获得对巴勒斯坦主要区域的自治权后，仍是默许以至暗中支持哈玛斯、阿克萨烈士旅（隶属阿拉法特直接领导的法塔赫）等恐怖组织屠杀以色列平民。

First of all, as a leader of the Palestinians, Arafat wanted to gain (or more correctly, cover back) as much as possible for his people, just like Sharon has been doing all his life for Israel, and other countries’ leaders. The「奥斯陆协议」excluded the half million Palestinian refuges in Lebanon and another equal amount or more all over the world. Arafat could not live with that. Or in terns of your banner “democracy” the majority of Palestinians did not allow him to yield on this. The only thing we as uninvolved can comment is that Arafat made a terrible tactic mistake by not taking whatever was offered in the「奥斯陆协议」, and gambled on the futile continuing fighting his mighty enemies. This is a huge mistake, considering all the lives lost (on both sides) and the further shrinking of his land. But, this is an error made by a general in a war; it has nothing to do with him as a person.

阿拉法特用英文对西方媒体讲话时，有时也批评用自杀炸弹杀害以色列平民的行为，但他用阿拉伯语对他的追随者演讲时，却誓言要摧毁以色列，呼吁「一百万烈士向耶路撒冷进军！」在阿拉法特管辖的区域，一些公园和街道的名字，是由恐怖组织头子的名字命名的。阿拉法特和他的助手不仅多次公开赞美那些用自杀炸弹屠杀以色列平民的所谓「烈士」，还亲自去慰问「烈士」家属。伊拉克曾给每个「烈士」家属三万美元，这些「奖金」都是通过阿拉法特的自治政府转交的。阿拉法特自治政府的电视、报纸、电台、教堂等，每天都在煽动反犹，要「消灭以色列」。阿拉法特到幼儿园视察，竟对孩子们说，「放下玩具，拿起武器」。「灌输仇恨」成了巴勒斯坦的基本教育形式和目标。否则人们无法理解一个17岁的巴勒斯坦女中学生，竟用自杀炸弹炸死一个与她同岁的以色列女孩。

正是在这种宣传毒化和煽动下，据《纽约邮报》（New York Post）引用的民调数字，80％的巴勒斯坦人支持用自杀炸弹杀害以色列平民的恐怖活动。因而11月12日《华盛顿邮报》在具有盖棺论定意味的社论「阿拉法特」中说，「阿拉法特是一个官僚的，腐败的，欺骗的、不明确接受以色列在那个地区永久生存的家伙。」而那个用自杀炸弹屠杀以色列平民的「阿克萨烈士旅」，在阿拉法特死后正式改名为「阿拉法特烈士旅」，仅此举就可看清阿拉法特是个什人。

Again, a responsible approach is to understand why “80％的巴勒斯坦人支持用自杀炸弹杀害以色列平民的恐怖活动”. You are talking about three million people here, and you can not self-deceivingly just say that all of them are so stupid to be fooled by Arafat’s “宣传毒化和煽动”. Also, you can’t just quote selectively whatever in your behalf. Why can’t you quote for us some comments from the other side, say from an Egyptian newspaper? Go tell us who own the two papers 《纽约邮报》（New York Post） and《华盛顿邮报》. I am starting to lose respect for you as a journalist, Mr. Cao.

阿拉法特不仅崇尚暴力、血腥，而且像毛泽东等所有独裁者一样专权。一直到「咽气」，他都是「巴勒斯坦解放组织」主席，一当就是35年！在这期间，美国有了7位11届总统（尼克松，福特，卡特，里根，老布什，克林顿，小布什）；以色列也选举产生了至少7位总理（梅厄夫人，沙米尔，拉宾，佩瑞斯，内塔尼亚胡，巴拉克，沙龙等，沙龙是1948年以色列建国后第29任总理）。

Let me propose a trade for you, Mr. “democracy”: you give up your comfort life in USA and go back to 1969 and become the “专权”of Palestine and enjoy all the privileges that go with it. The only thing I charge is that in these 35 years, you can’t have your own country, you have to see your people die very often, you have to watch your already tiny land constantly shrink, in the first 25 years you have to be constantly on the run and in fear of being assassinated, you can’t marry or have a woman before your 60th birthday, and even after marriage your time is 99% owned by your people but not your wife and family, and don’t forget, in the last 3 years of your life, you must be confined in the prison without seeing your wife and the only child, and without electricity and decent food. Tell me, my Mr. Righteousness, would you do the trade?

阿拉法特不仅专权，而且极为腐败。人们看不到他谈经济，论市场，甚至都不提「抓革命促生产」，因为巴解组织的资金主要由阿拉伯独裁国家提供（欧盟提供三分之一），每年上百亿美元，由他及亲信掌控。在阿拉法特鼓励17岁的巴勒斯坦女孩子去自杀和他杀时，他的妻子带著他的宝贝女儿却住在巴黎的豪华别墅里，巴解的账面显示，阿拉法特给他妻子的每月生活费就是10万美元！在阿拉法特去世前两天，他妻子在巴黎发表耸人听闻的讲话，指控巴解其他领导人要「活埋」他的丈夫，当时《纽约时报》的右派专栏作家沙费尔写道，人们更关注的是，阿拉法特贪污的上亿美元，可能被「埋葬」，谁也查不到了。去年在「国际货币基金」（IMF）支持下的巴解查账发现，有多达9亿美元被阿拉法特转去他个人控制的欧洲银行账号上，并投资到全球79个商业活动中。1996年辞去巴解财务部长职务、现居伦敦的古森（Jaweed al-Ghusein）对美联社说，阿拉法特的金融帝国可能有30到50亿美元！这些钱都在哪里，除了阿拉法特本人，谁也不清楚，连他的妻子都不全部了解。

I don’t know the details and hence should not comment, neither should you. However, please help me understand this: he has been living a rather spartan life and chose living in the hell “prison” for the last 3 years instead of cruising in the Bahamas (which certainly does not cost “9亿美元”), what was he “embezzling” all these five billion US$ for? Certainly not for his wife and kid, as you yourself said. Certainly not for himself. Another thing, please show some decency to the deceased, your wording “他的妻子带著他的宝贝女儿” has a very bad taste; I am starting to lose respect for you as a person!

因而巴勒斯坦的异议组织「巴勒斯坦民族团结运动」曾在约旦一家周刊发表声明，公开指责阿拉法特「最近十年间不仅使我们的人民蒙受耻辱，还压迫我们的人民」。连阿拉法特直接领导的「法塔赫」主要成员阿巴斯．扎奇也在美国《新闻周刊》上撰文，指责阿拉法特是巴勒斯坦权力腐败的根源:「阿拉法特走到哪儿，哪儿就有非法、腐败和不稳定」。而巴解的另一核心成员哈德在接受《耶路撒冷邮报》采访时说得更直接:「等阿拉法特消失之后，人们会像谈论毛泽东那样谈论他的罪行以及他带来的灾难。」

因而《纽约时报》专栏作家弗瑞德曼对阿拉法特的盖棺论定是：「阿拉法特本质上是个坏蛋，他扼杀了自己人民的向上精神；他的腐败、自私的统治，导致创造性的外交无法触及到巴勒斯坦。」在阿拉伯世界以及中国等专制国家的媒体上，总是把巴以冲突的责任全部怪罪到以色列头上，说以色列占领巴勒斯坦土地等。即使不说这些土地纠纷缘自历史上几次阿拉伯国家联手进攻以色列（在它建国第二天就围攻它，要把以色列人赶入大海），以色列反击时造成，而且据九十年代以色列的民调：主张无条件立即退还巴勒斯坦土地的占5％，主张永久占领的占20％，主张有条件退回土地的占75％。这个条件就是巴勒斯坦人不威胁他们的安全，承认以色列的存在。它说明，多数以色列人愿意用土地换和平，关键是阿拉法特停止支持哈马斯、阿萨克烈士旅等恐怖组织，让75％（有条件）和5％（无条件）加起来那80％的大多数人有安全感。连约旦国王阿卜杜拉二世（Abdullah）也於11月12日在《纽约时报》撰文「道路从这次开始」，强调说，中东要想有永久和平，阿拉伯国家必须承认以色列的存在，让它融入这个地区。同时巴勒斯坦独立建国，让巴勒斯人民活得有尊严和希望。

因此，要想中东问题得到解决，要想巴勒斯坦建国，要想结束巴勒斯坦人民的苦难，要走的第一步是结束阿拉法特的个人专权，使新的、理性的、负责任的巴勒斯坦领导人有出头的机会。因而阿拉法特去世次日《华盛顿邮报》社论说，「阿拉法特用恐怖主义毒化了他的运动」，他的去世，「为巴勒斯坦建国去掉了一个最大的障碍。」 连巴解总部所在地的「巴勒斯坦政策研究中心」主任施卡奇（Khalil Shikaki）也在11月12日《华尔街日报》撰文说，阿拉法特不在了，中东有了希望。

I agree that the departure of Arafat opens a needed opportunity for the Mideast peace process. And from all practical considerations, perhaps Palestinians may be better off with what ever can be patronized upon them. But, what does this have to do with your charge that Arafat is a "暴君" ?