Arafat is Dead

A Palestinian power struggle is expected to break out among the pretenders to his vacated throne. Even in death, Arafat has lost none of his power to kill. Shakespeare once wrote that 'the evil that men do lives after them' and that is right enough. But I think John Milton more completely captured the essence of terrorism's aims in Satan's speech to the demons mustered in hell. If the damned desire one thing, it is company.

What though the field be lost?
All is not lost; the unconquerable Will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?

Fall'n Cherube, to be weak is miserable
Doing or Suffering: but of this be sure,
To do ought good never will be our task,
But ever to do ill our sole delight,
As being the contrary to his high will
Whom we resist. If then his Providence
Out of our evil seek to bring forth good,
Our labour must be to pervert that end,
And out of good still to find means of evil;
Which oft times may succeed, so as perhaps
Shall grieve him, if I fail not, and disturb
His inmost counsels from their destind aim.