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Editor: 

Bush might be kidding us Americans, but he can't be kidding the Israelis.  

They keep on bashing the West Bank while Bush says "you guys get out of there! now! really!" Powell is taking the slow route to the Levant, to give the Israelis plenty of time. 

Bush is also telling the Arabs that it is time to drop the covert support for terror. Now. Really. 

Terror, of course, is the reason the Israelis are bashing the West Bank. Arafat wasn't doing anything to stop the terror; he thought it was working. Sharon thinks the military operations will work too. From past history, it seems likely that both are wrong. 

Since 9/11 (when terrorism came home to the US) Arafat and the Arabs have lost a lot of credibility. Maybe Bush is hoping that Israel will be able to sufficiently beat down the Palestinians that the terror attacks will stop. 

The U.S. is still trying to eliminate Al Qaeda. Maybe it works. 

We haven't had any terror attacks recently. 

Are we safe? Will Israel be safe? Who's kidding whom? 

Steve Geller 

Berkeley