Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon hinted U.S. protection over Yasser Arafat had expired. In an interview published Monday, Sharon told the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv his past pledge to Washington not to harm the Palestinian Authority president had been overtaken by events. “That was when he still went around on red carpets. Today even those people who feted Arafat know exactly what damage he has caused,” Sharon said, repeating a veiled threat against the Palestinian leader’s life. “I would not recommend he consider himself insured.” The Bush administration, while shunning Arafat as an obstacle to peace, has opposed any Israeli plan to remove him.
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