PLO leader Yasser Arafat continued his cabinet reshuffling process last night by appointing former Gaza Security Chief Muhammad Dahlan as his new national security advisor. Israel views Arafat’s recent hirings and firings within the PA as merely “cosmetic” and nothing that will end PA corruption and mismanagement. Dahlan\'s appointment bears this out, as his background in terrorism is rich. He masterminded the November 2000 Kfar Darom bus bombing in which Miri Amitai and Gabi Biton were killed and several children were seriously wounded; three of Ofir and Nogah Cohen’s children were lost part of their legs.
U.S. President Bush, however, appears to have some confidence in Arafat\'s \"reforms.\" Speaking at a White House news conference earlier this week, he said, \"I believe some progress is being made toward the institutions that I talked about that are necessary for a Palestinian state to emerge, which will give us all confidence in its ability to fight of terrorist activities.\" On the other hand, Bush was very supportive of Israel\'s current Operation Determined Path, saying that Israel was justified in occupying cities that had been handed over to the PA until \"security improves.\"
U.S. President Bush, however, appears to have some confidence in Arafat\'s \"reforms.\" Speaking at a White House news conference earlier this week, he said, \"I believe some progress is being made toward the institutions that I talked about that are necessary for a Palestinian state to emerge, which will give us all confidence in its ability to fight of terrorist activities.\" On the other hand, Bush was very supportive of Israel\'s current Operation Determined Path, saying that Israel was justified in occupying cities that had been handed over to the PA until \"security improves.\"