Mamdouh Nofal, writing in the Saudi-run pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat, presents a colorful description of Mr. Arafat's activities in the moment's leading up to last Thursday's fatal bus bombing in Tel Aviv. According to Nofal, Arafat was busy developing strategies against terror masterminds, and doing the good work of reforming the PA, just as the bus bombing occurred:"At the time of the Tel Aviv bus bombing, Arafat was holding a meeting in his office to discuss three topics that had been raised in a memo submitted to him by a group of prominent Palestinians. The first item was Iraq. Arafat expressed relief at Baghdad?s decision to readmit UN arms inspectors, which he reasoned might defer the planned American war on Iraq and an accompanying Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip by a few months."The second topic was the previous day?s suicide bombing near Umm al-Fahm, which Arafat described as playing into Sharon?s hands. The meeting discussed measures to be taken against the masterminds and organizers as part of plans to enforce the ban on attacks targeting Israeli civilians."The third topic was internal PA reform, specifically plans to appoint Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as prime minister of a new PA government that would prepare for legislative, municipal and presidential elections early next year."Nofal says that during the discussion an aide came into the room to convey news of the Tel Aviv bombing to a shocked Arafat, who exclaimed: ?This confirms what we were talking about. The aim of whoever carried out or planned this operation at this particular moment is no different to Sharon?s.? Arafat warned that the Americans would blame the PA for failing to fight ?terrorism,? and the Israelis would exploit it to mount a fresh military offensive against the Palestinians. ?Prepare yourselves for another bloody party and a long siege,? Arafat predicted.