Do we need to explain?

Op-ed link. Text below the fold.

Since Haroon asked: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/news/05/09/columbia_katrina.html Columbia Extends Sympathy and Assistance to Hurricane Katrina Victims The Columbia community is deeply saddened by the magnitude of the pain and suffering that has resulted from Hurricane Katrina. We join the rest of the nation in seeking ways to aid those in need. The University would also like to express its deep appreciation of the extraordinary response efforts by volunteers, state and local government agencies and relief organizations. We in New York City know deeply and personally how difficult and painful a disaster of this magnitude is for the individuals and families experiencing it. As…

The Death of Arafat and the Myth of New Beginnings by Mark Levine in Juan Cole’s Blog Here is a graf: "In the weeks leading up to Palestinian President Yassir Arafat’s death American politicians and pundits have repeatedly called on the Palestinian people to use the opportunity of his passing to transform the intifada from a violent uprising into a non-violent, democratic and pragmatic program for achieving independence. This is very good advice, needless to say, except for one small problem: Palestinians have been trying to build such a movement for the last two decades, and the Israeli Government, IDF…