Click here to watch the memo.
Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the Middle East. An atrocity greets him. And this is the subject of this evening's Talking Points memo.
If there was ever a question about Palestinians wanting peace, there is not any longer. The suicide bombing today shows the world that terrorists in Palestine want a wider war. They do not want a peace process.
Mr. Powell is trying to convince Ariel Sharon to withdraw his troops from Palestinian territory. You would think all the Palestinians would be rooting for Mr. Powell to succeed and trying to help him.
But no. Just as Powell's about to land in Israel, a suicide bomber commits murder.
Now, only a fanatic would deny that this kind of murder in the face of a peace mission is an act of war. Talking Points believes many in Palestine want an all-out war between the Arab world and America and Israel. They want they want massive violence, and a showdown that would cost thousands of lives.
And these people are out of control. Arafat can't stop them, and not one Arab leader condemned the suicide bombing today, not one.
So what we have here is an attempt by terrorists in the Middle East to ignite a world war pitting Muslims against Christians and Jews. That's how bad the situation is.
President Bush also has an extreme problem with Saudi Arabia. America gets 8 percent of its oil from that country, and that country is now raising millions of dollars to support the families of the suicide bombers. That's directly supporting terrorism, the same thing that Taliban did.
So what does Mr. Bush do?
All Americans should understand the gravity of this situation. Secretary Powell has to exert pressure on both Israel and on Arafat to come to some kind of agreement on peace talks. If the secretary cannot do that, a wider war is almost a certainty.
And that's the memo.
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
Your humble correspondent — that's me — makes his acting debut on CBS Friday night.
The program's called First Monday with James Garner and Joe Mantegna, and I play myself because nobody else would. We, of course, suggested George Clooney.
Anyway, First Monday is seen at 10:00 Eastern and Pacific Time, and I have no idea how long my little stint will be, but it could be ridiculous. So let me know what you think.
— You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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