Former Utahn Omar Kader, who worked closely with Palestinians as new Middle East peace agreements developed, has an unusual mix of unbound euphoria and dire warnings about him.
Kader, a longtime Palestinian activist, is euphoric because he has a raft of insider stories - some from personal talks with YasserArafat and White House officials this week - to show that sincere desires for peace are real.But Kader, a former Brigham Young University professor who is considered an expert on terrorism, said a wave of intense attacks is sure to come to test the accords.
"A wave will come over the next 30-60-90 days. But some like Abu Nidal (who commands a break-off faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization) may wait up to a year to try to destroy the accords at a critical point with something big. They won't let this happen without trying something big. There is great evil lurking," Kader said.
"That's why it's important to get working right now to build trust so that we can get through the tough times when they come."
Kader was born in Utah to Palestinian Arabs. He later joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has been a leading American activist on Palestinian causes. His academic work on terrorism and his activism gave him access to Arafat and the PLO, which often sought his opinion and briefings on U.S. politics.
He even served as a messenger and consultant of sorts to PLO officials during some of the later stages of negotiations on the new peace accord.
"But I didn't know exactly what was happening until a few weeks ago," he said. That's about when PLO officials asked him, without giving specifics, if he could find out whether U.S. officials would support a PLO-Israeli peace deal if reached through back channels.
"They were skeptical. But I asked a contact at the State Department, and the answer came back `yes,' " he said. "They (the PLO) were exhilarated. They know how important we (the United States) are to the world. Things like this don't happen without us."
Kader says he figures the PLO had several other contacts checking the same information with the administration before it finalized the deal.
And then he said euphoria reigned with Palestinians. "They prayed for miracles all their lives, and their prayers were answered. I consider the agreement and handshake little short of a miracle."
In talks with Arafat and his aides this week, Kader said, "Being treated like a head of state in the capital of the Free World was the highlight of his life. It was the most exciting thing ever for him."
Kader said Arafat even became a little giddy. "At one point, he spent 15 minutes mugging for pictures with all the policemen and Secret Service agents who guarded him during his trip here. Everyone was laughing."
Kader said Arafat realized years ago he could only achieve his goals through peace - and said Arafat had long wanted to negotiate with Israel. He said Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin "covered the most political landscape for this agreement, and I and others realize that. We need to reward him by making Israel feel safe for the first time ever."
Kader said he feels the older generation on both sides of the conflict is tired of bloodshed and ready for peace. He worries that the younger generation is not.
"I saw that in the people I sat by at the signing ceremony. On one side was an older rabbi. . . . We exchanged cards. We both had tears in our eyes," he said. "On the other side was a 22-year-old girl who was tough as nails. When Rabin came, she said he sold out. She muttered that Arafat was just a terrorist."
He added, "The old are tired. The young are invigorated and poorly educated - on both sides. That doesn't bode well."
Kader, who owns a technology and security consulting business in Washington, was also invited to several high-level briefings at the White House this week for American Arab and Jewish businessmen, whom President Clinton asked to work hard to make the peace real.
"The Clinton administration was much more deeply involved all along the way than most people realize," he said.
Kader said high administration officials said "they were involved at every step along the way. Not one day went by when President Clinton did not put effort into it. . . . The daily national security briefing always began with a report on the Middle East."
Kader said Clinton told the Arab and Jewish businessmen why he was so concerned. "As a 34-year-old governor of Arkansas, he visited Israel. On the way back, his pastor told him, `I know that someday you will be president of the United States. And if you turn your back on Israel, you won't be forgiven.' That's why he wanted to do something there."
He said the Clinton administration is pushing American Arab and Jewish businessmen hard to lobby Congress for money to help cement the accords and to invest in the Middle East to improve the economy there.
"There is no peace without economic investment," Kader said. "The administration has also said we need to tell Congress that we can't turn our backs on a people who have come so far."
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
PLO hopes to reopen D.C. office
The PLO hopes to reopen an office in Washington next month if Congress can cross several anti-PLO laws off the books by then, Palestinian officials said Friday.
The Clinton administration, as well as Congress, has discussed the reopening of such an office with officials of the Palestine Liberation Organization, State Department spokesman Michael McCurry said.
The discussions took place earlier this week when PLO chairman Yasser Arafat was in town to sign a peace accord with Israel.
But administration and congressional officials cautioned that next month might be too soon.
"Their optimism on how quickly that might be done could or could not be shared by Congress. We'll have to see," McCurry said.