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PROBE SOUGHT INTO
POSSIBLE PALESTINIAN Misuse of EU AID.
A group of European lawmakers and their colleagues have
requested an investigation by the European Parliament to determine the use by
the Palestinian authority of EU foreign aid. The Palestinian authority
receives $10.8 million per month from the EU, designated to help pay employee
wages. Lawmakers worry the aid is
being pocketed by corrupt Palestinian officials or that it is being used to
fund terror attacks on Israel. The European Commission, charged with
distributing the funds, is being criticized for blind funding. According to Shimon Samuel, International
Liaison Director of the Simon Wiesenthal
Center, this practice offers no
deterrent to political corruption. (The Wall Street Journal, Feb
5, 2003, summary by Kelly Kristen).
Palestinian leader needs more time. Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat has sent a letter to the Palestinian parliament asking for an extra
two weeks to name a new cabinet, after an Israeli siege of his base delayed a
pledged reshuffle, a top official said. "We are asking for two more
weeks. This is the time we lost under siege," said Nabil Shaath, one of the
ministers forced to resign by the Palestinian Legislative Council, or
parliament, in a stormy session on September 11. The assembly, dominated by
Arafat’s own Fatah faction, threatened to vote down the cabinet - which
Arafat first reformed in June under pressure to shape up his much-criticized
administration - because members believed the reshuffle did not go far
enough. The cabinet resigned en masse rather than face a public snub, and
Arafat was given two weeks to present a new list of ministers. The blow to
the cabinet, accused by foreign and domestic critics of incompetence and
corruption, was seen by many observers as a revolt by the Palestinian
lawmakers, largely sidelined in Arafat’s autocratic rule. (News Limited, October
1, 2002, summary by Sherldine Tomlinson).
EX-PLO FINANCE OFFICER ARRESTED ON CORRUPTION CHARGES.
Jaweed al-Ghussein, former treasurer of the Palestine Liberation Organization
has been extradited to Gaza and
accused of corruption by his childhood friend and former ally, Yassir Arafat. Mr. Arafat has order a number of
Palestinians allegedly collaborating with Israel
to be arrested, tried, and shot by firing squad. During the Gulf War, he condemned Iraq’s
invasion of Kuwait,
causing a rift with Mr. Arafat and other Palestinian leaders; later he
acknowledged existence of hidden accounts worth hundreds of millions of
pounds that were accessible only to Mr. Arafat. Calls for help to secure al-Ghussein’s release has been
launched by family and influential friends, and appeals from the King of
Jordan, the Kuwaitis and other Arab governments, Britain and the U.S. are
expected as they may be asked to provide political asylum. The action may be viewed as an attempt by
the Palestinian Authority to deflect corruption criticism and to intimidate
its critics. (The Times, Apr
23, 2001, summary by Marg Reynolds).
Jerusalem, EU
TO CLOSELY MONITOR FUNDS TO PA. The European Union officials who
visited Palestine said they plan
to strictly monitor funds transferred to the impoverished Palestinian
Authority, in order to make sure they do not find
their way into the pockets of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat or the pockets
of
other officials. According to a report published in the Jerusalem Post,
Arafat
has allocated millions of dollars in a Swiss bank account, which he
has
now offered to Iraqi President S. Hussein in exchange for a safe haven,
if
he is forced to leave the Palestinian areas! Arafat's personal assets,
estimated
by Israeli security officials as $20 billion, stems from his days
as
leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization, when he transferred
money
he received from various countries for the organization to his private
bank
accounts in Switzerland, the US, and Europe. EU special Middle East
envoy
Miguel Moratinos said that they were "working for a transparent
budget."
"We are not going to allow these kinds of things, and will control
[the
aid funds] very well," he added. EU Commissioner for External Relations
Christopher
Patten said that "in order for us to go on and provide substantial
assistance to the Palestinian administration, we will need to see
a tough realistic budget, some real transparency" and measures to ensure
"complete
anti-corruption." (Source: Jerusalem
Post, March 14, 2001,
summary by Pavlidis George).
A fax signed by the
anticorruption unit of Fatah's al-Aksa Martyrs called on Palestinian
Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to weed out corruption in Palestinian
society. They named a senior Palestinian banker whom the group accused
of transferring some $12.6 million it clams was meant for those who
were suffering from the recent situation. The daily newspaper al-Kuds, made two references to corruption. One
by the local Chrisitan Orthodox Committee spoke of the need for the end of
the corruption within the Church. (Jerusalem Post Newspaper, February
1, 2001, summary by B. Gray).
PALESTINIAN
MILITANTS RISE UP AND CRITICIZE ARAFAT "FAT CATS". Mr. Yasser
Arafat, the Palestinian leader, after seven years of pursuing peace with Israel,
is now subjected to criticism. In the epicenter of the criticism are found
the corrupt "fat cats" who surround Mr. Arafat. For example, there
are bitter comments on the size of a seaside villa built by Abu Mazen (Mr.
Arafat's deputy) and on the BMWs driven by members of the government and
legislature. Traditionally, criticism on corruption has been a taboo issue
for Palestinians during their uprising; officials were insisting that such
issues shouldn't be addressed until the struggle with Israel
would be over. (Source: The Daily Telegraph, November
22, 2000, summary by Pavlidis George).
\Arafat’s
Palestinian Authority arrests 8 for signing a petition that is critical of
official corruption (See NYTimes, Nov. 30, 1999, p. A10).
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