Palestinian Authority funds go to militants The Palestinian Authority, headed by Yasser Arafat, is paying members of a Palestinian militant organisation which has been responsible for carrying out suicide attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians, a BBC investigation has found. A total of up to $50,000 a month is being sent to members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, an armed group that emerged shortly after the outbreak of the current Palestinian intifada, a BBC Correspondent programme reveals. A former minister in the government led by ex-Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) says that the money is an attempt to wean the gunmen away from suicide bombings. He says the policy of paying the money was not instigated by Mr Arafat but has been carried out with his knowledge and agreement. Despite the payments, the al-Aqsa group has not declared a formal ceasefire and Mr Arafat has not asked the group to stop the suicide bombings, according to an al-Aqsa leader interviewed by the programme. The Palestinian leader has publicly condemned recent Palestinian suicide bombings. 'Living expenses' Abdel Fattah Hamayel, the minister for sports and youth until Abu Mazen resigned in September implemented the policy of paying what he describes as living expenses to the gunmen. He told Correspondent: "Originally, some people in these groups had been chosen to work for the security services, so they were getting salaries and still are doing so." He says this summer a decision was taken by the Palestinian Cabinet to pay living expenses to those al-Aqsa members not getting these salaries to help support their families. He says the money is intended to ensure that al-Aqsa members were not influenced by outside organisations to carry out further suicide bombings. Al-Aqsa has not claimed to have carried out any suicide bombings since May. When Arafat calls for a ceasefire, we will respect his decision and stop Zakaria Zubaydi, al-Aqsa leader Asked how the Palestinian Authority could be sure that the money was not spent on weapons, Mr Hamayel replied: "The amount sent to them is very small. At most, it's not more than $250 per person. How can anyone buy weapons with this amount of money?" In April 2002, Israeli troops stormed Mr Arafat's compound in Ramallah as part of a widespread incursion into the West Bank in response to a number of suicide attacks. Israeli officials claim that they found documents proving that the Palestinian leader was funding Palestinian suicide bombers. They used this as part of their argument, supported by US President George W Bush, that Mr Arafat could not be trusted and that rather than opposing terrorism, he was, in fact, encouraging it. Fatah links Close links between Mr Arafat's political faction Fatah and al-Aqsa are also discovered by the programme. One local Fatah leader in the West Bank town of Jenin says that the al-Aqsa group is the military wing of his organisation and that Mr Arafat is the overall leader of both the political and military arms. "Fatah has two sections: a military wing, led by the military and a political wing, led by politicians. But there is no difference between Fatah and the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades," a leader of Fatah in the Jenin refugee camp tells Correspondent. Asked if al-Aqsa would formally end hostilities with Israeli if asked to by Mr Arafat, Zakaria Zubaydi, the leader of the group in Jenin says: "Of course. But he won't order us to do this until Israel stops the assassinations." He adds: "When Arafat calls for a ceasefire, we will respect his decision and stop." Correspondent: Arafat Investigated will be broadcast in the UK on BBC Two at 1915GMT on Sunday, 9 November. Immediately after the programme, BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen will answer your questions in a live interactive discussion. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/3243071.stm Published: 2003/11/07 22:26:36 GMT © BBC MMIII
A couple of points; the Palestinians are asserting that the payments are not for bombings, but in fact to encourage the bombings to stop. As suspicious as that sounds, it should be noted that no bombings have happened since the payments began.
If $50,000 a month will stop the bombings so be it... for now. There is no way in hell that should be a permanent solution.
I see what you're saying, but to me it's a bad, albeit understandable move. Long term you're getting into a Danegeld scenario. The only positive to this, in me, aside from the fact that it may have prevented some suicide bombings short term, is that, if true, this sort of dispells the idea propogated by some that all Arabic/Palestinians are only interested in 'pushing the Jews into the sea'...
I know this sounds really silly about a serious topic, but these Palestinians have to be PAID not to committ suicide and keep on living? I wish I got paid simply for not blowing myself up and killing innocent civilians. Sounds like extortion to me.
Guess old Arafat has the funds to do it out of his own pocket. Check this out and tell me if he is not corrupt: TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND '60 Minutes': Arafat has $800 million in bank From aid meant for PA, wife in Paris receives $100,000 monthly -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: November 8, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com Yasser Arafat has private bank accounts worth more than $800,000 built up with funds designated as aid to the Palestinian Authority, according to a report. From the appropriated money, he transfers $100,000 a month to his wife Suha, who lives in Paris with their daughter, according to the CBS News program "60 Minutes," which will air the report Sunday. The investigation was assisted by PA Finance Minister Salam Fayad, who is trying to trace all of the money allocated to the PA that never reached its intended destination. The CBS investigation confirms previous reports. A recent International Monetary Fund audit revealed Arafat diverted $900 million from the PA budget into bank accounts under his control. In 1998, the European Union discovered through an audit of its own that $20 million designated for low-income housing was used to build a luxury apartment complex for top PA officials and Arafat associates. A former Arafat treasurer charged last year Arafat transferred more than $500 million in international aid to personal accounts. An Israeli intelligence report calculated his assets to be $1.3 billion. It's bad enough that he advocates the destruction of Israel and the continued slaughter of innocents, but stealing from his own people? Wow, Yasser is someone I'd want to negotiate with! link
I think <i>60 Minutes</i> (CBS) is supoosed to have an upcoming report - profile on Arafat. <hr color=blue> I read the BBC article 4 times and failed to come up with that impression. What part(s) should I reread/focus on to gain that? The Key Points that I gathered from the article that you posted: 1. Payments to al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades members 2. No formal ceasefire declaration - acceptance by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades group, but they have likely refrained from suicide bombings since May. 3. Israeli troops claimed to have found paperwork that linked Arafat to suicide bombers in April 2002. 4. Report of linkage between Fatah and al-Aqsa Martyrs'. 5. al-Aqsa Martyrs' will accept a ceasefire when Arafat calls for one. I am now up to 5 readings of the BBC article.
I agree about the long term bad effects, that's why I made sure to say this should only be a short term band-aid type solution until something more real and permanent can happen. Although paying money to terrorists is a strange thing in how it relates to international kidnappings etc.. The U.S. has a policy of not paying ransoms to international terrorists who kidnap Americans. This happens from time especially in South and Central America. Japan has a policy of always paying kidnappers the ransom. Yet less Japanese business men are kidnapped than Americans. I can't remember exactly where the Japanese rank, but it's fairly low.
