Yasser the Billionaire Here's one for the terrorist sympathizers who blame poverty for bombings: "President" Yasser Arafat has secretly amassed at least $1.3 billion. Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash dropped that bombshell Tuesday before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, the New York Post and WorldTribune.com reported today. According to some Israeli estimates, Arafat has "earned" $2.4 billion from PA revenues since 1994. Other figures range up to $10 billion and $11 billion. "The revenues stemmed from Arafat's control over PA-operated monopolies in imports and energy sales," according to WorldTribune.com. The Post said: "Arafat's wealth is held in bank accounts, real estate and other assets that can easily be made liquid. "The bank accounts are spread about in Europe, Arab countries, the Far East - and even the United States - under different companies controlled by Arafat. "Arafat has made some of his top deputies, including Abu Ala, Abu Mazen and Nabil Shaath, very rich." Most of Arafat's riches came from the $6 billion in aid given by the United States, Japan and Europe to the PA from 1993 to 2000, according to the Post. "The Palestinian people's money is Arafat's personal money," a high-ranking Israeli official said. "That's the way he treats it. Everything belongs to him."
I don't know of anyone who blames poverty for the bombings. I don't know anyone who excuses the bombings at all. I do know that poverty, and injustice that it's levelled against the Palestinians is a reason why they are upset. And they are very right to be upset. One of the problems with Yassir is the way he handles the donation and funding that the PLO receives. By the same token, though there isn't all that much that Yassir is allowed to do with money. He's not allowed to drill any more wells to get water for Palestinian farmers. The Palestinians aren't allowed to build any businesses that can compete economically with the Israelis, and the Palestinians aren't allowed to expand their holdings across the settlements and Jewish only roads that have criss cross their lands. I suppose that Yassir could try and buy more food, or pay the money for more water, that the ISraelis take from Palestinian land, and then try and sell back to the Palestinians at inflated prices.
Who needs food, when he can buy Iranian guns to give to kids? Here is another link to the same story.http://www.nypost.com/news/worldnews/54744.htm
One of the problems, FranchiseBlade, is that people such as yourself keep giving this ******* money. Your intent may very well be good - stop Israeli oppression - but your money is going to all the wrong places. Let Saddam be the sole contributor to this fund. Don't join it.
Yes Franchise it is ok for Yassar to siphon off BILLIONS of dollars while all his people starve and are killing themselves on a weekly basis. I am sure the Billion or so that he is hoarding would not help a bit. PLEASE !!!!!!!!!!!!!! DD
Did you mean Franchise Blade or Franchise 2001? I never said that it was ok, for Yassirto take Billions. In fact I said that was a problem with the PLO is what they do with their money. They aren't poor at all. The whole organization is very well funded.
This is a stupid and inflammatory statement. The fact that Arafat has used donations to line his own bank accounts is revolting, and is yet another reason why the Palestinian people should remove him from power. But his greed does not change the fact that most Palestinians are impoverished and are significantly limited by the Israeli government from improving their economic status. That said, I agree with treeman. Anyone who sends money to Arafat should know that the money will be either used for (a) guns or (b) pocket change for the PLO leaders. Better that you give money to a Palestinian who is trying to get a real education. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if you could easily find one.
