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Arafat says, "Moâ Money!"
International aid to Yasser Arafat has been cut in half because of suspicions of corruption and a Palestinian failure to show the money is being spent properly, Western diplomats and officials in the West Bank said yesterday. "suspicions" of corruption? failure to spend properly? But hasnât this reporter seen the ultramodern schools and hospitals that have been built with that aid money? And the luxurious housing, which has eliminated the refugee problem? Someoneâs not paying attention. Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad said aid from the European Union, which used to run $120 million a year, had fallen to $80 million. The union is Arafatâs biggest financial supporter and had earmarked the money for relief aid and to cover the salaries of 120,000 Palestinian civil-service employees. Fayyad gave no figures for donations from Arab states but said all international aid to the Palestinians had dropped "by around half" over the last two years. Western diplomats said more than $50 million in European Union aid was being held back until the Palestinian Authority paid salaries for its security services through bank transfers - rather than by cash that cannot be traced. All right, itâs a drop in the bucket. But youâve got to start someplace. Posted by: growler 2004-02-17 |
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