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Terror Networks
EU to investigate money for terrorists claims
2004-02-02
The EU’s anti-fraud office is to send a team of investigators to Jerusalem to look into reports that EU money is funding Palestinian terrorist organisations, according to German newspaper Die Welt. Their investigations follow months of allegations and counter-allegations that money meant for the Palestinian Authority finds its way into terrorist channels. If the Olaf team confirms the allegation then there will be "serious and personal consequences", said French Socialist MEP François Zimeray.
French politics will be interesting this year ... see the next article re: the Juppe trial
The German conservative MEP Markus Ferber said it was "very likely" that it would result in the resignation of External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten - who oversees the whereabouts of the money.
Him, too.
However, these claims about EU money funding terrorists have still to be backed up by hard evidence.
I suspect there'll be a studious effort made not to find it...
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published a report last year saying that until 2000, a total of 900 million euro that was supposed to paid to the Palestinian Authority flowed into the hands of terrorists. Estimates say that around two thirds of the money, according to Die Welt, came from various EU funds, the rest came from EU member states and aid organisations. Mr Patten has always said that the IMF checked where the money went and how it was spent. However, IMF officials have claimed that the organisation only checked that the money went to the right accounts at the right time. They had no control over how the money was spent, they said. An ad-hoc Committee set up in the European Parliament to investigate the whole issue is waiting for OLAF to report back before publishing its report. The EU is the biggest international donor to the Palestinian Authority.
Posted by:rkb

#5  What bugs me is that the US supports a minimum of five very large crime families employing thousands with no direct subsidy from the US government and with a very small number of outright violent acts.... Hell if the government gives you the money it's not even crime. What's wrong with these wooly dirt devils.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-2-2 6:53:23 PM  

#4  My belief is that any money given to the PLA supports terrorism at least indirectly. If the money is used to meet payroll,for instance, then payroll funds are available for bomb-vest and explosive labs. That's the chief problem I have with providing food aid to countries run by Sadaam types (Mugabe, Kim or Chuck Taylor.) If you don't make these guys feed their own people, than they have even more play money to misuse.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-2-2 6:20:13 PM  

#3  I thought someone on another blog mentioned Patten might run the BBC.
Posted by: Anonymous2U   2004-2-2 2:27:48 PM  

#2  The IMF assertions were old news, but the EU action to actually check out the evidence is new.

Did you notice the political affiliations of the people quoted here? Opposition parties in both France & Germany. Corruption and anti-semitic behavior are beginning to become issues.
Posted by: rkb   2004-2-2 2:06:12 PM  

#1  I thought this investigation was old news.

Chris Patten, the PA was skimming over 20% just from the currency exchange rate alone. You F#$king Moron.

Here, let me hold that flashlight so you can free up another hand to find your ass.
Posted by: Daniel King   2004-2-2 12:28:04 PM  

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