Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Fund Palestinians (What will Bush do?)

[ProSense]

Saudi Arabia, Qatar to Fund Palestinians

By MOHAMMED DARAGHMEH, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 4 minutes ago

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Israel froze the transfer of millions of dollars in tax rebates and customs payments to the Palestinian Authority, and Palestinian officials said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have promised $33 million in quick aid to ease a severe budget crisis.

Saudi Arabia promised $20 million and Qatar pledged $13 million to help the Palestinian Authority pay January salaries to 137,000 employees, a senior Palestinian official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not final.

Earlier, Israel said it was suspending the transfer of $45 million in tax and customs revenues it collected in January while Western nations weigh whether to continue supporting the Palestinian Authority after Hamas, with its history of suicide bombings and rejection of Israel, forms a government.

The Israeli action could cause unrest in the West Bank and Gaza.

Smip...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060202/ap_on_re_mi_ea/palestinians_aid

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. Why do anything?

I'm reminded of something Sadat is rumored to have said, "The Arabs will fight to the last Egyptian".

[JerseygirlCT]

3. Precisely

OTOH, if this support helps shore up the dire social needs there, then good. For once, their Arab brothers might be doing something to actually help the Palestinians.

But if this is more money to support Hamas' terrorism campaign, then we'll start seeing some interesting dividing lines between the US and our good buddies, those nasty dictators. I'm sure Bush will try to find some way to fudge that, but it will get increasingly difficult to defend, say Saudi Arabia, and point fingers at worldwide terrorism.

[htuttle]

2. It appears that Condi asked them to

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=262772&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news

US urges Arab states to fund Palestinians

The United States is urging Arab states to continue funding a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, even though Washington is threatening to cut its own aid. Western diplomats said on Monday that President George Bush's administration has already contacted Arab governments that give the Palestinian Authority support and requested them to continue their funding.

The US position behind the scenes contrasts with its public stance, in which Bush has said he will cut aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas renounces violence and stops demanding the destruction of Israel.

The US plea to the Arab world is because it does not want the West Bank and Gaza to descend into chaos as a result of choking off aid. It also fears that if it stops funding the Palestinians, countries such as Iran or Syria could step into the breach, enhancing their image in the Islamic world just as Washington seeks to isolate them.

(more at link)

[b5d]

4. OK, if that's true

(why do I keep finding myself saying this) the Bush administration is just a bit dumber than I thought.

Now we have the worst of both worlds: they're being funded, but it isn't in our control.

[htuttle]

5. They don't care about THAT

What they care about is how it plays at home politically. That's about ALL they ever really care about, since that is what determines how much longer their mob can continue to rip off the treasury. Everything else seems to be sort of incidental in their minds (judging by their actions).

They might look dumb sometimes, but when you realize that their only real goal, EVER, is to channel federal money to their Bush-mafia front companies, they don't seem dumb so much as criminally irresponsible -- or maybe just 'criminal'.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Ok under US Law any government that supporta a terrarist

state goes on that cute list and gets all kinds of sanctions...

How much does any one want to wager that Bush will NOT do that?

(Oh and I am just stating a fact, for Bush has declared the Palestinian state a terrarist state for all intents and purposes... time to dance)