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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ilaine who wrote (49637)	10/5/2002 10:24:04 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 281500

Some news items from Palestinian politics. First item. I'd like to say the formation of this party is a hopeful sign (also a sign of Arafat's continued loss of strength), but consider how absolutely pathetic it is that the PA, which was in power in the territories from 1993 until recently, receiving about $4 billion in aid during that period, never established a social and educational network that could hold a candle to Hamas'. Smart organizations build their bases on social services. The Christian Church did it in ancient Rome, and Hamas did it in Gaza. But mob bosses usually can't make that transition. Palestine Democratic Party unveils its vision for a secular state By LAMIA LAHOUD The new Palestine Democratic Party has begun its election campaign on a secular and pro-democracy platform, according to party founder Bassam Abu Sharif. Sharif serves as a special advisor to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. The main focus of the campaign is to build up a social and educational network, that can compete with that of Hamas and offer Palestinians better free education without "brainwashing them with extremist Islamic ideology," a PDP source said. The party represents the opposite of Hamas ideology, encouraging separation between religion and state, equality for women and a new, more democratic government, the source said. ...To create an alternative education and social network to Hamas the PDP needs funds from international institutions and local businessmen. Abu Sharif said there are many in the business community who are willing to help and he will try to raise money to address the social needs. jpost.com Second item. More news from the local mob concession, er, PA embassy. But, again, corruption charges are rising from other PA officials. PA embasssy in Pakistan stealing cars, counterfeiting cash By KHALED ABU TOAMEH The Palestinian Authority's embassy in Uzbekistan is involved in criminal activities, including car thefts and counterfeiting, Dr. Nazih Khatatbeh, a senior official of the PA Culture Ministry, said. Khatatbeh, who served in the embassy for a short period, made the accusation in a letter he sent to the Arab Times, a popular newspaper distributed among members of the Arab community in the United States. Khatatbeh said the embassy in Uzbekistan is controlled by three brothers from the Lahham family. He claimed that two of them had been arrested in the past in Tunis on charges of car theft and counterfeiting. They were released only after the PLO put pressure on the Tunisian authorities. "In the absence of a body to supervise the work of the embassies, it was only natural that the ambassador and his brothers turned the embassy into a private estate for illegal activities," he added. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1033853393877