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

To: D. Long who wrote (71702)	2/6/2003 1:41:41 AM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 281500

Interesting... Arafat foils attempt to recruit financial aid from Jordan By KHALED ABU TOAMEH Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat has reacted with fury to an attempt by Palestinian organizations to receive financial aid from Jordan. A senior PA official said the heads of 22 West Bank unions and organizations sent a petition to King Abdullah II last month asking for financial assistance. A copy of the letter reached Arafat, who ordered an immediate investigation. The appeal caused an uproar in the PA, and Arafat summoned representatives of the groups to his office and severely reprimanded them. Palestinians said he threatened to jail those involved. Arafat fears that by seeking financial aid from Jordan, the groups are setting the stage for restoring its historic ties with the West Bank. The late King Hussein cut off Jordan's administrative and legal ties with the West Bank shortly after the beginning of the first intifada. In the petition, a copy of which was made available to The Jerusalem Post, the representatives wrote: "Our Palestinian people are passing through the worst phase of suffering. The Palestinian Authority is no longer capable of paying the salaries of its employees and civil servants. Tens of thousands of people are unable to provide milk for their children and the situation is increasingly deteriorating. "We appeal to your majesty, on behalf of our children, elderly, and women, and on behalf of our martyrs, wounded, and prisoners, on behalf of our fighters, to continue with your generous aid. We are confident that your majesty won't spare any effort not in the present or in the future to give generously to Palestine and its people." Among the signatories are the General Union of the Palestinian Students, General Union of Palestinian Teachers, General Union of the Palestinian Workers, General Union of Palestinian Women, and groups representing doctors, engineers, nurses, accountants, writers, pharmacists, and journalists. This is the first time since the inception of the PA that Palestinians have appealed to Jordan for financial aid. The PA has been especially sensitive about Palestinians ties with Jordan. One of the first tthings the PA did after taking control of the territories was to crack down on the pro-Jordan lobby in the West Bank to prevent Jordan from maintaining bases of power there. Several Palestinians affiliated with Jordan were thrown into prison and the pro-Jordanian daily An-Nahar, published in Jerusalem, was forced to close down after its reporters and editors were harassed and threatened by PA security officials. jpost.com