To: rrufff who wrote (5912 ) 3/1/2004 3:41:38 AM From: GUSTAVE JAEGER Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 6945 Re: ...Saddam was able to steal billions. Arafat does the same. The other OILogarchs and tyrants do the same. Wake up and smell the tyrants. Oh but I smell them! Guess what... I just smelt a fat one:Sharon the survivor: why Greek island affair could sink him Likud fixer accused of putting up $3m for prime minister's help in getting Greek permission for Aegean casino Chris McGreal in Jerusalem Thursday January 22, 2004 The Guardian For months, Ariel Sharon's bitterest opponents have gleefully speculated on the nature of his downfall. Would he be toppled by the "Greek island affair" allegedly involving millions of dollars in bribes and plans to build an exotic casino on a tiny island in the Aegean Sea? Or would he be felled by the very scheming that helped bring him to power, using front companies to launder illegal campaign contributions? For a while, the money was on the investigation of the "Cyril Kern affair", allegedly involving bribery and more illegal money in an attempt to bury the earlier scandal. At times Mr Sharon's critics wearily confessed that they thought he might ride the storm, buoyed by a public that revered him for hitting back hard against the Palestinians. They cared little for the complex details of grubby corruption investigations. But yesterday the betting was back on the Greek island affair to spell the prime minister's political doom, after a wealthy businessman and leading power broker in his Likud party, David Appel, was indicted for allegedly paying bribes to Mr Sharon and his youngest son, Gilad. Opposition politicians clamoured for the prime minister's head, and the Labour party prepared a motion of no confidence in the government which will go before parliament next week. Mr Sharon's office brushed aside what one of his opponents called a "political earthquake" as proving nothing against the prime minister. But the charges are likely to shake even indifferent Israeli voters. [...]guardian.co.uk Isn't it a shame, btw??? I mean, Israel's been scrounging on the US taxpayer all along.... and where does the Israeli PM stash the US monies? In Greece!!! Dammit, it's all right with me if Sharon plans to retire as a casino owner --but, at least, he could have invested in some Las Vegas casino, if only out of gratitude for the US taxpayer! Gus