Posted on 01/28/2006 6:31:32 AM PST by infocats
JERUSALEM, Jan. 27 — Hamas leaders, savoring their landslide victory in Palestinian elections, faced an array of threats on Friday: a huge government deficit, a likely cutoff of most aid, international ostracism and the rage of defeated and armed Fatah militants.
Of the many questions that the Hamas victory presents, the need to pay basic bills and salaries to Palestinians is perhaps the most pressing. The Palestinian Authority is functionally bankrupt, with a deficit of $69 million for January alone.
That will be an urgent question when the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations, known as the quartet, meet in London on Monday to discuss the Palestinian vote, especially if, as some American officials fear, Hamas turns to Iran to make up some of the difference.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
although it is against the law for hamas to raise money inside the US, our congress will be more than happy to turn over the money...from the taxpayers.
I hope this isn't the case, but when I look at our congress, I can see it taking place.
What, exactly, is our obligation to the Arabs ?
before 9-11 every Arab county in the world was collecting from the US taxpayers
The "palestinian" authority has always been bankrupt.
It produces nothing.
It maintains nothing.
It creates nothing.
It is the world's biggest and most expensive zoo.
"palestine" has existed as a huge, useless parasite at the east end of the mediterranean, sucking up the work and wealth of Europeans, Americans and Israeli citizens for 57 freakin' years!
Most any other group in the world could have built a civilized, self-sufficient society with all the infrastructure necessary to maintain itself with the trillions of $ it has received.
As far as I am concerned, they can just become another Biafra or Sudan, dry up and blow away.
With apologies for Biafra and Sudan. The didn't export explosives and mass murderers.
Like Fatah and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. Hamas will certainly try to follow the same model.
They can't afford the expense of a nuclear wepaons program either.
Iran can give them all the paper it wants. You can't eat paper.
You have a way with words!
Not to worry. Hamas will get the funding it needs from the Arab world and Iran. There will also be some funding from Europe.
They are building their weapons at the expense of the poor of Iran. Those are the very people who elected Amadnajinidad. They elected him because he promised to better their lives. Iran is already experienceing uprisings in the Arab and Kurdish sections of their country, they absolutely can not afford to have the poor of Teheran turn on them too. And that is exactly what would happen if they found out that Iran had taken on the expense of paying the payroll for the middleclass in Palestine.
Perhaps they will be lucky and find the BILLIONS that Arafat squirreled away while leading the palis???
Great post. Should be required reading for mideast history.
....especially if, as some American officials fear, Hamas turns to Iran to make up some of the difference.
Fear? Come one--exactly what is US funding accomplishing at this point? Let these parasites be a burden to Iran. Birds of a feather. Unfortunately, I FEAR we will cave and fund their terrorist a$$es anyway.
I expect the Saudies will help, but they will NOT help Hamas. They are fully aware of who Hamas is and who has been funding them. Saudis are Sunni, Iranians are Shiia. Saudis are Arab, Iranians are Persian.
Don't send money. Send seed, shovels, hoes, rakes and books on agriculture. If they have to grow their own food, they won't have time to dress up in ski masks, stage their RPG parades and plan homicide bombings. The threat of starvation is a great motivator.
BTW, Saudis hate the Jews but they hate and FEAR the Iranians more.
Iran has been funding global Islamic terrorism for decades. They will continue to do so. It is in the survival interests of the mullahs who run Iran. If the Iranian leadership is so concerned about the poverty of its people, then why embark on a costly nuclear program in a country that has vast reserves of oil?
FYI: Iran's GDP per capita is three times that of Pakistan.
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