Saturday, January 30, 2010

Arafat's long shadow


Palestinian Corruption Enables Hamas Takeover -Khaled Abu Toameh

PA leader Mahmoud Abbas has surrounded himself with many of the corrupt officials who used to work for Yasser Arafat [pictured above], and that's why Hamas will one day take control of the West Bank, Fahmi Shabaneh, appointed by Abbas four years ago to root out corruption, said.

"Unfortunately, Abbas has surrounded himself with many of the thieves and officials who were involved in theft of public funds and who became icons of financial corruption."

Shabaneh, who until recently was in charge of the Anti-Corruption Department in the PA's General Intelligence Service, said, "Had it not been for the presence of the Israeli authorities in the West Bank, Hamas would have done what they did in Gaza."

Shabaneh asserted that Fatah personnel stole much of a $3.2 million donation given by the U.S. to Fatah... "I no longer believe that Abbas' authority can be reformed."
(Jerusalem Post)
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