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Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Qatar bankrolling Hamas is news - what about the PA?

The Washington Times reports:
Palestinian officials yesterday said Hamas is receiving millions of dollars from the Gulf state of Qatar, some of which they suspect is used to purchase weapons.
...

Palestinian Authority officials said that oil-rich Qatar has been such a staunch supporter and promoter of Hamas — both financially and politically — that it is in a unique position to influence the Hamas leadership.

"Qatar gives Hamas millions of dollars a month [on average]," a senior aide to Mr. Abbas told The Washington Times on the sidelines of the Rice-Abbas meetings in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "They say the money is for the people of Gaza, but Hamas steals it, and some of it may be used to buy weapons."

It is most interesting that the PA is accusing Qatar of sending millions to Gaza that Hamas is probably stealing.

Because the PA does exactly the same thing.

Fully 58% of the PA budget goes to Gaza, which means that hundreds of millions of Western dollars meant to prop up the PA is instead going to help Hamas, directly or indirectly. And in recent days Abbas pledged to send more money to Gaza in reaction to Israel's raids.

Exactly what accountability is here for the millions that the PA sends to Gaza every month?

For them to complain that Qatar is bankrolling Hamas is a bit rich.