This is a really sad situation. The Palestinian government is a bunch of freaking clowns and thugs. You'd think the Palestinian people could catch a break once in awhile. They get a very generous offer and internal squabbling kills the deal. Pathetic.
> This is one example of how the US is trying to help but the people > that are in charge of the country (in thie case it's not really a > country but the Palestinian Authority) thwart our efforts. This is > one of many examples. The US (and other countries that try to help > third world countries) often get thwarted by the government receiving > the aid or other factors. I remember that the US sent tons of polio > vaccine to a country that has a high incidence of juvenile polio and > none of it was used because a rumor was spread that the vaccines were > intentionally contaminated by the US. > > *** > > With Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip scheduled to begin next > week, Palestinian infighting threatens to destroy one of the main > benefits of the territorial acquisition. In a deal brokered by the U.S. > two months ago, Israel agreed to hand over to the Palestinians > hundreds of greenhouses and hothouses in Gaza, where settlers grow > everything from celery to exotic flowers. The U.S., in turn, would > compensate Israel for the agricultural facilities, which bring in $150 > million in earnings and employ some 4,000 people. But the plan is > unraveling, thanks to the greed of Palestinian bigwigs. As they delay > final approval of the deal, and with it Israeli compensation from the > U.S., settlers have begun dismantling greenhouses rather than leaving > freebies for the Palestinians. > > According to international agencies and top Palestinian officials, a > range of Palestinian ministers, security chiefs and businessmen are > vying for sole control over the greenhouses. For instance, Gaza > businessmen balked when the government floated the idea of having a > West Bank company administer the hothouses. And these aren't the only > examples of intra-Palestinian tensions. Top Palestinian security > officials say there is a dispute between different branches of the > military over who will guard the empty settlements. To complicate > matters, when a Gaza leader from the ruling Fatah Party last week > declared that he had set up a "popular army" to guard the evacuated > settlements, government officials viewed that as a veiled threat to > take over the settlements unless his group got some cash. In the end, > Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will probably have to pay off all > the feuding parties. But by then, the greenhouses--and a chance to > grow the Palestinian economy--may have withered on the vine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Discover CFTicket - The leading ColdFusion Help Desk and Trouble Ticket application http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=48 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:168960 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
