Saddam's money winning Palestinian hearts and minds

BETHLEHEM — This advertisement appeared on the front page of Palestinian dailies. "Thank you Saddam Hussein for the heroic stand for the feelings of our martyrs."

These days, this message appears frequently in newspapers, demonstrations and public events in the West Bank. The reason: Iraq has money and Saddam is doling it out to families who have lost their loved ones in clashes with Israeli troops.

While other Arab League members have been locked in discussions over the distribution of $1 billion in pledges to the Palestinians, the Iraqi president has been sending money directly to the people. Palestinian sources said more than 30 families in the West Bank have received $10,000 each as compensation for relatives killed by Israel.

Palestinian Authority officials and independent sources say that Iraq is raising its profile in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Iraq has allocated more than $890 million to win Palestinian support and maintain the mini-war against Israel. He is buying supporters as well as weapons in an effort to widen the conflict.

"What Saddam wants is to spark a regional war which he can lead," a senior Palestinian source said. "He is pushing Hizbullah to do this and he is pushing the PA to do this. It's clear that he has more leverage with the Palestinians."

The source said PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has given Saddam a free hand to buy influence in the Palestinian areas. At demonstrations — all of which must be approved by the PA — Saddam is the only foreign leader whose portrait is displayed.

Arafat's liasion to Saddam is PA Public Works Minister Azzam Ahmad, who still holds the post as the Palestinian envoy to Baghdad. Ahmad shuttles frequently between Baghdad and Gaza and said the Iraqi decision to use oil revenues to help the Palestinians is up to the United Nations.

"They [Iraq] feel for the Palestinian resistance," Ahmad told PA radio on Tuesday. "We, as the PLO, are in contact with the Iraq and the United Nations so that they can implement Iraqi support for the Palestinian people. I expect that the position of the United States will be negative."

For Saddam, a regional war would garner pan-Arab support and finally break the shackles of more than a decade of international sanctions. Once again, Iraq would be the leader of the Arab world as well as master of its vast oil revenues.

In a symbolic move, millions of Iraqis have already registered as volunteers to fight alongside the Palestinians. "If we had the opportunity, Iraq would have come to you with its armies," Saddam said.

Currently, Saddam's playground is the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said Saddam has revived the Baghad-based Arab Liberation Front, many of whose members are linked to the Iraqi security forces. The group has its headquarters in Bethlehem and has offices in Gaza and Nablus among other Palestinian cities.

The front is headed by Abu Amer Rahal, who is senior official in the PA Economics Ministry. Palestinian sources said the group funneled $500,000 through an Amman bank for distribution to Palestinian families.

The group has also organized Ramadan evening festivals to celebrate the end of the daily fast. These dinners are meant to anchor grass-roots support in the PA areas.

In all, Saddam has allocated $15 million for this stage of the effort. The money is also being used to buy weapons from gun dealers aligned with Arafat in what the Palestinian sources said could be preparations to stage their own attacks against Israeli targets.

The Iraqi effort has encountered dismay among both Arafat's friends and rivals. Palestinian sources said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has warned Arafat against allowing Saddam to extend his influence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They said Mubarak has been alarmed by the growing cooperation between Iraq and Syria.

Jordan has also been disturbed by the Iraqi incursion. Iraq has already bolstered its presence in Jordan and has pressured King Abdullah to dismiss two of his closest aides —Samih Batihi and Abdul Karim Kabariti. Both are regarded as pro-Syrian.

Moreover, Iran is concerned with the Iraqi effort. Iran has urged the Lebanese Hizbullah to form alliances with Palestinians, particularly, the Islamic Hamas opposition.

But Palestinian sources said a meeting between Hizbullah and Hamas last month in Beirut went poorly as Hamas rejected a Hizbullah demand that Hamas militants be trained and activated by the Shi'ite group.

"Hizbullah wants to, in effect, take over Hamas and that was unacceptable," a Palestinian source said.