Saddam pledges $1 billion to Palestinian war effort

GAZA — The Palestinian Authority expects Iraq to make good on its promise to grant nearly $1 billion to the Palestinians to continue their war against Israel.

PA sources said Iraqi President Saddam Hussein appears sincere in his pledge to grant the Palestinians 1 billion euros, or more than $900 million. The sources said Iraq and the PA have launched talks on details of the aid.

Saddam, the sources said, is expected to grant much of the aid directly through his Arab Liberation Front. The Baghdad-based group has revived its activities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and has supplied allocations to families who have lost members in the war with Israel. The group has also purchased weapons for attacks as well as for the PA.

On Tuesday, a Palestinian delegation met Saddam in Baghdad. The delegation includes PA Public Works Minister Azzam Ahmad, who has also served as the Palestinian envoy to Baghdad.

The Baghdad-based Iraqi News Agency reports that PLO Central Committee chairman Salim Zaanoun conveyed Arafat's congratulations to Saddam on his birthday. Zaanoun also thanked Saddam for the allocation of the 1 billion euros.

For his part, Saddam pledged to continue financial and military aid to the Palestinians. "Iraq's support for the Palestinian people is infinite because Iraq and Palestine are one and we decided to offer financial support for the Palestinian people and its blessed uprising, we decided to offer to ourselves," Saddm said.