Saddam's money winning Palestinian hearts and minds
By Steve Rodan, Middle East Newsline
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
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.
Wednesday, December 13, 2000
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