Rampant corruption splits Palestinians on declaration of state

RAMALLAH -- The Fatah movement loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat is split.

Sources in the movement say Fatah is divided between those who are pressing for immediate reforms before the establishment of a state and others who advocate delay until after the demise of Arafat.

Fatah sources acknowledge that members published and distributed leaflets that attacked PA officials and corruption within the movement. They said the members published a series of leaflets that provided details of the widespread bribery and graft within the authority.

PA police have so far arrested 13 Fatah members in connection with the leaflets, signed by the Free Officers. Officials said more arrests are expected.

Among those attacked in the Fatah leaflets are Arafat, PA security chiefs Mohammed Dahlan, Rashid Abu Shback, Saeb Al Ajez, Abdul Razak Al Majaydeh and Health Minister Riad Zaanoun. Some of them were accused as Zionist spies.

"When the time comes, we will expose all of you," said one of the leaflets.

On Monday, Sufian Abu Zaydeh, a senior PA and Fatah official, acknowledged that Fatah officers were behind the leaflets. He did not say how many Fatah members were involved or whether they were acting as a group.

Earlier, the Fatah movement denied any connection to the leaflets.

But Fatah sources said the 13 detainees were part of a much larger group with support within the movement's leadership. They said the dissidents were spearheading widespread discontent within the movement over the failure by Arafat to institute reforms.

The leaflets accused several PA officials of "amassing incredible wealth at the expense of our people and embezzling and stealing millions of dollars from public money while our people are languishing in poverty in the refugee camps."

The leaflet accused specific officials of using official funds to furnish their homes and buy luxury cars. In an unprecedented move, the leaflets also criticize Arafat.

"The office expenses of PA Chairman Yasser Arafat office for the past year were $142 million while there is no budget for education," a leaflet said. "They claim that there are no budgets, but there are budgets for buying villas, and the cars for the girls."

The Fatah dissidents warned that "everyone must know that nobody can protect the security apparatuses leaders, Mohammed Dahlan, and Ghazi Jabali, because nobody has the right to collaborate with the Israelis and the Americans against the interests of the Palestinians."

The leaflet asserted that PA officials took huge bribes from Palestinians who want to work in Israel. The leaflets said Palestinians could buy an entry permit for 1,000 Israeli shekels [$250].

Fatah sources said the leaflets have sparked alarm within the movement and the PA. They said the leaflets took up a major part of Sunday night's session of the Fatah Central Committee with Arafat in Ramallah.

In addition, the PA-controlled news media have quoted officials as pledging to make a future Palestinian state but democratic and law-abiding.

Arafat was urged to restrain what some Fatah members termed the lawlessness of the PA security services. They said the appointment of a new attorney general was not enough to ensure accountability by the nearly dozen security agencies.

"Is it permissible that the level of justice in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is lower now that it was in 1958?" asked Salim Zaanoun during a speech at Bir Zeit University on Monday, hours after the Central Committee met with Arafat.