WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has refused to confirm reports
of Iranian aid to Hamas while seeking to maintain U.S. financing for the Palestinian Authority.
U.S. security coordinator Gen. Keith Dayton and Quartet representative
James Wolfensohn testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on
March 15. Both urged Congress not to pass legislation that would limit U.S.
aid to the PA in wake of the expected Hamas takeover of the Palestinian
government.
Two U.S. representatives have testified to Congress that they have not
seen evidence of direct aid to Hamas, Middle East Newsline reported. The two officials spent much of their
time in the Palestinian Authority over the last few months.
"What happens in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza has a direct impact on
the immediate neighbors of Jordan and Egypt and U.S. strategic interests
there," Dayton said. "Likewise, what happens in the Israel-Palestinian
situation has profound implications for the rest of this difficult
neighborhood."
[On Saturday, Hamas announced the completion of its Cabinet. A spokesman
said Hamas would present the proposed Cabinet to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.]
Earlier, officials said Iran has provided Hamas with tens of millions of
dollars since 2003. They said that in January 2006 Iran convened a meeting
in Syria with Hamas, Hizbullah, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine-General Command. The meeting was said to have
focused on coordination with and aid from Teheran.
At the hearing, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Richard
Lugar said Arab states have sought to dissuade a Hamas-dominated PA from
turning to Iran. He referred to Iran's reported offer to provide $250
million to a Hamas-led government.
"Among Arab states, Jordan, Egypt, the Gulf States, and Saudi Arabia are
concerned that Hamas will stir extremists within their own borders," Lugar
said. "Recent reports that Saudi Arabia will continue to provide aid to the
Palestinians reflect such concerns, and may ameliorate some fears that
Palestinians will turn to Iran."
The United States has been the largest provider in the more than $1
billion in annual foreign aid to the Palestinians. About $350 million a year
has gone directly to the PA.
"The size of the [PA] wage bill has ballooned over the last eight
months, largely due to substantial wage increases granted to both civilian
and security personnel mid-year, and more recently due to significant
increases in the number of PA security services personnel," Wolfensohn said.
"To return to a path of fiscal sustainability, the PA must shed at least
30,000 security sector employees."
On March 16, the World Bank issued a report that warned of an economic
crisis in the PA. The report warned that an aid cutoff would double
Palestinian unemployment to 47 percent and slash personal income by 30
percent in 2006.
Hours later, the U.S. House of Representatives approved an amendment
that required Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to certify that the PA
meet conditions for U.S. aid. One of the conditions was official PA
recognition of Israel. Hamas has vowed never to recognize the Jewish
state.
In his testimony, Dayton said PA security forces failed to fulfill its
mandate to collect weapons, dismantle insurgency groups and conduct reform
and restructuring. He said the failure was linked to infighting within the
PA.
"There had been sporadic, localized, internal PA security cooperation,"
Dayton said. "However, such cooperation was not the norm and tended to
evaporate quickly due to the PA's internal political crisis."
