The case against Arafat

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday May 12, 2002 02:36 by Joseph Farah

You read the news accounts of Israel's discovery of documents linking Yasser Arafat directly to terrorist acts and sponsorship of suicide bombings. Now read the report for yourself. http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0lom0 I have. And I find it beyond persuasive. I find it conclusive. But, of course, I did not need convincing. My own work over 20 years covering the Middle East long ago persuaded me that Arafat is an unrepentant killer of innocents – a thug, a monster, an evil, manipulative terrorist, a murderer of dozens of Americans including diplomats, women, old handicapped men and children. Yet, this report by Israel's Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs is worth reading – beyond what it has to say regarding Arafat. Check out how it indicts Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Abdullah – that other great peacemaker. Find out about the other billionaire sheiks of the Middle East and the roles they play in murder and mayhem.

Here's the real meat of the report:

Saudi Arabia gave some $135 million to Palestinian terrorist organizations and the families of suicide bombers in the past 16 months alone.

The families of suicide bombers received an average of more than $33,000 – or the equivalent of six years' income in Arafat's workers' paradise – from various sources, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The Saudi money was funneled by the Interior Ministry and was deliberately intended to encourage suicide bombers – including one who killed yet another American, Joan Dewaney of San Francisco.

When that suicide bomber's body was returned to Arafat's officials, he was given a 21-gun salute from members of his presidential security detail.

Arafat and Saudi officials argued about how best to distribute money to terrorists.

Saddam Hussein is the suicide bombers' biggest benefactor – rewarding posthumously each with $25,000.

The Saudis are the second-biggest sponsor of this form of terrorism – paying each family $5,300.

Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates kicks in $500 for each family.

Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani, emir of Qatar, also provides each family of a suicide martyr with $500.

Arafat was personally involved in the planning and execution of terror attacks. He encouraged them ideologically, authorized them financially and personally headed the Fatah Al Aqsa Brigades organization.

Arafat and his men used the funds donated to them by other countries, including the European Union, to finance terrorist activity.

The Palestinian Authority allocated vast sums of money from its budget to pay salaries to Fatah terrorists ($45 million a month from Arab countries, $9 million a month from the European Union).

The Palestinian Authority established close links with the "forces of evil" – Iran and Iraq. These countries supplied funds and terrorist warfare equipment to the Authority.

Syria supplied the Hamas and Islamic Jihad with funds enabling them to found and operate the terrorist infrastructure in Jenin.

The documents show widespread corruption in the Palestinian Authority – economic management by means of monopolizing and unjust division of foreign funds among the various strata of the Palestinians' society, embezzlements of payments and unjust collection of public resources transferred to private accounts of high-ranking authority officials.

There is complete cooperation among all the terror organizations – the Fatah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

The Fatah and Arafat's intelligence network intimidated and maltreated the Christian population in Bethlehem. They extorted money from them, confiscated land and property and left them to the mercy of street gangs and other criminal activity, with no protection.

After reviewing this evidence, is there any excuse to continue support of Arafat? Is there any justification for hoping he will truly emerge as a peacemaker? Is there any choice but to stop recognizing him as the only legitimate leader of the Palestinian people?