The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #105626 Message #2178440
Posted By: Peace
24-Oct-07 - 05:37 PM
Thread Name: BS: Fair and Balanced
Subject: RE: BS: Fair and Balanced
"The IMF report "Economic Performance and Reforms under Conflict Conditions," released in September 2003 in Abu Dhabi, was based on the same PA documents that the Israeli government had earlier provided to the European Parliament. The report concluded that $900 million in PA revenues from 69 commercial enterprises belonging to the PA in the West Bank, Gaza and abroad, "disappeared" between 1995 and 2000. The report also found that the 2003 budget for Arafat's office, which totaled $74 million, was missing $34 million that Arafat had transferred to pay unidentified "organizations" and "individuals." Furthermore, the report revealed that at least 8 percent ($135 million) of the PA's annual budget of $1.08 billion is being spent by Arafat at his sole discretion - and does not even take into account Arafat's control of 60 percent of the security-apparatus budget, which leaves him with at least $360 million per year to spend as he chooses."