(New York Times) Steven R. Weisman - The Bush administration said Friday that it would go along with a European proposal to transfer funds through the World Bank to pay stipends of $200 a month to the poorest Palestinians. The European plan would also pay "emergency allowances," but not salaries, to some nurses, doctors, and others in health care. Because the Palestinian Authority is now run by Hamas, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, the administration had opposed payment of salaries as a violation of American laws barring bank transfers to terrorists. A senior State Department official said the payments would be "based on need" and not on who had been employed by the Palestinian government. But he said some government employees might qualify.
2006-06-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive