(Boston Globe) Dennis Ross - The Bush administration should act to help Abbas build his authority - something that is essential for raising the costs to Hamas and others of challenging him. The administration must be the spearhead for getting international pledges of assistance transformed into labor-intensive projects on the ground. To date, billions have been pledged, but little has been delivered and Palestinians are not going back to work. Abbas must be seen as producing very quickly on jobs in Gaza. The administration should also work with the EU and World Bank to help the PA function more effectively. Abbas inherited Arafat's system of corruption and ineptitude. He needs systematic help to build his administrative capacity, with specific goals, monitoring, and evaluation established.
2005-08-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive