(Forbes) Nathan Vardi - Money keeps Arafat in power. With a tight grip on much of the $5.5 billion in international aid that has flowed into the PA since 1994, he appears to have overseen virtually all disbursements. An Israeli intelligence report pegs Arafat's personal holdings at $1.3 billion. Arafat created a public sector of 125,000 people consuming $660 million, half the annual budget. This includes $240 million for a security force of 53,000 agents, most of them members of Fatah, Arafat's political party.
2003-02-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive