(New York Times) - Jibril Rajoub, the chief of preventive security in the West Bank, and Muhammad Dahlan, who resigned recently as Rajoub's counterpart in Gaza, both have independent sources of revenue. Israeli officials say that Rajoub's money comes from a casino, now closed, in Jericho and from gasoline supplies. Dahlan's income comes from fees -- some Palestinians call it extortion -- levied on supplies imported into the Gaza Strip from the restricted crossings with Israel. Each man, in his territory, has built up a large security force that receives paychecks from him, and in return offers their loyalty.
2002-06-12 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive