[Washington Post ] Griff Witte - Deep beneath the sands of the Gaza border town of Rafah, Abu Mosab is making a fortune as blue jeans, candy bars, cigarettes, shoes, refrigerator parts, gasoline and generic Viagra pass through his subterranean tunnel. Hamas imposes stiff taxes on the tons of contraband that flow beneath the border each night, collecting revenue to fill its own coffers. Hamas also gets to decide who receives scarce supplies, allowing it to consolidate its authority. All the while, the group has used the tunnels to ensure a steady supply of weapons to use in its attacks against Israel.
2008-06-18 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive