UN chief: PA may collapse unless int'l aid sent

[Darranar]

The Palestinian Authority could collapse unless there is urgent extra international aid to relieve the plight of the Palestinian people, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on Wednesday.

"We share our concern about the economic, social and humanitarian situation of the Palestinians," Annan said after talks with Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen, whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency.

"I appealed for additional support for them, because I am afraid that if the situation continues, we will see real despair and perhaps even partial collapse of the Palestinian Authority," Annan told reporters.

He said United Nations and the EU were extremely concerned about the situation in the Middle East and a stalemate hindering progress on a peace "roadmap" drafted by a Quartet in which they are joined by the United States and Russia.

Haaretz

[Resistance]

1. great

Palestinians are dead broke, yet the United States sees fit to keep on supplying Israel with all the top-end weapons they require to murder Palestinian civilians with.

Our leaders in the West are so completely morally bankrupt it is disgusting.

[cantwealljustgetalong]

2. uh huh...

The reign of the thugs

...

We all know that there are several gunmen who threaten and spread fear among the Palestinians. Last October 22, Ghaleb al-Faroukh, 46, a Palestinian civilian was killed by two Palestinian gunmen, while he was on his way to Sa'ir in Hebron to shop. On the following day, Majid Zein, 46, another Palestinian civilian was also killed by three gunmen in the same area, and on October 28, another Palestinian civilian called Fakhri el-Masri was gunned down and killed by two Palestinians in Salfit near Nablus.

The question is what Palestinian interior minister would be daring enough to punish those responsible? Would the Palestinian interior minister be killed if he imposed a penalty upon them?

In Tul Karm, the Al-Aqsa Brigades direct and manage the city's civil and security life. They threaten, beat and kill. On October 23, 12 unemployed gunmen who joined the Al-Aqsa Brigades killed Mohammed Hilal, 22, and Samer Ofeh, 23, in the street because they were so-called collaborators.

Nablus is ruled by two armed illiterate thugs. These two people are feared by the population and control the civil life of the city.

This is an example of a further unacceptable situation where a city is governed by ignorant people who are experts only in spreading fear among civilians. Thus, the question is, who will be the loyal watchman of the Palestinians' welfare?

The emergency government completely disregarded the security and safety issues of the Palestinian people. They neglected security issues and ignored the political, social and economic issues. The explosion that targeted the American convoy in Gaza on October 15 was a red light to the Palestinian people to reconstruct the security system. Who can reconstruct it now, and who can control the thugs that violate the security system?

It is not a source of shame for the Palestinians to admit that they have lost hope. The Palestinians seek security and comfort just like any other people. In the framework of the international defense being sought by the Palestinians, I recommend that the Palestinian government call upon the governments of Jordan, Egypt and perhaps Turkey assist by sending their security forces to restore order in the Palestinian territories and to put an end to attacks against Palestinian citizens.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/387765.html