| Just Asking |
16 February 2004
|
Suha Arafat Under Investigation in France over Funds
Bringing a rival's wife into a dispute is rarely the gentlemanly approach. Still, there is some doubt about the wealth that Mr. and Mrs. Yasser Arafat have accumulated over the years. Although French authorities say it is early in their investigation of a transfer of $11.4 million to Suha Arafat's accounts at the Arab Bank and at BNP, she has not hesitated to blame Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for cooking up a scandal to deflect attention from his own bribery troubles. The French should call her bluff.
There is nothing wrong, per se, with being wealthy, and there is not a shred of glory in being poor. However, where the money comes from is more important than how much it is. There is no doubt that, as leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and later as head of the Palestinian Authority, Mr. Arafat has been responsible for millions. Moreover, Suha Arafat does do some legitimate work for her people outside the Mid-East that doesn't come free. However, the commingling of official funds with personal funds is where corruption rears its ugly head.
It is important to remember that Mr. Arafat's people have no land to call their own. If the Palestinians have two pennies to rub together, it is due to their hard work and diligence and not due to a great-grandfather pitching a tent over a sea of oil. So, from where has Mr. Arafat's wealth come that $11.4 million can be moved into his wife's account? Does being a failed freedom fighter for four decades really pay that well?
According to Al-Hayat, a daily, Mrs. Arafat said, “All this money has come, and is coming, in a legal way and the way it’s spent is legal. My husband and I are ready to respond to any questioning regarding the source of this money and they way it was spent.”
OK, that seems reasonable. One most respectfully asks, "Mrs. Arafat, could you please detail the source of the money, the reason it was sent into the particular account in question rather than another one, could you please provide a break down of how the money was spent including dates, payees, and purposes. And please don't misdirect your answer by raising Mr. Sharon's possible role in the affair. This journal has already made mention of his troubles in an earlier issue. All that you need do is keep your word. Or have you and your husband made millions off the misery of your people?" Just wondering.
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