UN chief: PA may collapse unless int'l aid sent: KOFI DEMANDS CASH FOR THE ARAFAT GANG

Ha'aretz ^ | Last Update: 28/01/2004 22:19 | Reuters

[Cinnamon Girl]

U.S. envoy John Wolf and Palestinian PM Ahmed Qureia meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday. (AP)(Are the Americanim deliberately making a mockery of Ahmed by sending such a tall man to meet with him???!

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.

"We reviewed the roadmap and what the Quartet can do to re-energize the process," Annan said. "We need to find a way to break the impasse... we need to find a way of bringing the parties to the table."

After meeting U.S. envoy, Qureia says Sharon summit possible

United States State Department envoys John Wolf and David Satterfield are pressing Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to hold a long-delayed summit to help revive the U.S.-sponsored road map Middle East peace plan, officials said Wednesday.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said Wednesday that a summit between himself and Sharon was possible, following American pressure on the two leaders to hold a meeting.

Since taking office last October, Qureia has avoided meeting Sharon, accusing him of poor faith in peacemaking. But after talks with Wolf and Satterfield on Wednesday, Qureia said a summit was possible.

"They [envoys] have officially asked that the meeting take place. We're studying this and we will prepare for it well," Qureia said at his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He did not say where or when any summit might take place.

Sharon, who launched the road map with Qureia's predecessor Mahmoud Abbas and U.S. President George W. Bush in June, has said he would welcome a meeting with the Palestinian premier but has made clear he will not promise any concessions in advance.

"We have always said the prime minister is willing to meet him [Qureia], without preconditions," a Sharon spokesman said.

But Palestinians fear a summit would make Sharon look better in Washington's eyes while bringing them nothing in return.

"Qureia does not want a summit that would not culminate in practical steps to ease the lives of Palestinians under occupation and revive peace moves," a Palestinian official said.

Each side has accused the other of failing to meet its obligations under the road map, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel by 2005.

Palestinians cite Israel's failure to freeze settlement construction on occupied land and ease its military crackdown imposed during a three-year-old uprising in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israel cites the Palestinians' failure to rein in militants behind suicide bombings.

"I emphasized to the prime minister the importance of... security and dealing with the threat that the situation poses to the Palestinian Authority, to Israel, and to the people of this region," Wolf told reporters after meeting Qureia.

After talks with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Tuesday, Wolf said both sides must meet their commitments.

"We're in consultation with our Israeli friends on getting the road map process back on track," a U.S. official said.

[Cinnamon Girl]

NO, NOT THE COLLAPSE OF THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY!!!

[goldstategop]

I hope it disappears. Its a terorist sponsoring and supporting entity. Let the Palis have Hamas - at least they don't pretend to love the Jews while they proceed to blow them up.

[.cnI redruM]

Wouldn't that just suck out loud and in public.

[Spok]

The PA must be running out of C4 and rat poison.

[6ppc]

And this is bad because????????????????

[Diogenesis]

Annan up close and personal to a murderer of Americans.

[AD from SpringBay]

I'm sure Yassur could dip into some of his european accounts and save his organization, if he wanted to. Wouldn't want to sully the waters with evil-dog wester-devil dollars, now would we Koffi?

[cripplecreek]

and?

[Pubbie]

I'm sure Condi Rice will have no problem pissing US TaxPayer money down another Islamic rathole just like she did for the "AIDS Relief For Africa" scam.

I mean - it's only our money! - what does she care?

[nina0113]

Does this mean Arafat will go live in Switzerland where he can visit his bank account more easily?

I just want him GONE. He could go live a happy life, anywhere but Israel, and I wouldn't even care about bringing him to justice. Man's justice can never be adequate for his crimes and God's justice will find him soon enough.

[theDentist]

So I guess this means they're gonna welch on payoffs to bombers.

[cripplecreek]

very interesting. saddam isnt around to pay for human missiles anymore but the UN wants to take up the slack.

[CaptRon]

Well then tell Yasser to bust loose with some of cash he's skimmed off the top over the years!

[Gefreiter]

Does anyone have a source describing how much $$ the PA has already received? Where the hell is all that money, because it sure didn't go to building factories, ports, universities, or decent homes...

Was it ALL squandered on carbombs, suicide vests, and armored Mercedes' for Arafat?

[blackie]

It looks like they're about to french kiss. :)

[bray]

Poor UN debating society, so many terrorists; so little cash! Perhaps we can send them a couple $M Cruise Missles to help clean out that nest. Maybe a B1 visit, B4 it's 2 L8!

Pray for W and Our Troops

[lilylangtree]

Raid araRAT's hidden accounts for money. araRAT has skimmed hundreds of millions of international aid. Since Suha araRATfink is a french citizen now along with araRAT's daughter, make them give back the money that they live so generously on. NO MORE FOR THE PALI TERRORISTS!

[gathersnomoss]

What ju talkin' about, Willis? I need to research this.

[theDentist]

Yessiree!

[Republicus2001]

they're spending it all on rocks and putting pails of water over the doors of Israelis