[The Smoking Gun] Translation of documents from Palestinian Authority office

CNN.com | 4-3-02 | Yasser Arafat's COO

[Oldeconomybuyer]

English translation of documents found in a former Palestinian Authority finance official's office by the IDF that they say are requests for funds from Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade:

Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades

Palestine

Financial Report

The debts which we have accumulated until now are estimated to be NIS 38,000. The following are the details:

1. The cost of posters of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades: Azam Mazhar, Usama Jubara, Shadi Afuri, Yasser Badawi, Ahed Fares (addition in handwriting of 2,000 shekels).

2. Costs of printed announcements, invitations and mourners shelters for martyrs (addition in handwriting of 1,250 shekels).

3. Cost of sticking photos of martyrs on wooden boards and also of the martyrs Thabet Thabet and Mahmud Al Jamil (addition in handwriting of 1,000 shekels).

4. Cost of memorial ceremonies for the martyrs. Memorial ceremonies were held for the martyr Azam and the martyr Usama (addition in handwriting of 6,000 shekels).

5. Costs of electricity products and various chemical materials (for manufacture of explosive charges and bombs). This is the greatest expenditure (the cost of one ready explosive charge is 700 shekels at least). We require on a weekly basis 5 – 9 explosives charges for squads in various areas (addition in handwriting of 5,000 shekels per week x 4 = 20,000 shekels per month).

6. The cost of bullets. The cost of a Kalashnikov bullet is 7 – 8 shekels, and an M-16 bullet costs 2 – 2.5 shekels. We need bullets on a daily basis.

7. Note: there are 3,000 Kalashnikov bullets at a cost of 2 shekels per bullet. We require that you transfer to us immediately a sum of money for us to purchase them (addition in handwriting of 22,500 shekels for kalashnikov bullets and 60,000 shekels for M-16 bullets).

In conclusion, all the glory and pride to those supporting the brave resistance against the oppressive occupation.

From the revolution until victory.

Palestinian Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades

16 September 2001

Addition in handwriting: 25,000 Dinar = 150,750:6

[Lent]

I saw the PalPot spin on CNN this morning stating that Israel forged the documents (Palestinian Authority diplomat to the U.N.). LOL!

[Registered]

Thanks, I can roll over on the couch now...

[AmericanInTokyo]

Pleasant dreams. Nighty night. :-)

[Polybius]

Heck, they have office hours and "company logos" printed on the front door of their office buildings!

Have other documents with this letterhead been put out by the bombers themselves?

I must admit that the letterhead with "Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades" in English reminds me of the "Baby Milk Factory" sign in English that the Iraqis made up during the Gulf War.

[Polybius]

Looks like we got our suspect. Jordan.

However, no matter who is bankrolling the operations, be it Iraq, Iran, Lybia, etc. the cash sent must be in a form that can be spent locally.

So, even if, say, Iran is the source of the money, the accounting would still be in Jordanian Dinars and Israeli Sheckels.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Rates have fluctated since that time. Here are the values in dinar for 150,750 shekel on 9/16/01:

Tunisia: 49,910
Algeria: 2,558,792
Sudan: 8,943,685
Bahrain: 13,169
Kuwait: 10,639
Libya: 22,429
Jordan: 24,735

I converted based on the interbank rate, but who know what rates terrorists use. Exchange rates between all/most currencies for any date (going back several years) can be found at THIS very handy site.

[ppaul]

From CNN: "Hassan Abdel Rahman, the Palestinian representative to the United States, dismissed the documents as a forgery. "This is a fraud by Israeli intelligence," Rahman told CNN. "There is an Israeli department that specializes in putting out lies."

Yeah.
That's the standard Arab World line about 9/11 too.
It was an Israeli plot to discredit the Palestinian peace process and turn the world against Islam.
But the Arabs know the truth!

[ppaul]

Here are the values in dinar for 150,750 shekel on 9/16/01:

Thanks for the link.
One thing is for sure -
these guys sure are cheap.

[Blood of Tyrants]

IF they are paying 7-8 shekels ($1.47-$1.68 under today's exchange rate of 1 NIS = $0.21USD) for one Kalishnikov bullet, they are getting ripped! They shouldn't be paying more than half a shekel per bullet. But I guess if you are conducting a war of terrorism, you gotta pay the weapons dealers' dost.

[Blood of Tyrants]

1 NIS = $0.21 USD

[grobdriver]

It's heartening that the running cost of an M-16 is lower than an AK-47 !!

Smaller cartridge.
But excuse me, why would the letterhead of this thing be in English?

[Brian Allen]

Why do you assume they are fake?

The ol' Psychopathological Projection Syndrome's a handy tool, eh?

[Sorts the wheat FRom the chaff in an instant -- and its FRee!]

[Sabramerican]

the pock marked miss mitchell gives me the creeps.

The guys who sees that face first thing every morning determines the course of the US economy. Now that's scary.

[Irene Adler]

"But excuse me, why would the letterhead of this thing be in English?"

That's a possible objection to legitimacy, but it wouldn't really surprise me to see a lot of stationary headings for global entities in English as well as the local language. I am assuming that the corresponding Arabic heading is on the right (can't read Arabic). I would guess that creating a fake Arabic document with a heading in English is a mistake the Israelis would not make.

[AmericanInTokyo]

I'll agree to that.

[Sabramerican]

Mitchel must think that the Israeli government is really stupid. That they would publish fakes to sway the media.

These "fakes" will be scrutinized by the highest levels of US intelligence. That is all that really matters.

[Sabramerican]

But excuse me, why would the letterhead of this thing be in English?

You may have forgotten that these groups take credit for their action with press releases to the media.

[AmericanInTokyo]

here is an al Aqsa (THE al-Aqsa?) website. You'll need windows browser support of arabic. You can scroll on the hotlinks, though, and keep an eye on the bottom of your browser and the URL will show up in English, sometimes with key words in the address that tellwhat kind of info. lies under the button. We can check for some similiarities. I for one do not think this doc. is a 'fake' job. They would have too much to lose under intense international intelligence scrutiny:

http://www.al-aqsa.org/

[Grut]

...Psychopathological Projection Syndrome...

Drought-stricken nations would pay a fortune to have Barney Frank say that on their turf....

[Chemist_Geek]

Heck, they have office hours and "company logos" printed on the front door of their office buildings! When Arafat says he can't find the terrorists to arrest them he has to close the blinds on his window, because the local offices of the terrorist organizations is right across the street. One could come in Saturday through Wednesday 9 to 5 (half day on Thurs)...

Except that the low man on the totem pole has to work the night shift. And of course, the "martyr family compensation" agent is on call 24 hours a day. I wonder if he gets a company car?