WHERE ARE ARAFAT'S MILLION$?

How did Suha Arafat amass all these millions?
There have been consistent reports that Suha Arafat, widow of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, has withdrawn tens of millions of dollars’ worth of investment from Tunis, prompting the Tunisian authorities to strip her of the Tunisian citizenship.

Some news agency reported this week that Suha’s investments in Tunisia were estimated to be in the vicinity of $40 million.

Well-connected sources in Ramallah have intimated that Suha Arafat “inherited” hundreds of millions of dollars registered under her deceased husband’s name in several European banks. The vast bulk of the money is believed to have belonged to Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

This writer sought to raise this subject with several Palestinian officials in Ramallah. The officials agreed to speak rather reluctantly and only on condition of “anonymity” citing the “sensitivity of the subject.”

I spoke to one veteran official in Ramallah, who I was told is responsible for dealing with “the issues of administrative and financial corruption.” The man didn’t ask for anonymity, but I have opted to not mention his name lest he be physically harmed by he gurus of corruption or fired from his job. More...