Friday, May 19, 2006

Hamas official caught smuggling cash into Palestinian territory

I'm betting that that money wasn't going to go to paying the government's bills...

Financial Times - An official from the Islamic movement Hamas, under a western aid boycott, was caught on Friday trying to smuggle €639,000 ($816,000, £434,000) hidden in his clothing from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian officials said Sami Abu Zuhri was on his way back from Qatar, which has pledged to give the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority $50m (€39m, $27m) in aid. He was held at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza by Palestinian customs police loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian president, who is in a power struggle with Hamas.


Things aren't looking too good for the Palestinians because it looks like they're going into self-destruct mode. They don't have the money to pay debts or government employees, they have to illegally smuggle cash into the country, and they're actually killing each other as Hamas' terrorists face off with Abbas and Fatah loyalists.

Memo to the Palestinians: next time don't elect a terrorist group to run your country.

Just a suggestion.