Dr. Rafiq Husseini, head of the Palestinian President's Office, said on
Tuesday that president Mahmoud Abbas is slated to meet with the US
secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, in the West Bank city of Jericho
on Thursday.
Dr. Husseini added that there will be no American-Palestinian meeting in the Jordanian capital, Amman, and that the US president George Bush, will only meet with King Abdullah of Jordan, during his visit to the region.
Commenting on the issue of the National Unity Government, Dr. Husseini said that Prime Minister Ismael Haniyya left the Palestinian territories on Tuesday for a tour in Arab countries, and then he will head to Mecca in Saudi Arabia to pilgrimage.
“This means that Haniyya will not be back before the new year”, Dr. Husseini stated, “It also means that the situation will remain the same until he returns”.
Moreover, Husseini added that the financial aid president Abbas received since the Hamas government took office reached 278 Million US Dollars. “But Hamas ministers carry money in bags through the Rafah Border crossing, we don't know the sources, and we don't know where the money goes”, according to Husseini.
Dr. Husseini also said that as far as the president knows, 60 million Dollar reached Gaza through the ministers.
“We demanded the legislative council to investigate this issue”, Dr. Husseini added, “78% were spent for humanitarian cases, unemployment, bank loans, loans for Palestinian embassies, in addition to financial aid to municipalities and local councils”.
Some of the financial aid from Kuwait was used to pay for teachers and security personnel.
Al Husseini also said that the European Union does not pay aid to the Palestinian security forces, and to any employee who was employed after January 1, 2006.
