ARAFAT'S MISSING MONEY BAG

Arafat's Money Bag - Khaled Abu Toameh (Jerusalem Post)
Arafat was in the habit of traveling with a suitcase full of cash for "emergencies" - to be used for gifts, bribes, and tips. On Arafat's last trip to Paris in late October, the bag contained $1.6 million, but when Arafat's coffin was returned to Ramallah two weeks later, many PA officials noticed that the suitcase was missing.

According to Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda editor Hafez Barghouti, "Arafat's secret-keeper who carried the black bag has gone to work in the Palestinian embassy in Moscow and no one knows what happened to the suitcase." Barghouti accused the unnamed bag-carrier of stealing the suitcase and hinted at the involvement of many of Arafat's longtime aides in the theft.

Barghouti said Arafat had for years surrounded himself with a group of arrogant, pompous officials, describing how one of Arafat's top aides "used to collect money from prominent businessmen for arranging meetings with Arafat." "He also used to take commission from the businessmen in return for getting Arafat to approve various financial deeds."