PA ON VERGE OF BANKRUPTCY, CIVIL WAR

PA on Verge of Bankruptcy, Civil War - Khaled Abu Toameh
A growing number of Palestinians believe they are now closer than ever to civil war and bankruptcy. Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar, who has just wrapped up a tour of a number of Arab countries, is returning home with a suitcase full of promises and little cash. Hamas officials are openly accusing PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and his senior aides of conspiring with the U.S. and Israel to bring down the Hamas cabinet. Some of the Hamas ministers have also complained that their predecessors literally stole everything from the ministries, including teaspoons, fax machines, and couches. Hamas officials said on Sunday they had discovered that all the workers in Abbas' office had received their salaries for the previous month, while more than 140,000 other PA civil servants have not yet been paid. (Jerusalem Post)