The American Spectator

VinceP1974| 12.30.08 @ 2:44PM

An American went to the Palestinian areas a few years ago. He was doing research for a book. He interviewed Fatah about HAMAS, and Fatah says that HAMAS are fanatics. The author made a fictionalized account of his interview for his story "Tea with Terrorists". He says the he wrote accurately relays what the Palestinians think of one another. It surprised me because I have my doubts that Fatah is a secular group. The part about the money makes me sick though. We should have nothign to do with these groups.

http://teawithterrorists.com/Tea_with_Terrorists_17_Tea_with_Terrorists.Terrorism

Here's some of the fictionalized dialog between an American posing as a journalist and the leadership of Fatah/PA.

http://teawithterrorists.com/Tea_with_Terrorists_17_Tea_with_Terrorists.Terrorism

"What do you want us - Americans - to know?"

"That it’s your fault," the diminutive leader responded crisply. It would not be the last time Thor would hear this.

"Radical Islam is America’s fault - you and the Jews."

Why did he begin by pointing a finger at Islam? But this was the question, Adams knew, so he asked it: "Why?"

"First, you must know we are not like them. Fatah is not extreme. We do not want to push Jews into the sea. We only want them out of Palestine - out of our land." Although he didn’t say it, his superiors defined Palestine to be all of Israel. It’s what their maps showed. It’s what they taught their children in school. Even the logo of the PLO shows all of Israel. "I was raised in occupation." The Captain’s tone was defiant. "Our goals are reasonable; so are our methods. We only want what is rightfully ours. We want to occupy our land, to live in peace in our own state, with our own people, and our own passports. They are the crazy ones."

"They? You mean Hamas and Islamic Jihad?"

"Yes. They are still in the minority here, but their numbers are growing rapidly - very, very rapidly."

"Why is that?"

"You saw our town. No one is working. People are starving. And they, the leaders of Hamas and Jihad, have all the money."

"What money?"

"Before I answer, you need to know how we are suffering. No one has worked for almost sixteen months."

"Since the start of the last intifada, right?"

An intifada is a call to arms. Alafat had told his followers to terrorize the Israelis into submission. The blood bath that followed had left the parties deeply divided, each wary of the other. Barricades had replaced roads, rhetoric had replaced reason, and death had swallowed hope.

"Yes, intifada. Since that time we have suffered. The only way we can feed our families is with the help of other Arab nations. But their money comes with an agenda - one that causes our people to think bad thoughts - very bad thoughts."

"What do you mean?"

"They promote radical Islam. That leads to Hamas and Islamic Jihad."

"Islam? How does that lead to terrorist groups like these?"

"I am a Muslim. So are my men. We observe all of the holidays with our families. We adhere to many of the rituals. But they do not think like us. They are crazy, more violent."

When men crazy enough to gloat over killing a busload of innocent people call other people crazy, they must be, Thor reasoned. "Does this violent form of Islam focus on the Prophet’s speeches? Is it political?"

"Yes. It is not the same as what I believe."

"Is it popular?"

"Yes. It will soon be the majority. We have very little time."

Adams had found his answer, but switched gears as he saw Fatah grow uncomfortable with the previous line of questioning. They did not want to talk about the influence of Islam.

"If you could have one or two of the following things, but not all three, which would be your biggest priority: possession of this land, political autonomy, or a productive economy - an end to poverty?"

The Captain looked at his Lieutenants. They appeared to be having a heated conversation. It was as if they wanted to give the approved answer.

"They say they want this land." Niam translated. "It is where they were born. It is the most important thing to them. Autonomy is next, followed by the economy."

"Curt Smith" scribbled notes furiously as he talked. "If you could have your own state with a vibrant economy somewhere else nearby, you’d give that up to fight over this pile of rocks?"

"Yes." He had heard them right.

Israel was little more than a rock-strewn wasteland with a violent history. Much of the land was hostile and mountainous. It was dry, and rocky to a fault. While the Jews had transformed small sections of it into productive garden oases, there was better land almost everywhere.

"You said they - the Islamic groups, Hamas and Jihad - have the money. Is that why they are growing?"

The Captain and his lieutenants looked at Curt Smith like he was from another planet. "It’s the only reason the crazy groups are growing. Money is at the root of everything."

"But who wants groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad to grow? Where is the money coming from?"

The Fatah leader explained, "We get money, food, and supplies from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, the Emirates, Iraq, and Ir...." He stopped abruptly, mid-sentence.

It appeared that the Captain had started to say Iran but had caught himself. Niam’s translation had stopped at Iraq too, but the slip had not escaped Thor’s notice. The truth was as obvious as the fifty tons of bombs on the Karine A. Yet denying unpleasant realities had become part and parcel of everyday life in the twilight zone.

"These countries used to just give us money, but now it’s supplies and money."

"What kind of supplies do they send you?"

The Fatah Captain had to look away. As much as Adams wanted to know about the "supplies," the leader’s body language made two things clear: he knew, and he wasn’t going to say.

"What is the problem with giving you money?"

"With money there’s too much skimming."

"What do you mean ‘skimming’?" The Admiral knew the answer. He just wanted to see if the Palestinians would own up to their problem.

The combatants just stared at each other. Niam answered. "In every sector there is what you would call a mob boss. The most famous is Jube in Jericho, but they’re everywhere. In Bethlehem there are many ‘Jubes.’ They skim money off of the top and spread the remainder among those who are the most loyal." It was shades of Mogadishu. There, Muslim warlords had skimmed food, medicines, and supplies, causing hundreds of thousands to die needlessly.

"Are supplies and money coming from the ruling families and the governments, or are they coming from more secret sources?"

"Both. The Saudi Royal family provides hundreds of millions." In truth, Saudi was the PA’s single biggest supporter, to the tune of $400 million dollars a year.

"I have heard that these governments reward the families of the suicide bombers. Is that true?"

"Yes, of course."

"How much, and who pays?"

"We do not like to use suicide bombers."

"Yes, I know. You use rifles. You are soldiers." Targeting civilians, he thought, but didn’t say. "But do you know how much is paid to the families of suicide bombers? Do you know who pays it?"

"The government of Iraq pays fifteen thousand, the Syrians, ten thousand. Iran also pays ten thousand. The Saudis have no set price, but they pay the most."

"Dollars? Shekels? What?"

"Dollars. They have lots of dollars. Your dollars."

...

"You said earlier that these groups were growing very fast - Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad. When did they start growing, and will they become the majority?"

"Radical Islam started to grow with the first intifada in ’88. It took off following the Oslo accords. It became much worse after the failed Camp David meetings with Clinton. That’s when Sharon came to power. Now it is all about the money. You buy support here with dollars."

"How?"

"Everyone is out of work. There is no economy. Would you let your children starve, or would you accept their money?" the Captain asked rhetorically. "Do you think they just give it away out of kindness?"

Niam talked with them in Arabic and summarized in English. "If you accept their money and their food, you must accept their authority and their way of thinking - their form of Islam. They all have people. They assign someone to every family that accepts their money. Soon everybody is thinking the same way."

"You go along or starve," one of the Lieutenants added.

"You get what you pay for," the Fatah Captain interjected. "If you had money, you could buy loyalty too," he said with a devilish grin. "Support comes from dollars. Sometimes it’s even your dollars."

"What do you mean?"

"Your government gives the Egyptian government two point seven billion dollars a year. Some of that money comes right here, through tunnels into Gaza. The Egyptians don’t like the Palestinian people either. Their money goes to Hamas and Islamic Jihad."

"Yes. It is not the same as what I believe."

"Is it popular?"

"Yes. It will soon be the majority. We have very little time."

Alan Brooks| 12.30.08 @ 4:57PM

egad what a comprehensive reply!
but as for the original article (remember it?) there was a great Freudian slip: at the end "trouble" was mispelled quote rouble unquote.

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