(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Ramallah businessmen and shopkeepers who initiated a meeting with Palestinian officials Wednesday complained that the PA is not doing enough to enforce law and order. The meeting was organized following a rampage in which armed gangsters shot and killed two young men in Ramallah, destroyed shops, and forced merchants to shutter their businesses. Sakher Habash, a top Fatah official and aide to Arafat, noted that because of the absence of a proper police force, many businessmen and banks are being forced to pay extortion money to armed groups in return for protection. Saleh Rafat, secretary-general of the Palestinian Democratic Union Party, said members of the PA security forces and Fatah activists are mainly responsible for the anarchy and lawlessness.
2004-06-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive