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PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 15:33 09/11/2007 U.S. to give Nablus $1M in aid in pre-summit boost for Abbas By Reuters tags: U.S. aid, Nablus  The United States plans to rush aid to the restive West Bank city of Nablus to try to support Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's government ahead of a U.S.-sponsored conference on statehood. Though tiny in U.S. budget terms at around $1 million, the projects are meant to give a facelift to the battered city, a frequent flashpoint between Israel Defense Forces troops and Palestinian militants, according to U.S., Western and Palestinian officials. Advertisement The new U.S. aid push will accompany efforts by Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, to exert greater security control in Nablus and eventually other parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel demands that the Palestinian leadership curb militants before it will agree to a final peace and withdraw its forces. The conference expected late this month in Annapolis, Maryland, aims to set terms for relaunching peace talks. Western diplomats cast the quick infusion of U.S. aid in Nablus as part of a "hearts and minds" campaign to try to bolster Abbas at the summit following his loss of the Gaza Strip in June to Hamas Islamists. The U.S.-funded projects will rebuild schools, clinics and court buildings, senior U.S. officials told their European Union, U.N. and Russian counterparts at a recent closed-door meeting of the Quartet of Middle East mediators. "The U.S. is encouraged by steps that the Palestinian security forces are taking in Nablus to restore law and order, and continued progress there will create the environment in which we can launch a number of new development projects," Jacob Walles, the U.S. consul in Jerusalem, told Reuters. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the American money was part of an "American-Zionist project to back up the Palestinian president in confronting Hamas". But it is unclear how much difference the projects can make before the conference. "Something is coming. What I'm afraid of is that the changes will just be cosmetic," local businessman Samer Anabtawi said. Nablus could be a risky starting point. Home to 200,000 Palestinians, it has been a bastion for militants since a Palestinian uprising began in 2000. Nablus's governor, Jamal al-Mheisen, called the city "the worst for security" in the West Bank and said even Quartet envoy Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, had questioned the decision to start with Nablus. Mheisen explained the logic behind the focus on Nablus. "It is like the head of the snake. If you control the head, you control the whole body," he told Reuters. Blair is drawing up his own plans for large-scale development projects in other West Bank cities, some of which will be unveiled before the Annapolis conference. The mayor of the big southern city of Hebron, Khaled Oseily, said he proposed that Blair help build swimming pools, sports facilities and new housing projects. In Nablus, Fayyad is preparing to double his deployment of forces by dispatching up to 300 members of the Presidential Guard, the Palestinian Authority's best trained force. Local residents say there are already some tentative signs of improvement on the streets. Anabtawi said his furniture showroom in central Nablus now stays open until 9 P.M. because the streets feel more secure. It used to close at 5 p.m. Khaled Saleh, director of the city's main Rafidia Hospital, said he told visiting U.S. officials he needed e500,000 to renovate rundown operating rooms and make other improvements - some as simple as replacing broken toilet seats. "There is no doubt that people are tired of promises. They will judge when they see things improve on the ground," Saleh said. "No doubt they'll be happy if they see results this time." Related articles: A journey to la-la land Israel, PA agree future deals hinge on implementing road map Palestinian police leave Nablus to IDF by night For Nablus' 'Night Horsemen,' the days are numbered Bookmark to del.icio.us Freedom of speech A Spanish court rules that the crime of Holocaust denial does not warrant a jail sentence. Road map to peace Israel and PA agree a future deal between them will hinge on implementing the road map.   1.   Casting pearls before pigs,for the umptieth time 13:28  |  Absolute Sweden 09/11/07   2.   Every Dollar is wasted 13:59  |  Jonathan S 09/11/07   3.   $ 1m US aid to Nablus 14:10  |  khader herzallah 09/11/07   4.   That $1 Million Bribe Will End Up Finiancing Terror 14:11  |  Yishai Kohen 09/11/07   5.   America is manipulating Annapolis for it`s own anti-Shiite agenda 14:14  |  Nannette 09/11/07   6.   DIRTY CASH ... TO BUY FURTHER CONCESSIONS FROM ABBAS 14:16  |  TrippleJump 09/11/07   7.   Israel does not want to pay it`s debts 15:18  |  Dolores 09/11/07   8.   NO to the wolves 15:58  |  Brod 09/11/07   9.   IS IT NOT SHECHEM WHERE JOSEPH IS BURIED 16:44  |  SID 09/11/07   10.   WoW, a whole $1,000,000 dollars? 16:52  |  Michael Scott 09/11/07   11.   Nablus 18:13  |  Nablus 09/11/07   12.   US Should stop kidding itself 20:02  |  Tzfonit 09/11/07   13.   greatful hamas is thanking Bush for $$$$ 20:10  |  joe 09/11/07   14.   Spare the Pals 21:08  |  Joe 09/11/07   15.   NO SID: Nablus NOT Schechem 22:35  |  David James Vickery 09/11/07   16.   Nablus first to see a Palestinian dead instead of 22:45  |  J.M.Jordan 09/11/07   17.   Dolores # 7 01:01  |  ChanahS 10/11/07   18.   At $2,000 a piece it is 500 AK-47`s,or 10,000 Shahidin. Not bad 03:26  |  Genuine Tosefta 10/11/07   19.   Does it mean that they will kidnap more or less Journalists? 03:29  |  Genuine Tosefta 10/11/07   20.   To #8 18:59  |  sam i am 10/11/07

Today Online Jessica Balaban: Why should world Jewry aid Israeli Arabs? Responses: 160 Jacob Victor: Mukasey is the latest victim of the malaise of U.S. Jewish leadership Responses: 125 Israel, PA agree future deals conditional on carrying out road map Responses: 176 Top Hamas official: We'll conquer W. Bank if Israel withdraws Responses: 145 Israel seeks fresh Holocaust reparations deal with Germany Responses: 285 M. Firillas: Pakistan turmoil raises specter of an Islamic bomb Responses: 59 Rosner's Domain 18%, 28%, 46%, 52%: how many really support military action in Iran? (WTR) Annapolis dictionary: P is for photo-op Rosner's Guest: Why not a women's Talmud? Poll: Should American Jews have a voice in shaping Israel's policies? More Headlines 17:20 Mausoleum of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat unveiled in Ramallah 19:34 Report: Annapolis summit to be followed by meeting in Moscow 17:01 PA Police seize 40 bombs in militant stronghold in Nablus 20:17 Germans irate over initiative to reopen Holocaust reparations deal 19:35 Egyptian police shoot Eritrean trying to cross border into Israel 19:30 Police suspect Or Yehuda man of stabbing his wife while inebriated 19:38 U.S. synagogue ties with 'women priests' draws ire of Catholics 09:35 Police arrest 6 men from Qalansuwa suspected of raping Netanya girls 19:36 Torah damaged during Kristallnacht returned to Cologne synagogue Previous Editions Select Day 09 nov 08 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 02 nov 01 nov 31 oct 30 oct 29 oct 28 oct

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