No, really. David Frankfurter reports that
After many years of complicity with corruption and the abuse of Palestinian Arab children, UNRWA has finally taken some tentative steps to correct their ways - and as expected are experiencing tough resistance from the local committees.Among other things, UNRWA's new director general in Lebanon, Richard Cook, has ordered that pictures of liquidated Hamas leaders Yassin and Rantisi be removed from UNRWA schools.
Frankfurter's entry provides contact information for sending words of encouragement to Mr. Cook.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at April 26, 2004 11:28 AMIt already looks bad for Cook, they're talking about banning him from the camps if similar decisions are made.
The Pali committees (I assume?) know that if they scream loud enough the UN will not back Cook and will either pressure him, castrate his authority or fire him.
END OF THAT PROBLEM.
Mike
Posted by: Mike on April 26, 2004 10:11 PMUNRWA, since its inception, has been most concerned about its own existence. To keep it as a necessity, it has fostered a culture of hate in the children, rather than teach Palestinians how to make a life where they now live, by which the UNWRA employees would be out of a lifetime job.
Posted by: Jed on April 27, 2004 06:12 AMI wish people would know the whole facts, I know them, and Mr Cook did not order the pictures of Hamas leaders to be removed, he asked that the pictures drawn by children representing violence be removed, as he believes in schools violence should not be tolerated, especially in the circumstances that the refugees find themselves in. He does not believe the Hamas posters should be removed because they pose a political view, which should be nurtured.
Posted by: Anonymous on March 11, 2005 02:42 PM