EU denies aid funded suicide bombers

The European Union’s head office strongly denied Israeli claims today that millions of euro spent on aiding Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s government were used to fund suicide bombers.

A report by the Israeli government made public on Sunday alleged EU aid money was being used to pay the salaries of hundreds of extremists.

EU spokesman Gunnar Wiegand in Brussels told reporters that the aid, which totals €369m over the past two years, was being spent on civilian purposes only.

‘‘The allegations made by the government of Israel are serious,’’ Wiegand said, adding that the EU closely monitored where the money went and what it was used for.

Israeli Cabinet Minister Dan Naveh said some €10m worth of EU aid was ‘‘used indirectly to finance terrorist acts’’.

Wiegand said that the Israeli claims lacked evidence adding that the EU would be open to investigate such allegations ‘‘as soon as Israel provides documentary evidence and shares it with us’’.

He said that EU auditors and specialists from the International Monetary Fund checked all money going toward Palestinian projects to ensure it was being used properly.

‘‘This takes place every month and we do not send money until we get the green light,’’ he said.

Israel presented a 91-page report ahead of a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and US President George W Bush in Washington on Tuesday to prove that Arafat was personally involved in terrorism.

Sharon hopes to persuade Bush and other world leaders that Arafat is a terrorist and should be excluded from future Middle East peace talks.

Relations between Sharon and the 15-nation EU have soured over previous months as Israeli forces destroyed millions of euro worth of EU-funded projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

The EU sent a letter of complaint to the Israeli government claiming that it was responsible for some €19m in damage to Palestinian Authority projects.