Congressional appropriators want the U.S. Congress’ investigative body to investigate whether UNRWA is paying terrorists. A report accompanying the foreign operations spending bill approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee sets aside $2 million for a General Accounting Office review of spending by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, the principle body assisting Palestinian refugees. “The Committee directs the GAO to report to the Committees on Appropriations no later than eight months after enactment of this Act on whether any refugee who is receiving military training as a member of the so-called Palestine Liberation Army or any other guerilla type organization or who has engaged in any act of terrorism has received payments from the UNRWA Cash Assistance or Emergency Cash Assistance programs,” it says. Lawmakers in recent years have alleged that UNRWA has employed members of Hamas, a terrorist group. All that has been substantiated is that at least one person who left UNRWA’s employment subsequently joined Hamas.
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