Mad Dogs: Opportunity wasted
Following the relocation of Palestinians, to refuge camps,. UNESCO ran the educational system, in Gaza, The West Bank and in the refugee camps in Lebanon. English was taught.
Palestinians became the best educated Arab population, in the World., during the '50s, '60 and into the '70s.
Something else happened during the same period. The Oil and Gas industry, around the Persian Gulf exploded. exploded
Tens of thousands of foreign worker were brought into the area. Al most none of them were Palestinians. Most of the workers were from S. Korea, The Philippines, India and Pakistan Palestinians sat home seething in their Mad Dog hatred./
Their fellow Arabs, around the Gulf are afraid of them. Those countries give token financial help, but severely limit the number of Palestinians they allow in their countries.
My Personal Experience With The Mad Dogs
I worked in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain from 1980 through 1985. In Abu Dhabi We had a huge offshore development to fabricate and install, in the gulf.. We had 1400 Filipinos, in our fabrication facility.
Our client was Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, ADNOC. I was the Mechanical Engineering Manager. My ADNOC contact was an engineer, named Abdul Qadumi, A Palestinian.
Abdul got his degree from Perdue and was married tom an American woman. Abdul was pleased that I knew quite a bit about Palestinians and Israel. We talked about it, often.
Abdul's uncle is Farok Qadummi, Yashira Arafat's number one assistant.
One day Abdul came into my oggice, beside himself with happiness.
"B2| The agreement has been signed| ADNOC Is going to allow my uncle to train 400 Palestinian craftsmen, in Lebanon|
There is a large island in Abu Dhabi's harbor. ADNOC agreed to let a group of Lebanese Christins to open craft taring schools, in Lebanon to educate Palestinians.
A fabrication Yard was built on the island, in the harbor. The workers were flown into theairport, put on busses and driven to where boats were, to take the workers to the island. All this movement was guardedby th military.
My late wife was the Travel Lady for an American inspection company. Her employers had about 20 American inspectors, on the Iisland---until Sept 15, 1982.
Sabra and Shatila
Israel invaded Southern Lebanon in 1982. Got moved North, to the out skirts of Beirut. Reagan sent around 300 Marines and support staff to Beirut. The French sent in around 100 paratroopers.
Reagan helped negotiate a deal to remove 600 PLO fighters, from the area. Israel agreed to not enter Beruti.
The men were put on two ship, which set sail for Morrocco, whre they were to be housed in a prepared camp.
Two days after they set sail a history changing disaster struck. A force of Lebanese's Christians, Fhilangists, attacked two Palestinian refugee camps. A slaughter ensued. Over a three day period, arond 3000 Palestinian women, children and old men were murdered, While their young men, were at sea, on a Reagan arraigned cruise.
On the night of the slaughter, word reached the Palestinians, on the Island. They butchered the 40, or so Lebanese Christians. Literally butchered.
The 20 or so, American inspectors hid out in a mangrove swamp and were rescued. They told my wife, what they had witnessed.
Abdul came silently, into my office, sat in a chair for a fewc secoonds. put his face in his hands and sobbed.
"Ested| Wasted| Wasted|
Abdul was right. The fabrication yard was closed. The Palestinians flown home. A force of 400 S. Koreans re opened the camp.
An opportunity to put thousands of Palestinas to work was wasted by Mad Dogs,
B2B
Abdul was r
AI
