MediaLine reports that the Bush administration has expressed its displeasure with plans for Qatar to pay the salaries of educational and health workers employed by the Palestinian Authority. Secretary Rice will probably raise the issue with Qatari FM Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani when she meets with him on Wednesday, according to spokesman Scott McCormack. The U.S. sees the Qatari gesture as a violation of an international ban on funding the Palestinian Authority as long as it is controlled by Hamas. The Quartet has set up a "temporary mechanism" to channel humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people while circumventing the Hamas-led government. Presumably, it would be acceptable for Qatar to carry out its pledge if the money is routed through that mechanism.
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