BAGHDAD, Iraq – President Saddam Hussein ordered that $25,000 be paid to Palestinians for each house destroyed by Israeli forces in the West Bank refugee camp of Jenin, the official Iraqi news agency reported Sunday.
Iraq already has been making payments of up to $25,000 to families of Palestinian suicide bombers since the Israeli-Palestinian clashes began in September 2000.
The news agency said the Iraqi leader ordered the payments '"after studying the criminal Zionist deeds in Palestine."
On April 8, Iraq announced a unilateral 30-day halt of oil exports in an attempt to force Israel to end its operations in the Palestinian territories.
Israel launched "Operation Protective Wall" on March 29 in the West Bank to crush Palestinian militias that have carried out suicide attacks on Israelis.
The United States has declared the removal of Saddam a goal in its war on terrorism.
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