MySQL-Handle ungültig nach include

[thecreep]

  include("./mainconfigs.php");  
  var_dump($MYSQL_HANDLE);  
  include("./content_load.php");

mainconfigs.php:

  $MYSQL_SERVER = "127.0.0.1";  
  $MYSQL_USER = "xxx";  
  $MYSQL_PASSWORD = "xxx";  
  $MYSQL_DATABASE = "obstruction";  
  $MYSQL_HANDLE = mysql_connect($MYSQL_SERVER, $MYSQL_USER, $MYSQL_PASSWORD);  
  if (!$MYSQL_HANDLE )  
    die("MySQL-Handle ungültig");  
  mysql_select_db($MYSQL_DATABASE, $MYSQL_HANDLE);

content_load.php:

  function GetCounterGeneral()  
  {  
    $res = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `counter`",$MYSQL_HANDLE);  
	return mysql_num_rows($res);  
  }  
  function GetCounterDaily()  
  {  
    $res = mysql_query("SELECT * FROM `counter` WHERE `TIMESTAMP` >=".mktime(0,0,0,date("n"),date("j"),date("Y")),$MYSQL_HANDLE);  
	return mysql_num_rows($res);  
  }  
  $SYSTEM_COUNTER_VALUE=GetCounterGeneral().'|'.GetCounterDaily();  

var_dum($MYSQL_HANDLE) gibt schon NULL aus, also direkt nach dem include(./mainconfigs.php) zu ende ist, ist $MYSQL_HANDLE  null

mfg thecreep