The Bush administration has cleared the way for $20 million in direct U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority, a step reflecting its support for Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas' leadership.
"We stand behind Mr. Abbas and under his leadership we have seen constructive change," State Department deputy spokesman Philip T. Reeker said Wednesday.
After consultation with Congress, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage on Tuesday signed a waiver from congressional restrictions that barred direct U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Yasser Arafat. The administration and Congress had accused the Palestinian leader of corruption.
Reeker said that under Abbas and Finance Minister Salam Fayad the U.S. assistance would be used for humanitarian purposes in ways that were open and accountable to the Palestinian people.
The $20 million is part of a $50 million special assistance package approved by Congress. The other $30 million was distributed through U.N. offices, thereby bypassing Arafat.
Overall, the Palestinians are due to receive more than $200 million in U.S. assistance this year.
Armitage's move had the support of Israel and members of Congress, Reeker said. However, the U.S. official said he did not know if there would be additional direct contributions to the Palestinian Authority.
Abbas is caught in a split among the Palestinians on how to deal with Israel. The State Department on Tuesday rallied to his support, with Reeker saying that Abbas held out the promise of "a new day" for the Palestinian people.
For years, the United States has bypassed Arafat and the Palestinian Authority and has assisted Palestinians directly through the United Nations and private groups.
This year, the Palestinians are due to receive $124.5 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development, while the State Department's refugees bureau provides Palestinians with $89 million through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
The European Union and the Arab League have given more than $1 billion directly to Arafat and the Authority this year.
Secretary of State Colin Powell has showered praise on Abbas, calling him the kind of leader the Palestinian people should embrace. Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, traveled to the West Bank in June to invite Abbas to meet with the president in Washington.
No date has been set for a meeting, but the administration's admiration for Abbas reached new heights with the promise of four Palestinian terror groups to suspend attacks on Israelis for three to six months.
The decision to circumvent Arafat in providing aid was based on a slowly developed judgment that he is an inadequate leader and that U.S. assistance was being diverted.
Posted by Muddy at July 9, 2003 03:55 PM | TrackBackStop the maddness! Hello! Government, will you please stop giving away the money we NEED to help our own people??
Someone smack them all upside the head.
Posted by: muddy at July 9, 2003 03:59 PMYeah ! Stop spending billions on useless wars !!! Stop supporting countries who've been refusing to comply with international law for 36 years !
I was wondering if any would comment the USA administration admitting it has lied to its citizen using intelligence reports it knew were false...
But no. Better criticize the first step of this administration in really doing something for peace in the midle east.
20 millions is so little when you think at how it may save your butts from angry muslims believing you are always against them.
I was wondering if your government would admit that they were in Saddams pocket? The French helped Saddam murder his people. So how about you stop acting like your garbage dont stink. You have a miserable little country who will do ANYTHING for a buck.
Here is a good article on the subject of France chasing their own interests;
Your nothing but cheese eating surrender monkeys.
Posted by: cwilli at July 10, 2003 09:38 PMIt seems thruth hurts :-)
My government certainly did not help saddam murder its own people more than the USA did...
Saddam was one of Bush's favorites up to 1990 ...
special partnership and the like...
We have a long history as a colonial country and we know perfectly well that our government has not precisely always fought for the betterment of humanity... But lately ... You must admit the USA really have had the bad parts. Not caring about climate change, not caring about aids in Africa, not caring about lack of evidence of any link between saddam and alquaida, saddam and WMD...
Tiny countries can be like mosquitoes very annoying indeed. especially when they speak the voice of the Truth. And all that's left to the bully liers is smashing them up. So they won't hear their own consciousness ...
Posted by: definitely at July 11, 2003 06:09 AMconsciousness might not be the appropriate english word now that I think of it.
Definitely alias Gimini Criquet (cricket or whatever you spell it)
Posted by: definitely at July 11, 2003 06:11 AMLes: Look who's talking. Please only speak when you are spoken to. Thank you.
Posted by: cwilli at July 16, 2003 04:51 PMYou have major issues cwilli. Please don't tell me what to do, liitle paeon.
Have you people checked out www.huntingforbambi.com
it is a horrendous site and just shows how woman hatred is deeply embedded in our society.
peace.
Posted by: Les at July 18, 2003 03:00 PMLES: What is a "paeon"? Do your mean the Idaho Mountain Wildflower or the ancient Greek term for 'thanksgiving hymn to the gods'?
Your really should try to get your money back on the college education....
Posted by: cwilli at July 18, 2003 05:35 PMI'll attest to all of the above from experience. I can think of no better web site than this. Kudos!
Oh btw Muddy has edited this post since it was spam! Please feel free to hack, DNS attack or do whatever you wish with the following IP addy.
81.218.208.148
vioxx:
The ONLY thing I got out of your post is that your heavily into pain medication (not to mention antidepressants) and need help sleeping (ambien) while suffering from hair loss (propecia) all the while streaming music (soma) from the internet. So either, your a pharmacist or someone with alot of ailments and you like listening to internet music. Yes?
Soma is also a pain medication. :-)The post was a spam.
Posted by: skywalker at December 17, 2003 08:10 PMSkywalker:
Thanks, sweetie, I realized that :-) I just wanted to have a little fun with him/her/it :-)
By the way, are you out of liberal country yet :-P
Posted by: mrs. muddy at December 17, 2003 08:28 PMNegative. Actually, San Diego/Orange country area is VERY VERY VERY conservative, particularly Orange County. There are a few pinko commies here, and believe me, they are an extremely vocal minority, but it isn't so bad. I land in Atlanta tomorrow at ~1551EST. I can not wait to leave this place. :-) Honestly though I think I'd enjoy this place more had I a car and a more permanant living situation (sorry, living in a room with 40+ guys now, just isn't my cup 'o tea, when there are empty dorm-style barracks a couple hundred feet away.) That's not mentioning the liberty policy for students, just plain SUCKS!
Posted by: skywalker at December 18, 2003 08:07 PMSan Diego is Very conservative, Huh?
Who knew? I guess the idiots in hollyweird yell so loud at times, they make the entire state look liberal all over :-)
You land in Atlanta tomorrow at 1551 EST?
Dude! Look, I have to hear military time from Muddy. Would you please have compassion on a dumb civilian :-P Ok, ok. I'll give it a try....uh...3:51 PM? Is that right? How'd I do?
You shared a room with 40 plus guys!!! Where do I sign up?! :-) (Mrs. muddy clears her throat as Muddy comes and looks over her shoulder) I mean, 40 plus guys, huh? Gee, what a drag (mrs. muddy whistles innocently).
Oh, well, have a safe flight and a great family visit :-D Where to afterwards?
Posted by: mrs. muddy at December 18, 2003 08:37 PM