US to maintain vital aid to Palestinians: envoy

Reuters ^ | Sat Feb 25, 8:48 AM ET | Mohammed Assadi

[Da Mav]

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - The United States will continue to give humanitarian aid to ease the plight of the Palestinians despite militant group Hamas's victory in elections, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Saturday.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Welch said after meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the aid payments to ease the hardship of the Palestinians would be made via humanitarian organizations working in the region.

[Da Mav]

Could we look any weaker?

[monkeywrench]

This will sure free up money for other needful things.

This is disgusting!

[Txsleuth]

I just heard this on Fox News...

I can't say anything yet...I might get banned.

[jlasoon]

Portgate, now this.

i think the admin is trying to lose the House and Senate on purpose.

[68skylark]

Could we look any weaker?

I think you've asked the right question. By giving aid under these circumstances we're only buying contempt, not goodwill.

[mosquewatch.com]

1. Take the shehada now

2. Learn arabic

3. Just cut our own heads off, or blow ourselves up and save them the time.

[Txsleuth]

I just read the article....and it says that the European Union and Russia have indicated that they aren't planning on stopping funds to the Palestinians..

So, why not let them fund them then...but WE should stand on our principle of not funding countries that back terrorists..

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr (expletives deleted)

[Da Mav]

I doubt they will even bother laundering it. Sell the food for guns and bomb belts, let the people starve, blame the US for starving them. Best of all worlds. How can we be so abjectly stupid?

After all the threats and rhetoric to the contrary, it looks like we just quietly caved in to funding Hamas. Oh excuse me. We are going to fund Joe and Sally and they are going to fund Hamas for us.

Can this be stopped?

[Normal4me]

Israel is guilty of harboring terrorists and those terrorists should not get a thing except warfare.

[afnamvet]

Absolutely incredible.

[West Coast Conservative]

We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. --President Bush, September 20, 2001.

Guess not.

[jlasoon]

Freedom is on the march in the Middle East and Hamas is leading the way.

[ARCADIA]

Bush has gone rogue.

[Owen]

Wait a minute, is this phrased right?

It says money will be given to humanitarian orgs in the region. Not to the PA govt. Yes?

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

You people are on a roll!

Fuel the hate! KILL! MAIM! DESTROY! But do it with the best intentions....

[neutrino]

Could we look any weaker?

I'm sure that someone, somewhere is searching for a way...

Give it a few weeks.

[monkeywrench]

You'd think it could be stopped on the grounds that they're a terrorist org. and it's illegal to fund terrorists. I sure don't want blood on my hands.