Posted on 07/05/2008 10:45:49 AM PDT by Bokababe
The United States will pledge $400 million in aid to Kosovo next week at a donors conference expected to raise more than $1 billion for the newly independent state, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.....
The Bush administration requested the bulk of its pledge from the U.S. Congress more than a year ago, well before Kosovo declared independence, out of a certainty that the region would need financial help whenever it declared independence.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The whole Kosovo thing makes me shake my head. What the hell?
Our give away money has no accountability to it... I have never heard of a person who has gotten any of our money..
We’re funding Islamic Terrorists and fighting a WOT at the same time?
I don’t think any of us have a clue what is really going on in our government and what their goals are.
This just makes the Iraq endeavor look ridiculous.
I don’t think our government has any clue what it is doing or what its goals are.
“The whole Kosovo thing makes me shake my head. What the hell?”
Maybe John McCain will finally get the ground troops in there as he insisted we send in 1998.
What the hell, indeed.
Thousands of foreclosures here in the US, a falling dollar, gas at over $4 a gallon, a stock market in trouble, but we still have $400m to give away overseas! Really?
Both political parties have reached the point of terminal stupidity.
They have a strangle hold on our democracy and do as they please.
If we don’t somehow eliminate the two party system we won’t have a democracy or a nation.
You may be right!
Great. Build another terrorist Islamic state, which will attack us at some future date with arms bought with our own money. Smart thinking Bush.
Yeah, more evidence of his military savy. Good point.
A single party system is a democracy? News to me. Don't worry. The 2 party system will be all but eliminated come November. Obama the Messiah will have full control.
Some of us do. It's reminds me of these giant corporations that donate money to both the Democrats and Republicans.
If we don’t somehow eliminate the two party system we won’t have a democracy or a nation.
Oh, I do. But those making these decisions AREN"T doing it for you or me, but for their globalist financial backers. I think that most politicians today, both Euro and American, are in it for themselves and their uber-rich globalist pals, not for us. They see America and us voters as simply means to an end. We are here to finance their dreams, not our own anymore.
Billions have already been poured into Kosovo, and the money has simply disappeared with no financial progress for those living there, and an unemployment rate of of 50%. Kosovo has simply become the world's biggest money laundering operation, with it big brother, Albania, not far behind. (The US Ambassador to Albanian is under investigation.)
good post. i couldn´t agree more
I agree too.
“Some of us do. It’s reminds me of these giant corporations that donate money to both the Democrats and Republicans.”
Yes, you’re right. I’ve been calling it a corporate oligarchy for years, and that’s just what we’ve come to. This so called farce of an election has proven that.
During visit to Mexico, McCain pledges to aid U.S. neighbor in drug fight
During visit to Mexico, McCain pledges to aid U.S. neighbor in drug fight
“this makes at least some sense in my opinion because drugs help to destroy your country. so it´s worth fighting it. EU does pay people in africa not to try to come to europe. this is sick. We pay them to stay at home.”
Really? It makes sense to you to send 1.5 billion dollars to a regime who’s LEO’s have been known to smuggle drugs/people over our border and shoot at our agents? Instead of using the money here where our local sheriffs fight the Mexican drug cartels every day with NO help from the feds....DHS tells the sheriffs it’s NOT their problem or build the FENCE mandated by law?????!
How much is the US “giving away” in Iraq?
The US is a rich country. Kosovo is small potatoes. Get a grip.
How very gracious of you to advocate giving away American money. What the hell is "canuck conservatism" anyhow?
Get a grip, indeed!!
Bump, our government has gone terminally stupid. We have Mexican military carring out hits in the USA and we are sending Mexico $1.4 billon for arms. Terminally Stupid, with no end it sight.
Really? It makes sense to you to send 1.5 billion dollars to a regime who’s LEO’s have been known to smuggle drugs/people over our border and shoot at our agents? Instead of using the money here where our local sheriffs fight the Mexican drug cartels every day with NO help from the feds....DHS tells the sheriffs it’s NOT their problem or build the FENCE mandated by law?????!
What a way to suppoet Bin Lauden and the KLA.
Bush is merely following the wishes of his close friends in Saudia Arabia.
The globalist socialist elites want a one world government (with them in charge of course) I am hoping that the rise of the Nation of Islam and it’s continuation of the 1,000 year war against the West will make fools of them and we can get back to the job of defending our civilization.
The Road to Corruption Leads to Albania
In December, 2007 Transparency International, an international organization dedicated to monitoring the level of corruption in more that sixty countries, released their list of the top most corrupt “countries”. Albania topped their list of “most corrupt countries”(and the contiguous Albanian populated areas of Kosovo and Macedonia were also in the top 5.)
So it should not come as a surprise that if US officials were involved in corruption and/or some “less than legal” dealings, “Albania” would be part of the equation.
Two news stories yesterday, hit the jackpot on that linkage:
NYT: American Envoy Is Linked to Arms Deal Cover-Up
By ERIC SCHMITT
An American ambassador helped cover up the illegal Chinese origins of ammunition that a Pentagon contractor bought to supply Afghan security forces, according to testimony gathered by Congressional investigators.
A military attaché has told the investigators that the United States ambassador to Albania endorsed a plan by the Albanian defense minister to hide several boxes of Chinese ammunition from a visiting reporter. The ammunition was being repackaged to disguise its origins and shipped from Albania to Afghanistan by a Miami Beach arms-dealing company.
The ambassador, John L. Withers II, met with the defense minister, Fatmir Mediu, hours before a reporter for The New York Times was to visit the American contractor’s operations in Tirana, the Albanian capital, according to the testimony. The company, under an Army contract, bought the ammunition to supply Afghan security forces although American law prohibits trading in Chinese arms........Continued at NYT
And then there is the recent activities of former Homeland Security Chief and PA Governor, Tom Ridge, as investigated by Roll Call:
Roll Call: Ridge Files Very Late for Albania
Former Bush Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge busted by the Justice Department for failing to register for two years for lobbying for Albania, at $40k a month:
For almost two years former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge failed to register a nearly half-million-dollar lobbying contract that he had with the government of Albania. Ridge filed a registration statement on behalf of the country earlier this month after being contacted by the Department of Justice.
‘It was brought to my attention after the contract expired and my lawyer said under the circumstances I probably should have filed,’ said Ridge, who is a national co-chairman of Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) presidential campaign and has been mentioned as a potential vice presidential running mate. ‘I didn’t think it was [necessary] to register.’
The Foreign Agents Registration Act requires agents to register with the DOJ within 10 days of signing a contract with a foreign government and before performing any duties for the client. Additionally, ‘foreign agents’ must file biannual reports detailing any agreements, income received and expenditures on behalf of foreign countries or corporations owned by countries.
Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor, represented Albania from October 2006 through the end of August 2007 on issues ranging from homeland security to NATO membership.
On May 7, 2007, Ridge and Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha met with Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-Conn.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to discuss ‘various reforms undertaken by the government of Albania to comply with NATO and EU requirements,’ according to the FARA supplemental statement. Ridge and Berisha met with Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) to discuss the same issues on May 8.
The time stamp on Ridge’s registration statement with the Justice Department is dated June 12, 2008. ... Ridge’s registration was spurred by a DOJ inquiry after press accounts surfaced noting Ridge’s connection to the country. ...
After a meeting with Justice and his counsel at Blank Rome, Ridge decided to file his FARA registration.
‘Once we were made aware of certain contacts by Gov. Ridge, we advised him to register, which he did,’ said Topper Ray, a spokesman for Blank Rome. ...
Ridge is in good company. One becomes aware of a lot of unregistered foreign lobbying in Washington, although not always as blatantly in violation as this. ....
So, curious if Ridge knows something about the strange DOD-US embassy-Albanian government-AEY-mothballed $300 million Chinese ammo weapons deal, now under investigation by the Feds and Congress?”
400 million given away over to Kosovo yet the federal government is refusing to pay for disaster relief to an area hit by tornadoes
I’m not advocating anything - just saying, when the Pentagon alone is spending $500 million every day in Iraq (that’s 25% more than this one-time (?) contribution), it puts things in perspective.
And actually, that figure was from a few months ago - since fuel makes up a sizable portion of the operating expenses, and it’s gone up about 25% in those last few months, expect that daily cost to be even higher now.
Our corrupt idiot leaders (EU & USA) just don't get it, one would think pictures of Islam celebrating terror attacks on the West would give them a clue. Seems to me like France is waking up, we in the usa are still sound asleep.
400 million given away over to Kosovo yet the federal government is refusing to pay for disaster relief to an area hit by tornadoes
But Kosovo?? Oh yes.
I hope to God that this will be the case but I doubt it, especially when it comes to our politicians.
Seems to me that both the Muslims and the Socialist Utopians are working toward the same goals -- a totalitarian social system, a lack of protection for indigenous populations in favor of minorities, putting a muzzle on freedom of speech, creating a globalist "umma" (community -- or cult) rather than respecting the rights of individual countries to maintain their sovereignty, etc.
Put them side by side and the radical socialist model for humanity is not much different than the Islamist one, which is why I believe that we are in deeper trouble than most people realize.
If it was earmarked to rebuild Christian churches destroyed and desecrated by the muslims (religion of peace) I might see some sense in it. Oh I forgot, we believe in separation of church and state, well at least Christian churches and state.
Too bad the Fedgov and Bush don't ask for Americans to voluntarily give money to Muslim countries.
No doubt you'd be willing to give up 20 percent of your own income. I would have no problem with that.
But they wouldn't receive a dime from me.
By the tone of your post, you probably don't realize that the Fedgov is still giving away billion of dollars to many countries that hate America, countries that continue to vote against America's interest at the U.N. time after time.
Our corrupt idiot leaders (EU & USA) just don’t get it, one would think pictures of Islam celebrating terror attacks on the West would give them a clue. Seems to me like France is waking up, we in the usa are still sound asleep.
Can we get this credited as jizya so we the Muslims will leave us alone? I thought not. If not, why the h*ll are we giving a dime to ‘Kosovo’?
Should never have recognized the unilateral declaration of independence in the first place. It would be like Canada recognizing New Mexico’s declaration of independence or any other state. After that stupid recognition to an Islamic majority state then comes the cash. What stupid foreign policy.
After that stupid recognition to an Islamic majority state then comes the cash. What stupid foreign policy.
That’s our “No Nation building” President and what the hell are we doing.
Precisely. And who are we protecting it from? The Serbs who saved 500 American flyers during WWII or the American Serb who actually served as the model for the GI Joe action figure
The GI Joe action figure was based on WWII Medal of Honor winner Mitchell Paige and his bio says:
Mitchell was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania. His parents were Serb immigrants who arrived in the USA from the Military Frontier,[1] their last name being Pejić.[1] His mother kept him and his brother in touch with their roots, reminding them of the Battle of Kosovo, but also told them to be proud Americans.[1]
Pretty ironic, don't you think?
I meant “pretty ironic” that we in the US are on the precise opposite side today, “protecting Kosovo from Serbs” given that Paige was raised on the idea of “protecting Kosovo FOR Serbs”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.