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 ...
“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.
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