Posted on 02/03/2005 2:16:31 PM PST by Jean S
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush will ask Congress next week to boost foreign aid by more than $2 billion, with Israel once again the principal recipient of American military and economic assistance.
The president will request more than $22 billion worldwide, compared with $19.7 billion in the current fiscal year, a senior U.S. official told The Associated Press.
In his State of the Union message Wednesday night, Bush said he would seek $350 million in additional assistance for the Palestinians over two years. The goal is to improve their security forces and give their economy a boost.
The budget request for Israel, which was not announced, will be $2.52 billion in military and economic aid, down about $20 million from this year. For Egypt, the second largest U.S. aid recipient, slightly less than $1.8 billion will be sought, a decline of about $30 million.
Economic aid to Jordan, which is joining Egypt next week in promoting talks between Israel and the Palestinians, will increase slightly to $250 million from this year's $248 million.
Pakistan, the third largest U.S. aid recipient, is due to receive $297 million, a $1 million reduction from this fiscal year.
The budget will be followed in a few weeks by a supplemental request, and both Pakistan and Jordan are likely to be given boosts in assistance, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel has agreed to a reduction in U.S. economic assistance to $240 million from $360 million, while U.S. military aid is to be increased.
The Palestinians, meanwhile, had been due to receive $75 million this fiscal year. Bush's initiative would increase that by $200 million.
Another $75 million had been expected to be requested for the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. It will now be doubled to $150 million, said Edward Abington, a former U.S. diplomat who is a consultant to the Palestinians.
Last December, meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority received $20 million from the Bush administration to finance its budget.
Otherwise, U.S. assistance has been channeled through private relief organizations, bypassing the Authority when it was controlled by Yasser Arafat out of suspicion U.S. aid was being corruptly diverted.
For the time being, the Bush administration will continue to make contributions directly to the private groups, said Adam Ereli, a State Department spokesman.
Some $50 million of the new money will be used specifically for security at border crossings between the Palestinian-held areas and Israel, diplomatic sources said.
Bolstering Palestinian security could be a key to peace hopes. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is insisting on an end to terror attacks if he is to hold peace talks. Bush also is demanding a good-faith effort to uproot terror groups in Palestinian areas.
The election last month of Mahmoud Abbas, a declared foe of violence against Israel, is viewed by the Bush administration as part of a trend toward democracy. Abbas succeeded the late Yasser Arafat.
Bush in his speech bracketed the Palestinians with Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iraq, as moving toward democracy with elections.
"The beginnings of reform and democracy in the Palestinian territories are showing the power of freedom to break old patterns of violence and failure," he said.
"The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace, is within reach, and America will help them achieve that goal," Bush said.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who set off Thursday on a trip to Europe, is due to fly Sunday night to Israel for talks with Sharon and, on the West Bank, with Abbas.
Bush administration officials have concluded that security training needs to be improved, and the Palestinians need more jobs and better facilities for peacemaking with Israel to have a chance.
Egypt on Wednesday summoned the leaders of Israel, the Palestinians and Jordan to a summit meeting next week, and they agreed to attend.
Rice has no plans to attend, but Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who will be in the region with her, probably will represent the United States at the session at Sharm el-Sheik.
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On the Net:
State Department: http://www.state.gov
AP-ES-02-03-05 1705EST
He has always thought it was his money to spend the way he wants. He makes a pledge and then he tells the American people to pay up and shut up.
I thought I saw an article the other day that claimed he was going to start *cutting* spending.
Yeah, just like when clifton was in office, a smaller increase is a cut.
This administration's spending is an embarassment.
Good ole George... never saw a fat spending bill he didn't like and couldn't sign.
Georgie, how about cutting that bill in half before you sign it?
Hoppy
I have to say this is getting troublesome.
Not until you learn how to use spellcheck.
How are things in the trailer park?
Maybe what he's promising is 11% inflation?
<^..^>
Congress and Senate will regret all this spending in 2008 what will they tell their loyal conservative base about their spending sprees?
Yep. I laugh at pretty much everything that comes out of this administration of Big Stupid Government.
I just hope the underground economy is able to compensate for most or all of this political-parasite waste.
Yep, I think I saw another article recently that gave evidence for that being true.
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