Posted on 07/14/2005 5:42:53 PM PDT by Sabramerican
Bush waives restrictions on Palestinian aid
WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush formally waived U.S. restrictions on providing direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority on Thursday in a move that set the stage for spending $50 million on projects in the Gaza Strip.
The announcement came on the same day that a fragile Israeli-Palestinian cease-fire was imperiled, threatening disruptions to Israel's planned evacuation of settlers from occupied Gaza.
Israel launched a fourth air strike in the space of an hour in the Gaza Strip on Friday, witnesses said, hours after an Israeli woman was killed in a deadly rocket attack.
On May 26, during a visit to the White House by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Bush said the United States would provide $50 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority.
On Thursday, he issued a directive to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice formally waiving restrictions on providing money to the Palestinian Authority. He also notified the U.S. Congress of his decision.
The money is to be used for housing, roads, schools and health clinics in the Gaza. The administration had faced opposition to providing direct aid to the Palestinians from some members of Congress.
A senior Bush administration official said Bush determined the waiver was important to U.S. national security interests.
"Direct assistance at this crucial time directly supports the president's June 24, 2002, vision of two democratic states -- Israel and Palestine -- living side-by-side in peace and security and promotes our wider interests in the region," the official said.
It doesn't accrue to Kerry's credit, but the difference is that under a Kerry Presidency a Republican Congress wouldn't have included a presdential waiver in the appropriation bill.
"Hamas won 76 out of the 118 seats in the municipal elections in Gaza. If you or I wrote a check to these guys we'd go to jail."
How can we fight terrorists and fund them at the same time?
Simple. We pretend they're not terrorists. A Pro-Hamas Foreign Policy?-Why is Washington urging terrorists to run for elective office?
Secretary Rice on CNN: US will respect elections if Hamas wins
White House: OK if Hamas controls PLC- "business professionals...not terrorists"
....................
White House: Hamas members elected in PA not terrorists
Hamas calls for "economic Jihad" against the U.S.
HAMAS' Al-Rantisi Says US 'First Enemy' of Palestinian People
Rantisi: We will drive all Jews out of Palestine [And Bush is troubled by trying to assasinate him?]
Target Israeli politicians: Rantisi
Hamas admits being part of global jihad
Hamas Release Video Of British Suicide Bombers
The Globalization of Hamas Terrorism (America and Canada on their agenda)
GLOBAL JIHAD -- Report: Hamas planned attacks in U.S.
Yassin: Jewish state could be established in Europe
Israel: Canadian admits to planning attacks in N. America: DON'T IGNORE THIS
Hamas Leader Rantisi -- "Massacre The Jews"
Hamas in America-The question may no longer be if Hamas will attack America, but when.
It is high time to indict shrub and any congressman who votes to give our tax money to pali terrorists for supporting terorism . Send all of the morons straight to jail.
Just another of these Bush-bashing threads just because he doesn't agree with your pet policies about Israel and the Arabs!
It has been more than obvious that we are being thoroughly screwed by both of them - little to no difference at all.
___This remark has no basis in reality...do you think the D's would have cut taxes, appointed
conservative judges, fought a vigorous war on terror?
This is all one litmus issue for you: the Middle East.
I know how you feel – but think way back to what we would have got if he lost. Yikes! Bush has gone soft on us over these last few months.
That’s what I thought. Wasn’t the Trans-Jordan given to the Palestinians under the same UN resolution that gave Israel it’s borders?
OK, so when is this tough president going to secure the Mexican-American border?
Why not just blow up the money. That's what the Plaestinians are going to do.
so when is this tough president going to secure the Mexican-American border?
___When he can figure how to do itwithout alienating Hispanic-Americans....or do you want them to become a captive of the Democrats and the US becomes like California?
Isn't is treasonous to speak against our President while we are at war?
Just another of these Bush-bashing threads just because he doesn't agree with your pet policies about Israel and the Arabs!I'd like for you to explain how handing tens of millions of tax dollars to admitted terrorists furthers the Bush Administration's War on Terror.
If you can't see the difference between the current administration's policies and conservatism, maybe you can see the difference between the current administrations words and its deeds. Although I'm not holding my breath on this one.
like for you to explain how handing tens of millions of tax dollars to admitted terrorists furthers the Bush Administration's War on Terror.
)___Because the Arab-Israeli conflict goes back over 50 years and is not the principal battleground of the War on Terror.
If you can't see the difference between the current administration's policies and conservatism, maybe you can see the difference between the current administrations words and its pdeeds. Although I'm not holding my breath on this one.
____This is as conservative admininstration as is practical, given the fact that US voters are not overwhelmingly conservative...barely elected Bush in 2000 and 2004.
Because the Arab-Israeli conflict goes back over 50 years and is not the principal battleground of the War on Terror.So you're okay with fighting some terror and funding other terror?
This is as conservative admininstration as is practical, given the fact that US voters are not overwhelmingly conservative...barely elected Bush in 2000 and 2004.So we went from crowing about a mandate in 2004 to saying he has to go slow and bend over backwards to Democrats in the name of a "new tone" because not everyone is a conservative? Clinton never got a majority and that didn't slow him down much, did it?
You Bushbots are really competing for that mental gymnastics gold medal, aren't you?
___When he can figure how to do itwithout alienating Hispanic-Americans
It's a myth that most Hispanic voters are opposed to good border security. Polls have shown otherwise.
There's a reason why Hillary's casting herself (however disingenuously) as being strong on border security. She's evil, but she's not stupid.
Bush Jr. is pretty much useless to a free citizenry.
No.
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