ASHINGTON, May 21 — The House of Representatives voted tonight to provide $1.3 billion in economic and military aid to Afghanistan after demanding that President Bush devise a strategy to establish law and order there.Posted on 05/23/2002 1:20:50 PM PDT by Beau Schott
ASHINGTON, May 21 — The House of Representatives voted tonight to provide $1.3 billion in economic and military aid to Afghanistan after demanding that President Bush devise a strategy to establish law and order there.
Lawmakers of both parties said they feared that the United States's military success could be undermined if lawlessness persisted in Afghanistan.
The bill, to rebuild Afghanistan and combat the production of narcotics, was passed by a vote of 390 to 22.
The money, to be made available over four years, would be used to create jobs, clear land mines, pay for education and health care, vaccinate children and revive the nation's agriculture.
"This recovery effort must be sustained in the months and years ahead," said the chief sponsor of the bill, Representative Henry J. Hyde, the Illinois Republican who is chairman of the Committee on International Relations. But, he emphasized, "the administration needs a coherent strategy."
The House approved an amendment offered by Representative Tom Lantos, Democrat of California, that calls on the president to devise "a strategy for meeting the immediate and long-term security needs of Afghanistan." The president would have 45 days to send such a plan to Congress.
"Afghanistan is in grave danger of relapsing into the very conditions of violence and warlordism that created the Taliban and attracted Al Qaeda to operate there," Mr. Lantos said. "Outside Kabul, Afghanistan continues to be a land where every thug with a rifle can set up an illegal checkpoint to extort money from travelers while the unarmed and outnumbered police cower in their makeshift headquarters."
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., the Delaware Democrat who is chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, supports major goals of the House bill and has hinted that he might seek more money for security assistance.
"If current trends continue in Afghanistan," Mr. Biden said on Friday, "we may soon find that our hard-won success on the battlefield has melted away with the winter snow.."
The House bill emphasizes the need to provide assistance to women and girls, disarm and demobilize Afghan warriors, and help establish the rule of lawy.
In addition, American aid would be used to suppress the cultivation of opium poppies and substitute other crops; build health clinics; coordinate efforts to treat diseases; foster the development of independent news media; promote and monitor human rights; and recruit and train teachers.
Under the bill, the United States would spend $10 million a year from 2002 to 2005 to help conduct local, regional and national elections, to foster development of political parties and to carry out a traditional Afghan assembly, or loya jirga.
Predictions posted by Rep. Ron Paul on April 26, 2002.
With all due respect to the ONLY congressman who represents my views, my beliefs, and the Constitution, anybody could have made this prediction. How many times has it happened before?
His other predictions were pretty scary and are likely to come true (the one about americans being poorer and less free in the future is probably a no-brainer too).
Afghanistan Government Releases Over 500 Taliban
What a great idea, Congress. Do you think Bush will sign this? Is the Pope Catholic?
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