Reports spur U.S. to delay N. Korea aid - re: food being diverted to troops, political elite

Associated Press ^ | February 12, 2003 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Reports spur U.S. to delay N. Korea aid

Assurances sought that food isn't being diverted to troops, political elite

02/12/2003

Associated Press

ROME - The United States is delaying its 2003 food pledges for North Korea after "very credible" reports that food is being diverted to the North's soldiers and political elite, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

Tony Hall, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. food agencies, said he expected that the United States would eventually deliver food to the U.N. World Food Program for distribution this year. But he said the United States was waiting for the agency to get further assurances that food would go to the intended recipients.

The Rome-based World Food Program monitors the distribution of food. For years there has been concern that food has not been delivered to those who need it the most.

Mr. Hall said, "We're hearing reports that to me are starting to sound very credible that food is not getting to people as it should, and is being taken away from people and being diverted to the military and to the elite, which is something new."

Washington has been the largest donor to the agency's North Korea projects, providing about $61 million in aid, or 172,700 tons, last year. The agency has appealed for $201 million for North Korea for 2003. Less than $15 million has been pledged, from the European Union and Italy.

The United States has long maintained that it keeps its political and food-aid relationships with North Korea separate. The U.S. decision to delay its 2003 commitment comes amid tensions over North Korea's nuclear program, but Mr. Hall reiterated the U.S. position that it does not "use food as a weapon."

The U.N. food program warned Monday that shortfalls were affecting masses of hungry people in the eastern half of North Korea for the first time. The prospect of more supplies in the near future remained bleak, the agency said.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dallas/world/stories/021203dnintkoreasider.bf88.html

[MeekOneGOP]

What a waste of U.S. tax dollars. Especially if this is going to the political and military instead of the intended recipients. Yikes !

North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world, and the poor folks there are being choked by the North Korean communists. The communists don't care in the least whether their people starve or not. Yet if there is even one dollar cut from this program by the U.S., I imagine we will be smeared by the world and by the ULTRA LIBERAL/SOCIALISTS in this country.

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Mark Steyn (click below for entire article):

Take a look at a satellite picture of the peninsula by night: South Korea ablaze in electric light, the North in darkness. In Far East Asia, North Korea’s the hole in the doughnut.

North Korea at Night

[Greybird]

When the South Koreans seized a North Korean submarine several years ago, they found empty food tins and plastic grain bags that still had the U.S. food donation markings, including the American flag, printed on them.

I'd say that's enough evidence to stop this international, suicidal altruism.

[Jmouse007]

BUSH NEEDS TO END THIS "AID" AND NOT TO BEND TO THE FOLLOWING THREATS:

"FEED US SO WE CAN KILL YOU!"

"FEED US OR WE WILL KILL YOU!"

Not an ounce of food should be given to these nuclear blackmailing, communist thugs. They want the U.S. to prop them up so they can turn around and kill us, or sell their WMD to people who want us, our children and our country DEAD! "Let them eat cake" or each other.

[MeekOneGOP]

bttt