U.S. Suspends Military Aid to Nearly 50 Countries

Reuters ^ | July 1, 2003 | Reuters

[Pern]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday suspended military assistance to nearly 50 countries, including Colombia and six nations seeking NATO membership, because they have supported the International Criminal Court and failed to exempt Americans from possible prosecution.

As the deadline passed for governments to sign exemption agreements or face the suspension of military aid, President Bush issued waivers for 22 countries.

But the 22 countries did not include Colombia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Colombia, where the government is fighting leftist guerrillas and drug traffickers, has been one of the largest recipients of U.S. military aid in the world.

A U.S. official said that if countries had ratified the treaty setting up the international court and had not received a waiver, the ban on military aid would apply.

But the threat, enshrined in the American Service Members Protection Act of 2002, does not apply to the 19 NATO members and to nine "major non-NATO allies."

Based on the information initially available to Reuters, the countries subject to the suspension of military aid are:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Austria, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominica, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Namibia, Nauru, Niger, Paraguay, Peru, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela and Zambia.

The countries which received presidential waivers are:

Albania, Afghanistan, Bolivia, Bosnia, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, East Timor, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Honduras, Macedonia, Mauritius, Mongolia, Nigeria, Panama, Romania, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan and Uganda.

[Pern]

We need to cut off all of these blood suckers, not just a select few.

[Cathryn Crawford]

I immediately looked for Columbia on this list and discovered that my suspicions were correct. Note that no military aid to them was suspended. That's very significant.

[rface]

thanks for the bit of good news

[MizSterious]

Yes, it's a good first step. I can think of dozens more that should be axed.

[BrooklynGOP]

Why are we giving aid to... Let's say... Finland?

[Squantos]

Key word IMHO is suspended..........I'd bet the next check is already in the mail. But I agree, stop all aid . We can't save the world while we lose the United States.

Stay Safe !

[Theo]

Columbia is not on the list. Colombia is, however.

[nuffsenuff]

I believe Columbia didn't receive a waiver FROM the ban and are subject to the ban on aid.

I could be wrong but that's what it looks like.

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes! This should help with our budget deficit, too.

[Mamzelle]

re: That's very significant.)))

Tell me more...

[Centurion2000]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday suspended military assistance to nearly 50 countries, including Colombia and six nations seeking NATO membership, because they have supported the International Criminal Court and failed to exempt Americans from possible prosecution.

Damn good start.

[MJY1288]

That is very significant, We have pouring money into Colombia in that hopeless war on drugs. I believe we have a bunch of U.S. forces down there training and equiping the Narc's

[two23]

First sentence:

The United States on Tuesday suspended military assistance to nearly 50 countries, including Colombia and six nations seeking NATO membership.

???

[rabidralph]

Hey, Free! How's your summer coming along?

[Gunrunner2]

Perhaps I'm confused, but it does seem say Columbia has been suspended and did not receive a presidential waiver.

[johnb838]

Where is Columbia?

[InvisibleChurch]

I'm disappointed in Latvia.

[martianagent]

And yet we go on supporting the prosecution of Slobodon Milosevic and, after causing tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars worth of damage with the bombing campaign against Serbia, requiring that that poor nation turn half to three fourths of its political leaders over to this same stupid criminal court before receiving any aid at all, precisely as if Bill Clinton were still president of the United States.

That's for the crime of trying to defend themselves against the KLA/Al Quaeda narco terrorists of course.

If anybody understands this, I'd appreciate hearing the explanation.

[DoughtyOne]

I hate to see Costa Rica in there, but if nations don't want to play ball, then what choice is there.

[Cathryn Crawford]

Keep reading on down. Reuters screwed up.