Ahern’s €110m donation to Clinton makes Ireland third largest buyer of AIDS drugs

The Irish Examiner ^ | July 8, 2003 | Fionnán Sheahan

[Miss Marple]

THE Taoiseach agreed yesterday to give Bill Clinton up to €110m to fight AIDS and HIV in Africa.

According to the former US President, it will make Ireland the world's third largest buyer of drugs for the treatment of AIDS.

The Government yesterday became the first in the world to back the aid organisation set up by Mr Clinton the William J Clinton Presidential Foundation to provide anti-retroviral drugs to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Under the agreement, the Taoiseach immediately committed to giving the foundation €50m over five years with the possibility of an additional allocation up to €60m.

This year the Government is spending €450m on Third-World development, with more than €40m being spent last year on HIV/AIDS programmes.

Only the USA and Brazil spend more on anti-retroviral drugs, but the majority of these drugs are for domestic use.

The agreement between the Government and Mr Clinton's organisation will see the money being spent in Mozambique. It will allow the Mozambique government to increase access for HIV/AIDS treatment in a country, where 15% of the population is infected with the virus, yet only a couple of hundred people get proper medication. The plan is to provide treatment and medicine for up to half a million people.

Mr Clinton said a dramatic increase in consciousness was needed worldwide about the extent of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Describing AIDS as the greatest development challenge of the 21st century, Mr Ahern said the lower cost and greater availability of life-saving anti-retroviral drugs now means the treatment of AIDS can become a reality for people in poorer countries.

"Today only 40,000 people receive anti-retroviral treatment for AIDS in Africa, although more than four million people on this continent are in need of this treatment," Mr Ahern said.

Mr Clinton also praised U2 frontman Bono, who he says has been instrumental in helping tackle the problems of the Third World.

Denying that his interest in HIV/AIDS was politically-motivated, he said Bono was immensely helpful to him and was an enormously gifted person politically.

"But you have to remember, when I first became president, the US had the world's biggest AIDS problem," he said.

Mr Clinton said he wouldn't discount the efforts of his successor, George W Bush.

[Miss Marple]

Thanks to Wait4Truth for alerting me to this article.

I continue to be amazed. Apparently the Irish government has just handed a huge sum of money over to Bubba's foundation. Who is going to monitor how this money is used?

I smell campaign cash through the back door of the foundation, all controlled by the despicable duo.

Now we know why he was hanging around the UK and Ireland. And of course, he signs this right as the President is making his trip.

Aargh!

Have at it folks!

[Support Free Republic]

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[Pan_Yans Wife]

Bush flies to Africa, and Clinton secures a deal for $110M from Ireland... isn't that peachy?

Talk about trying to steal thunder!

[Wait4Truth]

I was really sickened by this move by clinton! He just couldn't stand the fact that the President was going to Africa so he had to do something to take a bit of the limelight. He is scum. Second, I believe that this is just another money-making scheme by the clintons and I hope it is watched very carefully. I had a feeling that when he showed up in Northern Ireland that we would end up with some clinton stagecraft!

[HiTech RedNeck]

You know what? There will be far more accountability in Ireland than there will be in Africa. (DUH!) The Rats will then make hay out of that, just you watch.

[joesnuffy]

"But you have to remember, when I first became president, the US had the world's biggest AIDS problem," he said.

An accused rapist (at least by female victims if not the govt.) Rakes in money for a sexually transmitted disease......

[HiTech RedNeck]

I blithered: You know what? There will be far more accountability in Ireland than there will be in Africa. (DUH!)

DUH! on me. This is about benefits to Africa, not to Ireland. SORRY.

[Neets]

WHAT Foundation?? And since when?? and to what or to whom is this foundation accountable for taxes and what not?

[lysie]

I could use a little extra cash. I think I'll start up a foundation. /sarcasm.

[TomGuy]

Who is going to monitor how this money is used?

Remember back when Jesse J was BJClinton's "advisor." JJ was advising BJC on how to shakedown the establishment. BJC learned well.

[maica]

I believe that Foundations are the way to live tax-free when one is making multimillions per year. x42 just takes a 'stipend' and the rest is sheltered.

[AppyPappy]

It's a bribe to Bubba. I wonder how much Bubba pockets from this.

[AppyPappy]

Remember back when Jesse J was BJClinton's morals "advisor."

That would be during the time that Jesse was bringing his pregnant mistress to the White House.

[Carolinamom]

Add stalker, imitator, and jealous bast**d to the long list of epithets for this despicable XXXXXer.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I agaree with you. Gads, and I just started my day!! Maybe I should quit while I´m ahead of whatever.

[Miss Marple]

Quite a bit, I daresay. He has found an even larger way to move money into his accounts from off-shore.

I think we should look at Mozambique, myself. Do they have natural resources that would be of interest? Diamonds? Strategic importance? What?

[Miss Marple]

Money-laundering alert!

[harpu]

Only in my wildest dreams would I wish for i42 to become a needed recipient of his own foundation's medicines - but I've been known to have some pretty wild dreams every now and then.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

This is what Clinton is probably doing. He opens what is called an Asociación Anónima (anonymous association). I don’t know what the real translation of this is in English. The only names that appear are those of the aboard members. From there, he opens another company called a Fundación (a foundation…again, I don’t know what the real translation is in English) where the money of the association is transferred into the foundation. At this point he can take cash out of the foundation and use it as he pleases. The association can be sued, but the foundation cannot. Clinton’s name cannot be tracked to either one of them, but the foundation is his mother lode.

[Iowa Granny]

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Deceitful, Slimey, and just doin' what comes Naturally for Bubba.