Date: Sun, 12 May 2002 01:50:18 -0400
From: bobhunt@erols.com
Subject: [libs4peace] (fwd) [osint] Congress OKs extra aid to Israel, bars cooperation with ICC
To: libs4peace@yahoogroups.com ("Libertarians 4Peace"), Individual-Sovereignty@yahoogroups.com
On Fri, 10 May 2002 08:36:23 EDT, seeker8143@aol.com wrote:
House Panel OKs Extra Aid to Israel
By ALAN FRAM
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - A House committee plans final approval next week of a bill
handing Israel $200 million more in aid, despite earlier attempts by the
Bush
administration to postpone extra assistance until later.
The Republican-controlled House Appropriations Committee approved the
assistance by voice vote on Thursday after agreeing to a request by
Secretary
of State Colin Powell to add $50 million in humanitarian assistance for
Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., said the provision ``helps the administration by
making it clear that we're taking a balanced aproach'' to the Middle East.
Kolbe, who chairs the appropriations panel's foreign operations
subcommittee,
spoke to Powell by telephone Thursday.
The vote was the latest instance of Congress insisting on exhibiting its own
views on the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, despite White House worries that
the
Arab world would be enraged. Last week, the House and Senate approved
similar
nonbinding resolutions expressing solidarity with Israel and its war against
terror.
The money was approved during a long day of committee debate over a roughly
$29 billion package for defense and anti-terrorism programs. Final approval
was set for next Tuesday after procedural delays and a break to watch
testimony by Julia Roberts, the actress, extended Thursday's meeting until
after midnight Friday morning.
The language providing the money was sponsored by Kolbe and Rep. Jack
Kingston, R-Ga., and strongly backed by House GOP Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas.
It
underlined the ideological support Israel has among conservative Republicans
and a reluctance by GOP lawmakers to let Democrats alone lead an
election-year effort likely to please many Jewish voters.
The initial House version of the measure cost $29.8 billion, about 10
percent
over President Bush's $27.1 billion request. Republicans shrank the bill a
bit in an effort to woo conservative support.
The committee also:
Killed a provision that would have doubled the $2.50 per flight segment tax
paid by airline passengers to help foot federal security costs.
Put tighter restrictions on $100 million Bushhad requested for the Defense
Department to give to U.S. allies in the fight against terrorism. Now, that
money could not be spent without approval of Congress' Appropriations
committees.
Approved by 38-18 a DeLay amendment barring the United States from
cooperating with a permanent international war crimes tribunal that is to
start its work in July.
Voted 32-31 for a provision aimed at pressuring Bush to release $34 million
for overseas family planning programsthat he has declined to spend.
An effort to add funds for Israel is also likely in the Senate, which is
expected to write its own anti-terrorism legislation after the House
approves
its version, perhaps next week.
Asked about the extra aid for Israel, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer
said, ``We're taking a look at that now. Clearly, the president has
supported
and does support aid for Israel.''
Aides said the aid to Israel was economic assistance that can be used for
security items like police.
Kolbe said the money for the Palestinians would be funneled through the U.S.
Agency for International Development, not the Palestinian Authority headed
by
Yasser Arafat, for food, health care and other humanitarian programs.
The overall bill contained $15.8 billion for the Reserves, National Guard
and
other defense programs; $5.8 billion to bolster safety at airports, dams,
nuclear weapons plants and other domestic security initiatives; and $5.5
billion to help New York rebuild from the Sept. 11 attacks.
It also contains $200 million to help the global fight against AIDS,
tberculosis and malaria.
05/10/02 05:19 EDT
Copyright 002 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP
news
report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed
without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active
hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
Rev. Jim Sutter
LCDR, USNR (ret)
Cleveland, Ohio USA
<A HREF="http://hometown.aol.com/revjimsutter/faith.html">Rev .Jim's
Website</A>
http://hometown.aol.com/revjimsutter/faith.html
No quarter to terrorists or their supporters.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Brooks Isoldi, editor
bisoldi@intellnet.org
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