Posted on 02/16/2006 7:35:23 AM PST by SJackson
The US House of Representatives passed a symbolic resolution late Wednesday expressing support for the shutting down aid to the Palestinian Authority if Hamas continues to advocate the destruction of Israel.
Hamas, which is included in the US State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations, won recent Palestinian elections and is due to be sworn in to parliament Saturday.
The Senate approved the non-binding resolution that passed the House on Wednesday, 418-1.
Appearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that US tax dollars would not be given to a Palestinian government in which Hamas plays a leading role. In response to a remark by Senator George Allen (R-VA), who said he did not want to see "one penny" of American money given to the PA, Rice replied "neither do I."
Rice did stress, however, that the US would continue its support for humanitarian projects in the Palestinian territories - as long as these funds did not pass through the Palestinian government, and after each program was reviewed.
Rice also met Wednesday with a small group of Jewish leaders to discuss the recent developments in the region and the US reaction to Hamas's election victory.
What's the point of a "non-binding" vote?
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that US tax dollars would not be given to a Palestinian government in which Hamas plays a leading role...Rice did stress, however, that the US would continue its support for humanitarian projects in the Palestinian territories - as long as these funds did not pass through the Palestinian government, and after each program was reviewed.
In simple english, that means that virtually all aid to the palestinians will continue.
The no vote was Neil Abercrombie.
Why is this non-binding and symbolic?
Is there a reason anyone in the Repub party should support a government that calls for the destruction of the only functional democracy in the middle east?
Had me excited for a moment. Same old gutless crap from the 'pubs.
How about a Bill instead of a resolution?
See post 3. We'll be providing aid, "humanitarian", anyway. There was a bill passed last year barring aid until incitement ceasement and terror groups are disarmed, but with a provision for a Presidential waiver, which GWB has exercised. That's probably proper, if the President wants to give them aid, it's his call. IMO the palestinians aren't worth a struggle.
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`(b) Waiver- The prohibition included in subsection (a) shall not apply if the President certifies in writing to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate that the Palestinian Authority has--
`(1) denounced terrorism and expressed a commitment to combating terrorism;
`(2) committed to disarming terrorists and disarming and dismantling terrorist networks, groups, and entities;
`(3) committed to eliminating the incitement of terrorism and the commemoration of terrorists in Palestinian society;
`(4) pledged to uphold the human rights, civil liberties, and religious liberties of the Palestinian people;
`(5) recognized Israel's right to exist and taken appropriate steps to amend `The Covenant of the Islamic Resistance Movement' dated August 18, 1988, to delete statements that are hostile to Israel and that support the use of violence;
`(6) renounced the use of violence as a means to resolve disputes between entities; and
`(7) committed to prosecuting those individuals, entities, and organizations that have committed acts of terrorism.'.
The problem I have with "humanitarian" aid is that it makes it easy to take any money they were intending to use that way and use it for bombs instead.
And I would be shocked if that didn't happen. Sometimes I think this is all a big parlor game. We give the money knowing where it will end up. They take it, smile for the cameras, and then proceed to funnel it into back pockets and mortar rounds.
This time we should purchase the "humanitarian aid" products ourselves and send it over to them. As a matter of fact, maybe we should purchase the food from Denmark.
Oh, I saw the headline and thought that seniors in Pennsylvania (PA) were not going to be getting their Social Security checks anymore....
More weaselly crap from Big-Spending, Big-Government Republican pussies.
They steal our money and use it to fund terrorists - and they expect us to vote for them?
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