Sharon Asks Bush For $800 M Promised For Lebanon Withdrawal

Ha'aretz Daily ^

[RCW2001]

Sharon asks Bush for $800 M promised for Lebanon withdrawal

By Zvi Zrahiya, Ha'aretz Correspondent

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon asked U.S. President George W. Bush this weekend for $800 million in special aid to Israel, government sources in Jerusalem said Saturday.

The sources said that in addition to the increase, Sharon asked Bush to speed up the transfer of the regular American aid payment, which was supposed to have arrived at the end of 2001. They said the Americans promised to look into both requests.

Finance Ministry director general Ohad Marani will fly to the U.S. in the coming days to continue discussions on both matters.

Finance Minister Silvan Shalom told the Knesset last week that the Americans' failure to transfer the regular aid on time was one of the reasons for the enormous deficit in the 2001 budget. The $800 million in special aid was promised by former president Bill Clinton as compensation for Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.

However, it was never approved by Congress. Treasury sources said receipt of this aid could eliminate the need for a further budget cut this year - something that falling tax revenues otherwise makes likely.

[DreamWeaver]

You've only been here a week yet you lecture everyone with your ME expertise.

Or I should say your newest screenname has been here only for a week.

I don't understand your reasoning. Are you saying just because a poster is new here that they are not knowledgeable ?

[vrwc54]

It was tongue in cheek. She's not new.

[monkeyshine]

Any putz who keeps a $1 million in his checking account

Can you pay hush money with a personal check?

[monkeyshine]

Why don't you check out the list of recipients of US Foreign aid? Saudi Arabia isn't on it.. Never has been.

We've spent at least $100 Billion just to 'protect them' from Saddam. And to pay us back they spawn 15 genocidal hijackers that murdered 4000 Americans and caused a war that hasn't barely begun.

At least Kuwait has paid us partly back in cash.

[monkeyshine]

That's Nacho Cheese!

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

Yes, but you need to show two valid IDs.

[dennisw]

Israel's AID is not designated or earmarked for any particular projects nor is it advanced incrementally.

Israel got 2.8 billion last year.

2 billion of this was spent (and by law must be spent) in the US on US made weaponry. Our defense contractors love this. The rest Israel can spend on other things.

As a Jew I am very happy to see my tax dollars going to help Israel survive in an ocean of Arab madmen and (psycho) killers.

[mae32]

count your blessings...only 800M this trip..he makes several a year..how about tapping Marc Rich for this..that's chump change to him..or other billionaire Israeli's

[1389]

that foreign aid is not thievery. It is a decision based on something in return. In Kosovo, the aid is to build up a criminal base to support and transport drugrunning and pimping. Awesome growth potential now that Bush's ppl are beginning to feel the fallout of the Enron fiasco. My support of him is waning everyday, and to think I wanted Cheney as President. Not anymore. Did I forget that the Kla/Kosovo base is a station to assist in the aid/and abetting in the shooting of NATO soldiers that we pay our taxes to?