US to Israel: No financial aid for war (JPost)

JPost ^ | August 22, 2006 | Herb Keinon

[jdm]

Washington has let Jerusalem know that for now Israel should not expect any financial aid to help defray the cost of the war in Lebanon, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

According to sources in Jerusalem, the government was considering requesting US aid - one report estimated a request of $2 billion - to help pay the cost of the war. There was talk in Washington of a large-scale financial package to help rebuild southern Lebanon, and in the process keep the Iranians out of the process. Israel was apparently hoping to fold its aid request into this package.

However, according to the sources, Washington has made it clear to Jerusalem that such aid for Israel is unlikely, even as US President George Bush on Monday announced a $230 million aid package for southern Lebanon.

"Things could change," the source said, "but right now this type of request would be like spitting into the wind."

Suggestions that Israel was going to ask for $2b. come in the wake of reports last summer that Israel was going to ask for a similar amount of aid from the Bush administration to pay some of the cost of disengagement from Gaza and the resettlement of the evacuees. That number was later trimmed down to $1b., and then in July, just before the disengagement began, Finance Minister director-general Yossi Bachar went to Washington and put in a request for $500 million.

Israel, however, shelved the request indefinitely following Hurricane Katrina last August that devastated New Orleans, amid the realization that the disaster caused billions of dollars of damage and that it would not look good at that time for Israel to be asking for hundreds of millions of dollars to help house its displaced population, when the US had its own displaced population to worry about.

In a related development, Globes reported that Washington had extended the US loan guarantees by three years until 2011. Israel has still not yet used $4.6 billion of the $9 billion program, which began in 2003, and - according to the paper - extending the program will make it easier for Israel to raise financing for the war in Lebanon on international markets.

[DoughtyOne]

However, according to the sources, Washington has made it clear to Jerusalem that such aid for Israel is unlikely, even as US President George Bush on Monday announced a $230 million aid package for southern Lebanon.

Well, with buds like us, who needs enemies?

The major problem with the Lebanese help is that most of the damage was done to Hezbollah related installations. Now we'll be footing their bills. Charming...

Please someone, please remind me how Israel won this round. I'm all ears.

This oughta will teach Hezbollah a lesson they'll never forget!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Screw Southern Lebanon, they made their bed, let them sleep in it!

[zarf]

Total PR. Iz will get their money. This is short term Arab butt kissing by State.

[citizencon]

Attention: Spielberg...

[onyx]

Swell. Anonymous sources.

[LeoWindhorse]

and yet :

"a $230 million aid package for southern Lebanon."

Give me a break! We are trying again to pay off the weak kneed coddlers of our enemies ,while ignoring the needs of our true allies?
Lebanon needs to prove that it deserves our help by eliminating Hezzbollah from power there altogether.

The US should seize all Iranian and Syrian assets that they can get and GIVE them to Israel and Israelis .

When are we going to get back in the business of punishing our enemies instead of trying to buy them off?
They take our money with one hand and stab us in the back with the other.

I am quickly loosing faith in this Admin.

[taxesareforever]

However, according to the sources, Washington has made it clear to Jerusalem that such aid for Israel is unlikely, even as US President George Bush on Monday announced a $230 million aid package for southern Lebanon.

Why doesn't the U.S. just come out and say that no one is to fight the war on terror except the U.S.

[AmericaUnited]

Total PR. Iz will get their money. This is short term Arab butt kissing by State

Very accurate and astute insight...

[conservativecorner]

How can we possibly help Israel when all our money is going to countries that want to destroy it?

[Semper Vigilantis]

How can we possibly help Israel when all our money is going to countries that want to destroy it?

How can we possibly help Israel when all our money is going to countries that want to destroy it us?

[DungeonMaster]

W is sending Lebanon $230,000,000????

WTF?

[SJackson]

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2006israelwar or WOT

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[jveritas]

Israel will get the money, do not have a knee jerk reaction.

[jveritas]

Do you expect the Administration to say publicly that we are going to pay Israel 2 billions dollars for the cost of war against Hizballah ! Get real. Israel will get their money but the administration does not have to be PUBLIC about it.

[ZULU]

"Washington has made it clear to Jerusalem that such aid for Israel is unlikely, even as US President George Bush on Monday announced a $230 million aid package for southern Lebanon."

The Administration continues to wander in a never-never-land of liberal idiocy in pursuit of the War against Terror.

We should have provided Israel with $230 million to help TOTALLY demolish southern Lebanon. OUR tax dollars will go towards HELPING Hezbollah and the Lebanese Government - they are one and the same at this point - prepare for the next onslaught.

Believing we can BUY support against the Iranians and Syrians is the height of idiocy and once again reflects the reality gap between the thinking of Washington Officials and our Islamic enemies.

The BEST "solution" would be for the ceasefire to break down under Hezbollah or Islamic violations and for the U.S. to assist Israel in destroying Hezbollah - totally.

By surviving, Hezbollah won in the eyes of the Islamic world. Israel lost - and we, as Israel's ally, lost by extension. Syria and Iran, as supporters of Hezbollah, won by extension.

The U.S. is perceived, correctly, by the Islamic world as morally weak as it lacks the will and determination to destroy its enemies. They also view us as vacillating as our foreign policy lacks a clear, consistent and unwavering goal - unlike out adversaries who are quite explicit about their goals and totally committed to achieving them.

I really wonder WHO is responsible for the foreign policy decisions of late. Is it Bush personally? Is it Carl Rove? Is it Condi Rice? is it the army of nameless, faceless incompetents who populate our State Department? Is it the gutless, pusillanimous Democrats and their RINO conspirators in Congress who are pressuring the Administration?

The time has come and gone for half-way measures.

Islam is dedicated to the Islamization of the west - either by open military means a la Iran and Syria, or by insidious infiltration, conversion, and employment of our own democratic processes to destroy us from within.

[Logical me]

Why is it these things (for a better word) always want to get in our pockets. This conflict was not ours. We did not take part. I am not in favor of even giving Lebanon one damn dime. We should stop wasting money on those that never appreciate us. As for Israel, the leftist destroy them, just as would happen here if we let the left back into power. Look at how the Democrats damn near ruined our military during the Clintoon years. We will never catch up.

[JHBowden]

I can't believe we're sending the Lebs 230 mill while giving Israel the shaft.

This is absolute insanity.

[ichabod1]

Hexbollah has been telling the people not to accept aid from the infidel.

[SeaBiscuit]

"Do you expect the Administration to say publicly that we are going to pay Israel 2 billions dollars for the cost of war against Hizballah !"

Why not, we're in a war against Terrorists are we not? Stand behind Israel openly and proudly, the hell with the PC PR nonsense.