Powell Advances Plan to Help Modernize Arab Society

Fox News ^ | 12/12/02 | AP

[alaskanfan]

Why does the world have to depend on our tax dollars. They have oil and petro dollars.

The problem is that their leaders are corrupt and their only source of education includes hatred of infidels through some barbaric belief system.

[montag813]

$29 million U.S. taxpayer contribution to suicide bomber's families. No thanks, Bowell.

What the hell is in the water of the State Department which makes all who work there love the Arab world to such a degreee bordering on obsession?

[Marianne]

Powell said the $29 million contribution from the United States was designed to get the program started. He said the administration would ask Congress for more money next year that would be in addition to the more than $1 billion the United States already provides annually in economic assistance to Arab countries.

According to The Wall Street Journal Powell is pledging $29 million per year.
From the front page column "What's News/World Wide"
Wall Street Journal
December 13, 2002
     "Powell urged Arab nations to modernize and open up their political institutions, pledging $29 million a year toward that goal. The CIA chief said Arab reforms are a 'strategic imperative' to combat Islamic radicalism."

This is not an excerpt. The "What's News" column lists short highlights of the news of the day, sometimes followed by a page number leading to a longer article.
Apparently the editors didn't consider a new $29 million per year giveaway of US taxpayers' dollars important.