U.S. to Withhold Some Funds from Israel

Reuters ^ | 9-15-03

[PatrioticCowboy]

U.S. to Withhold Some Funds from Israel

Mon September 15, 2003 04:24 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Monday it planned to withhold some funds from Israel because of its settlement activities in Palestinian areas.

The deductions would come from a $9 billion package of U.S. loan guarantees to help Israel weather a deep recession and fiscal crisis.

But administration officials said they have yet to decide whether to penalize Israel for building a fence through the West Bank. Congressional aides doubted the White House would carry out that threat.

Under legislation authorizing the loan guarantees, the United States would deduct from the face value of the loan guarantees an amount equal to any Israeli spending on settlement activities in Palestinian areas.

An administration official said those deductions were consistent with past U.S. policies. He did not specify an amount that would be deducted or when it would take place.

"We can't preclude any deductions (for fence construction). That is still a matter for discussion," the official added.

President Bush has called the fence "a problem" because it makes it hard to develop a contiguous Palestinian state.

Israel and its allies in Congress argue that expenditures on the security fence should not be deducted from the loan guarantees.

Israel wants the barrier -- in sections a concrete wall and in others metal fencing -- to keep out Palestinian suicide bombers. Palestinians describe it as a new "Berlin Wall" that grabs territory they want to be part of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Israel and its allies in Congress argue that expenditures on the security fence should not be deducted from the loan guarantees.

Bush on Monday designed Secretary of State Colin Powell to oversee the loan program.

[PatrioticCowboy]

This is sickening.

Israel has been fighting the war on terror since its inception in 1948.

She deserves all the help she can get

[PatrioticCowboy]

Israel has fought consistently effective against Jihadist scum for years.

Israel has been a great friend to our nation through thick and thin.

We should not betray her.

[PatrioticCowboy]

ping

[PatrioticCowboy]

ping

[PatrioticCowboy]

ping

[DoughtyOne]

Some war on terrorism. Hey Bush, I thought you said it was war on terrorists and terrorism, not on allies.

[rdb3]

The Brigadiers will be here shortly.

[bitcon]

President Bush has called the fence "a problem" because it makes it hard to develop a contiguous Palestinian state.



Well the way it's set up either Israel or a future Palestinian state is gona be split in two.

[joesnuffy]

Yeah give my tax money to Arafat and the other rapists pedophiles murderers... and withhold funds from the only decent law abiding friend we have in the middle east Who are we fighting again?

From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."

President GW Bush

more empty words

[PatrioticCowboy]

Who are the brigadiers?

[Diogenesis]

ISRAEL AFTER CONTINUOUS ISLAMIC TERROR

[Blue Screen of Death]

Maybe Isreal should say they have an AIDS problem and request 15 billion.

[PatrioticCowboy]

Israel deserves to be treated with respect by our government.

Israel is the front-line bastion of liberty in the bleak world of Islamofascism

[PatrioticCowboy]

I hope that Bush changed his mind.

Israel is our nation's best friend.

[PatrioticCowboy]

LOL.

Maybe so.

[PatrioticCowboy]

Those photos show exactly why our nation MUST continue to support Israel.

Israel is having her tourism industry crippled by Islamic terror.

She deserves to be helped

[Alouette]

President Bush has called the fence "a problem" because it makes it hard to develop a contiguous Palestinian state.

Gaza and the West Bank are not contiguous. For that matter neither is the U.S. There is a large swath of Canada between Alaska and Washington.

[PatrioticCowboy]

ping