$15 BILLION ASKED OF U.S.
Joshua Mitnick, Washington Times, 1/3/03
washingtontimes.com
JERUSALEM - Israel is putting the final touches on a $15 billion special aid request to the United States to bolster an economy under pressure from the Palestinian uprising and preparations for any attack by Iraq.
Israeli treasury officials, who have met with aides to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, are preparing to present the package to Bush administration officials in the coming weeks.
The package, comprising about $5 billion in new military aid and $10 billion in loan guarantees, would be spread out over a three- to five-year period. It would be in addition to nearly $3 billion that Israel receives from the United States each year...
"It's very difficult funding the extra needs of defense. The burden is made more difficult because the economy has shrunk. We're asking the Americans to share part of the burden," Mr. Marani said…
SEE ALSO:
ARIEL SHARON'S SHAKEDOWN
Pat Buchanan, American Conservative, 1/3/03
amconmag.com
"Tough Love for United," exclaimed the Wall Street Journal, as it congratulated Uncle Sam for stiffing United Airlines' plea for $1.8 billion in loan guarantees. Rebuffed, the beloved old airline had to declare its bankruptcy.
It's all for the best, the Journal assures us, "maybe this tough love rejection will start a new government precedent, or at least we can dream." Fine. May we now expect the Journal to call on Mr. Bush to reject the $10 billion in loan guarantees demanded by Ariel Sharon? Don't bet on it.
Yet, Sharon's demand is astonishing in its audacity. California and New York face huge budget shortfalls. The U.S. Treasury is running a deficit nearing $200 billion. Yet, Sharon, who ignored Bush when the president publicly called on him to pull his army out of West Bank cities, is demanding that U.S. taxpayers fork over $4 billion in new military aid and agree to pay off $10 billion Israel intends to borrow should Israel decide to default.
Why should we do this? What does America get out of this? What has all the $100 billion in aid we have shoveled out to Israel bought us, other than ingratitude and the enmity of the Arab world…?
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A BRUTAL ROUTINE
Washington Post, 1/3/03
washingtonpost.com
There has been a lull recently in Palestinian attacks against Israelis; a shooting attack that killed four in a West Bank settlement last week was the first major incident in a month. But almost every day, Palestinian civilians, including many children, are being killed by the Israeli army and police. An 18-year-old high school student named Amran Abu Hamediye was found beaten to death in the West Bank town of Hebron on Monday; family and neighbors say he had been detained by Israeli forces a few minutes before. On Sunday, an 11-year-old boy was shot and killed by troops in the town of Tulkarm...
Israeli explanations of this grinding carnage long ago acquired a routine quality. Youngsters are often accused of having thrown stones at troops; in other cases, soldiers are said to have been responding to sniper fire in the vicinity. Investigations are invariably said to be underway -- but rarely are results reported. According to the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, only one Israeli soldier has been convicted of brutality since the latest Palestinian uprising began 15 months ago. During that time, some 2,000 Palestinians have been killed, compared with 700 Israelis…
Now running for reelection, Mr. Sharon is claiming success: Suicide bombings are less frequent, and beleaguered Palestinian militants are discussing the possibility of declaring an end to attacks inside Israel. Mr. Sharon recently promised that his tactics would lead to "victory" over the Palestinians. But he and his army cannot give Israelis real security in this way, only a relative respite -- and at a high cost in Palestinian lives.
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if only sharon would realize that he's the sole cause of all the last 2 years of violence in his country... |
