U.S. May Reduce Aid to Get Israel to Halt Barrier

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 — The Bush administration, looking for ways to press Israel to halt construction of a barrier separating its citizens from Palestinian areas, is considering a reduction in loan guarantees for Israel that were approved by Congress this spring, administration officials said today.

Any such punitive step by the United States toward Israel would mark a change in President Bush's longstanding efforts to avoid any kind of confrontation with the government of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

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Administration officials, who disclosed the potential move, said that it was being considered in response to a campaign by Palestinian leaders, who say the barrier has cut Palestinians off from farms, homes, schools and workplaces.

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An Israeli official said tonight that word of the administration's move, which was first disclosed in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, had not been transmitted to Mr. Sharon's government. "This takes us by surprise," he added.

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Under the law passed by Congress, none of the money from the loan guarantees is to be spent to help Jewish settlements in the West Bank or Gaza. Indeed, the law requires that if Israel spends any money on such settlements, the loan guarantees must be reduced by that amount, American officials said.

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Shrub looking for another AIPAC spankin'?

I'll believe that Bush will do this when I believe that no one in the administration spoke a lie about the Iraq war.

"U.S. pressure working" says Ma'ariv.

More: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=124&topic_id=4766

:thumbsup:

1) The barrier also separates Palestinian citizens from Palestinian areas.

2) Whether you support the Berlin Redux or not, it is simply a FACT that it has "cut Palestinians off from farms, homes, schools and workplaces". There is no need to use the "Palestinians say" nonsense as attribution. That is like using the phrase, "Americans say they invaded Iraq".

3) The Israeli official is lying, unless he somehow forgot to pick up Ma'ariv, where it is there in black and white (also in Ha'aretz). Ma'ariv goes even further than Ha'aretz and says that U.S. pressure has already had an effect. So, this can be put in the idiot box.

4) If Congress was serious about tracking the money it pours into Israel, it would establish monitors for that purpose. Egypt has hundreds of U.S. advisors who track every dime, making sure it is spent on U.S. arms, not funnelled to the wrong people etc. Israel has none, and that is because congress wants to give it a blank cheque to do whatever it likes.

And are these fools EVER going to print a map of the Palestinian cantons? :eyes:

thankfully, some have been able to develop an anti-Hasbara filter when reading the US media.

there would be no wall.

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If you are, who are you trying to kid?

If you are not, you do realize the situation is infinitely more complex than that, right?

The US cannot say that it takes a stand against racism unless they stop this apartheid barrier/fence/wall

is rolling over in his grave!


"U.S. MAY reduce Aid" -- "The Bush Administration, LOOKING FOR WAYS to press Israel to halt" -- "CONSIDERING a reduction in loan guarantees"

Come on! This wall has been undercontruction for a year. Bush was given the grand tour of the Sharon ranch, back before 9/11. Are we really to believe Bush just found out about this wall when Abbas drew his attention to it? And it just hits him NOW all the demolition involved and infringement upon the Palestinians and their land.

All these demands of the Arab country's and with Sharon Bush is afraid to go boo? (Unless the Saxon's have come to that FORK in the road), this is hogguts!

I hate this icon but :puke:

Not what may or may not be seen as an impediment to the peace process and/or Israeli/Palestinian reconciliation. Seems Saudi Arabia leans in favor of Israeli security as well. Nothing like just the right menage.

An article to compliment the lead post.

snip

Abbas had complained about a security barrier to the West Bank that is under Israeli construction. It hampers already difficult movement by Palestinians, he told the president.

Bush readily agreed the fence was a problem.

But after talking to Sharon, he softened his criticism. He acknowledged it was a "sensitive issue" and seemed to accept a promise from the prime minister to build the fence in a way that minimizes its impact on the lives of Palestinians.

What seemed to be most on Bush's mind, again, was security, and he called on the Palestinian leadership to mount effective operations to destroy extremist groups.

While Secretary of State Colin Powell had suggested last week that Hamas might be able to stay in business if it disarmed and gave up terror, Bush gave no ground on that front.

"I will in no way compromise the security of the Israeli people, or the Palestinian people, for that matter, to terror," he said Wednesday in a news conference.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is a key player in Bush's Middle East diplomacy, and its willingness to accept Israel as part of an overall settlement gives the president leverage for concessions from Israel and the Palestinians.

more...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/07/30/national1531EDT0646.DTL