US House getting smarter
Allow me to preface this by saying that this is the 1000th post on this blog (blog started January 4, 2006).The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the US House got smart yesterday: It eliminated $420 million in aid to Saudi Arabia from the foreign aid bill. Why the US was ever sending money to the oil-rich, intolerant Kingdom in the first place is another issue for another day.
The money was to be used for 'classrooms and educational needs' (for madrassas?) and was eliminated due to the Kingdom's intolerance and failure to take action against terror groups. The vote in the House was 312-97.
"American taxpayer dollars should not be supporting Saudi hate and terror. Why should we provide aid to a country that has systematically exported terrorism?" said Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y), who was behind stripping the aid.
Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) opposed the cut and said it would be counterproductive to the US efforts to get Saudi Arabia to play a positive role in the war against terror. "For heaven sakes, is this not something we want to do?" Kolbe said, "This is about the war on terror."
I did not find this story mentioned in the Arab News, Saudi Arabia's English language daily.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:13 AM
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