Republican Rand Paul calls for gradual cut in aid to Israel

If you thought Rand was different then Ron then you need medication. There is no equivalence between countries the U.S. buys allegiance to and countries that fight Islam for us. There is a difference between your friends and your business dealings.

"CHANGE" - U.S. senator calls for gradual cut in aid to Israel.(DS)(Many Faces) By Aron Heller. JERUSALEM (AP) - U.S. Sen. Rand Paul on Monday called for a gradual reduction of American foreign aid, delivering the message in an unlikely venue - since Israel is among the top recipients of American assistance. Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, told reporters that the U.S. can't afford to keep borrowing money and then handing it out to others, even to allies like Israel. "It will harder to be a friend of Israel if we are out of money. It will be harder to defend Israel if we destroy our country in the process," he told the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies, an Israeli think tank. "I think there will be significant repercussions to running massive deficits ... you destroy your currency by spending money you don't have." Paul, a longtime opponent of foreign aid, acknowledged he was expressing a "minority opinion" and doubted Congress would end foreign aid in his lifetime. "It's unlikely anything changes, but I think it is worth discussing," he said during his first trip to Israel. Israel gets about $3 billion a year in military aid from the U.S. Paul insisted Washington should first cut aid to countries with strained ties to America, such as Pakistan and Egypt, and only later wean Israel off aid. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously stated he was interested in doing that. Paul said the aid, used in large part by Israel and Egypt to buy U.S. weapons, was creating an arms race in the Middle East that could ultimately harm Israel, not help it. "I'm concerned that some of the weaponry that we are currently giving to Egypt may one day be used against Israel," he said. Most American military assistance to Israel must be spent on U.S.-made equipment, providing a boost to the military industry there. Paul suggested Israel would actually benefit from less aid, saying it would enhance its sovereignty by not having to approach the U.S. "on bended knee" when making its own decisions. "I don't think you need to call me on the phone to ask permission for what you want to do to stop missiles from raining down on you from Gaza," he said.Read the full story here.

Did anyone not see this coming?

Obama Admin to forgive $1 billion in Egyptian debt.

Obama Admin to forgive $1 billion in Egyptian debt(mfs-theothernews.com)HT: IsraelMatzav.The United States will forgive $1 billion in Egyptian debt as part of a package that includes a $4.8 billion International Monetary Fund loan to the newly installed Islamist regime.

Nearly 16 months after first pledging to help Egypt’s failing economy, the Obama administration is nearing an agreement with the country’s new government to relieve $1 billion of its debt as part of an American and international assistance package intended to bolster its transition to democracy, administration officials said.
The administration’s efforts, delayed by Egypt’s political turmoil and by wariness in Washington about new leaders emerging from its first free elections, gained new urgency in recent weeks, even as the United States risks losing influence and investment opportunities to countries like China, which President Mohamed Morsi chose for his first official visit outside of the Middle East.
In addition to the debt assistance, the administration has thrown its support behind a $4.8 billion loan being negotiated between Egypt and the International Monetary Fund. Last week it dispatched the first of two official delegations to work out details of the proposed debt assistance, as well as $375 million in financing and loan guarantees for American financiers who invest in Egypt and a $60 million investment fund for Egyptian businesses.
The assistance underscores the importance of shoring up Egypt at a time of turmoil and change across the Middle East, from the relatively peaceful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia to the still-unfinished transition in Libya, and from the showdown over Iran’s nuclear program to the war in Syria. Given Egypt’s influence in the Arab world, the officials said, its economic recovery and political stability could have a profound influence on other nations in transition and ease wariness in Israel about the tumultuous political changes under way.

There's just one small catch.... Congress has put some restrictions in place on aid to Egypt.

The administration is negotiating whether to waive some debt payments altogether or allow “debt swaps,” in which the money that would otherwise pay down the American debt instead is spent on training and infrastructure projects in Egypt intended to attract private investment and create jobs. Congress has attached conditions to American assistance in Egypt, requiring Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to certify, among other things, that the country continues to abide by its treaty with Israel.
American and Israeli officials, including Ambassador Michael Oren, have sought to assure members of Congress that assistance should proceed, despite reservations about the Muslim Brotherhood’s political rise, the officials said.
They have argued that persistently high unemployment, especially among women and young people, could undermine Mr. Morsi’s government, causing further instability in Egypt and beyond. “Things are going to head in the wrong direction if you don’t find a way to create jobs,” another administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the administration’s internal strategy.

I wonder whether Egypt's liberal democracy advocates agree with that assessment. Hmmm......Obama: "But I’m also mindful of the proverb, “A man is judged by his deeds, not his words.” So if you want to know where my heart lies, look no further than what I have done — to stand up for Israel."Read the full story 

How Obama Got Around Congress Withholding $200 Million In Aid To 'Palestinians

YIKES!

...(Joshua Pundit) (H/T DocsTalk) A story in the UK Independent says that the US Congress showed its displeasure with the 'Palestinians' going unilaterally to the UN by withholding $200 million in aid that was supposed to be disbursed to Mahmoud Abbas' little fiefdom by the end of this fiscal year, which ended October 1st. Being part of the British press and sharing their well known attitude towards Israel, the article is sympathetic to Abbas, referring to him as being 'punished' and inferring that the US Congress is under the thumb of those Evil Zionists, rather than being upset with the 'Palestinians' for allying with Hamas or for abrogating their agreements under two treaties the US is signatory to, the Road Map and The Oslo Accords. However, there are indications that this was a set up and if my source is correct, both the Obama Administration and the 'Palestinians' were privy to it. One of my notorious Little Birdies works directly in the 'Palestinian Authority' and we've been correspondents for some time, sort of frenemies, if you get my meaning. My source had a good laugh at Congresses' action. According to this person, the Obama Administration was aware for some time that the final $200 million might be withheld by Congress and informed the 'Palestinians' in advance. The Obama Administration promised the 'Palestinians' that they would do their best to head this off, but when they couldn't, an arrangement was made with the Saudis to make up the missing $200 million in advance. That rang a bell...and showed me that as usual, my source was almost certainly correct. A scant ten days ago, the Saudis gifted Mahmoud Abbas and the 'Palestinians' with the exact sum the US Congress was withholding from them...$200 million. My source didn't speculate, but knowing how these things work it's almost guaranteed that the Saudis either received the money from the Obama Administration directly to give to the 'Palestinians' or more likely, that the Saudis supplied the cash in exchange for an American quid pro quo somewhere else down the line. President Obama is going to see to it that the 'Palestinians' receive their jizya no matter what..and a little thing like Congress certainly isn't going to stop him if he can help it.

Gaza to receive 7.5 TIMES more US aid per head [ $ 579.95 ] than Haiti [ $77.47 ]

This astounding Haiti-Gaza comparison does not get much media or political or NGO notice.

This story is even much worse than it seems - when you look at both the populations and deaths involved.

CIA estimate is [ 2009 ] 1,551,859 people in Gaza, but 5,035,536 in Haiti.
This means that PER HEAD, Gaza gets $579.95 but Haiti only $77.47.

Gaza was thus pledged 7.5 TIMES as much per head after the IDF operation as Haiti after the devastating earthquake.

If you also look at the death toll, Haiti lost an estimated 230,000 on Jan 12, 2010, which equals US aid of $3,043.48 for every fatality.

The highest allegation of the Gaza death toll is 1,417 which would equal US aid of $ 635,144.7 per fatality.

For US aid, every Gaza death is worth 209 TIMES as much as one in Haiti.

Gaza lost at most under 0.0913 % of its population, but Haiti lost 4.568 %, or 50 times more.

Gaza lost 1 in every 1,095, but Haiti lost 1 in every 22 people.

But then Haiti is neither Arab nor Muslim.
And no oil-rich tyrants or suicide-bombers need to be appeased.

The UNDP Human Index Rankings also expose the myth of Palestinians as the *wretched of the earth*. Of 182 areas surveyed, Palestine is 110, in that ranking which looks at not only income but human well-being in many fields such as literacy and life expectancy.

In its *Medium Human Development* group, Palestine ranks above countries like Indonesia at number 111,
Bolivia at 113,
Vietnam at 116,
Egypt at 123,
South Africa at 129,
Morocco at 130,
India at 134,
Yemen at 140,
Pakistan at 141,
Haiti at 149,
Sudan at 150,
Tanzania at 151, and
Nigeria at 158.

Palestinian Life Expectancy at 73.3 years is same as EU member Hungary, while their Adult Literacy at 93.8% exceeds Philippines at 93.4%. As regards Children Under-weight By Age, it is like Russia where 3% of those are under 5, while Palestinian Incoming Remitances are $149 per head, compared with $150 in Israel, $101 for Egypt, $125 for Arab states overall, and $135 for Ireland.

Odd priorities at work in international aid ?
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Tom Carew via middle-east-analysis.blogspot.com and image via newsone.com

The US Support of Bullets and Blackhawks in Bahrain?

اوائل الصور لشهيد ستره - لاتصلح للقلوب الضعيفه

Just how American bullets make their way into Bahraini guns, into weapons used by troops suppressing pro-democracy protesters, opens a wider window into the shadowy relationships between the Pentagon and a number of autocratic states in the Arab world.  Look closely and outlines emerge of the ways in which the Pentagon and those oil-rich nations have pressured the White House to help subvert the popular democratic will sweeping across the greater Middle East.
A TomDispatch analysis of Defense Department documents indicates that, since the 1990s, the United States has transferred large quantities of military materiel, ranging from trucks and aircraft to machine-gun parts and millions of rounds of live ammunition, to Bahrain’s security forces.
According to data from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the branch of the government that coordinates sales and transfers of military equipment to allies, the U.S. has sent Bahrain dozens of “excess” American tanks, armored personnel carriers, and helicopter gunships.  The U.S. has also given the Bahrain Defense Force thousands of .38 caliber pistols and millions of rounds of ammunition, from large-caliber cannon shells to bullets for handguns.  To take one example, the U.S. supplied Bahrain with enough .50 caliber rounds --- used in sniper rifles and machine guns -- to kill every Bahraini in the kingdom four times over. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency did not respond to repeated requests for information and clarification.
In addition to all these gifts of weaponry, ammunition, and fighting vehicles, the Pentagon in coordination with the State Department oversaw Bahrain’s purchase of more than $386 million in defense items and services from 2007 to 2009, the last three years on record.  These deals included the purchase of a wide range of items from vehicles to weapons systems.  Just this past summer, to cite one example, the Pentagon announced a multimillion-dollar contract with Sikorsky Aircraft to customize nine Black Hawk helicopters for Bahrain’s Defense Force.
On February 14th, reacting to a growing protest movement with violence, Bahrain’s security forces killed one demonstrator and wounded 25 others.  In the days of continued unrest that followed, reports reached the White House that Bahraini troops had fired on pro-democracy protesters from helicopters.  (Bahraini officials responded that witnesses had mistaken a telephoto lens on a camera for a weapon.)  Bahrain’s army also reportedly opened fire on ambulances that came to tend to the wounded and mourners who had dropped to their knees to pray.
"We call on restraint from the government," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in the wake of Bahrain’s crackdown.  "We urge a return to a process that will result in real, meaningful changes for the people there."  President Obama was even more forceful in remarks addressing state violence in Bahrain, Libya, and Yemen: "The United States condemns the use of violence by governments against peaceful protesters in those countries, and wherever else it may occur."
Word then emerged that, under the provisions of a law known as the Leahy Amendment, the administration was actively reviewing whether military aid to various units or branches of Bahrain’s security forces should be cut off due to human-rights violations.  "There's evidence now that abuses have occurred," a senior congressional aide told the Wall Street Journal in response to video footage of police and military violence in Bahrain.  "The question is specifically which units committed those abuses and whether or not any of our assistance was used by them."
In the weeks since, Washington has markedly softened its tone.  According to a recent report by Julian Barnes and Adam Entous in the Wall Street Journal, this resulted from a lobbying campaign directed at top officials at the Pentagon and the less powerful State Department by emissaries of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and his allies in the Middle East.  In the end, the Arab lobby ensured that, when it came to Bahrain, the White House wouldn’t support “regime change,” as in Egypt or Tunisia, but a strategy of theoretical future reform some diplomats are now calling “regime alteration.”
Read full article....

via enduringamerica.com
Nick Turse writes for TomDispatch

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Inflated Numbers. Your tax dollars have been scammed by the United Nations

Daled Amos
16 November '10
In a post about the scandalous way the UNRWA conducts itself in Lebanon, Elder of Ziyon quotes from an article in Al-Arabiya on how UNRWA tracks refugees:

The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) lists nearly 400,000 [descendants of 1948 refugees.]
But Lebanese and Palestinian officials say the number of refugees actually resident in Lebanon may be as low as 250,000 as UNRWA does not strike off its figures Palestinians who move to other countries.

If true, this 60% padding is more than just a numbers game--UNRWA uses its numbers in determining the amount of funding it requests from donor countries.
This sort of Voodoo Demographics was made into an art form by the Arabs themselves, whose inflated numbers have been taken as fact not only by the West but by Israel itself.
Bennett Zimmerman points out the degree of Palestinian deception when it comes to demographics:
(Read full post)

via calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com

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US accelerates funding to PA with $150 million transfer - Ileana Ros-Lehtinen fights the tyranny!

if Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen gets her way, the 'Palestinians' won't get that $150 million. And they won't get any other American aid money either until they clean up their act and start fighting terror and corruption.

Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who stands to take over [the Chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee] in January after her party won the House of Representatives, said she was deeply concerned over what she called the bailout of the Palestinian leadership, which she claims has failed to live up to its commitment to dismantle the Palestinian terror infrastructure, eradicate corruption and recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state.

via israelmatzav.blogspot.com

“This figure underscores strong determination of American people and this administration to stand with our Palestinian friends," Clinton says.

wrong!  and the people decided that in an election that Clinton ignores because she desperately wants money going to terrorists.

via jpost.com

again? why are we rewarding them for walking away from Piece Talks?

Posted via email from noahdavidsimon's posterous
image via borev.net 

Tsunami, Volcano Kill at Least 300 in Indonesia

Volunteers search for victims after Mount Merapi erupted near Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Photo by Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images.

A thick layer of dust coated villages on the Indonesian island of Java after Mount Merapi began spewing lava and ash on Tuesday. Residents who were evacuated have started returning to their homes, despite uncertainty over continued volcanic activity in the mountain. At least 30 people have been confirmed dead. Mount Merapi last erupted in 2006.
Indonesia is also grappling with the effects of yesterday's devastating tsunami, triggered by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Sumatra. The death toll has risen to at least 272, with more than 400 people still missing. Rescue efforts are underway, but some of the affected areas, including remote islands, are not easily accessible.
Some say an early warning system, built in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 tsunami, failed to work properly, leaving locals with inadequate time to flee the path of the tsunami.

via pbs.org

sadly when anyone helps these people they just continue to funding Islamic terrorists and Anti-Semitism.  Israel and America helped with the last disaster, and got no good press for their efforts

Obama is trying to Give U.S. Military AID Back to Lebanon

US tax dollars Supporting Reuters... I mean the Lebanese. and other fun Jihads of the LEFT

U.S. guns were used to Ambush Israel! Senate Withholds AID that was getting to terrorists and Obama legally tries to co-opt senate decision. Matthew 19:12 For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it." ---any Christians want to explain this one?

UNIFIL may have decided it was the LAF's fault, but Obama hasn't

It's good that Congress has the sense to put the brakes on US military aid to Lebanon. Because the Obama administration sure doesn't.

Nevertheless, it’s worrying that the administration clearly doesn’t share this understanding. The 2009 aid that remained in the pipeline is still being handed over as scheduled, because, a State Department official told the Jerusalem Post, the U.S. is still trying to determine the facts of the incident.
Yet on Wednesday, a day after the incident occurred, UNIFIL — an organization not known for its pro-Israel bias — had already confirmed that the Lebanese soldiers fired first, without provocation, and that no Israeli soldiers had strayed into Lebanese territory, contrary to Lebanon’s claim. Moreover, the Lebanese government has vociferously endorsed the attack and, as I noted earlier, even justified it on the grounds that Beirut no longer recognizes the UN-demarcated international border. Are any other facts really necessary to grasp that this is not behavior Washington should be encouraging by making it cost-free?
But it gets even worse. The official also told the Post, “we continue to believe that our support to the LAF and ISF [Internal Security Forces] will contribute toward improving regional security.” How exactly does supporting an army that has just launched an unprovoked, deadly, cross-border attack on a neighbor — and whose government has just announced that it no longer recognizes the international border, thereby implying that more such attacks are likely to follow — “contribute toward improving regional security”?

Good question.

via israelmatzav.blogspot.com

Lebanon Used American Weapons To Attack Israel

“Hezbollah says they’re only armed because the LAF too weak to defend Lebanon, so if we visibly strengthen the LAF then Hezbollah will have to disarm.”
doesn't seem like they are interested or threatened in Hezbollah.

two pictures of LAF soldiers who were on the ground for last week’s cross-border ambush of the IDF. The guns they’re holding are M16’s. Or, as the rifles are better known in the context of Lebanese security assistance, “American-made M16’s:”

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Of course, as Foreign Policy gamely notes, you can never be sure. There’s at least a chance that these rifles are M16 knockoffs made by China, Iran, or Pakistan. Security assistance apologists – then – wouldn’t have to explain why we’re supplying the LAF with the specific weapons that they’re using to incite regional conflict. They’d only have to explain why we’re supplying the LAF with cutting-edge weapons while the Lebanese use different weapons – acquired either from our rising hegemonic rivals or from intransigent nuclear rogues – to incite regional conflict.
Now these M113 APC’s, the ones the LAF used to back their ambush?

[larger] [original link]

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Those definitely came from us [PDF]:

via mererhetoric.com

Obama pleads for $50 billion in state, local aid

President Obama urged reluctant lawmakers Saturday to quickly approve nearly $50 billion in emergency aid to state and local governments, saying the money is needed to avoid "massive layoffs of teachers, police and firefighters" and to support the still-fragile economic recovery.

via washingtonpost.com

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