| Alpha | | Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:30 pm Post subject: U.S. to spend another $350 million for Israel |
| From: BGJDAVID
Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 10:34:35 EDT
Subject: U.S. to spend another $350 million for Israel
The American people must understand that in this historic time of record deficits ( nearly $500 billion), and record drains on the American social security system, and record number of American children going to sleep hungry ( ONE IN THREE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN CAN'T AFFORD BASICS LIKE FOOD, HOUSING, AND HEALTH CARE, NEW REPORT SHOWS ), and a national debt of more than $7 trillion, there is always more money to give to Israel. The U.S. Congress has 30 days to block this expenditure of $350 million to Israel but, according to defense officials, that would be most unlikely. After all, there's but a few in Congress who have the nerve to vote against anything lobbied by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). I suggest that this latest gift be put on a national ballot in the coming general election and let the American people vote on it. I will be willing to bet that it would get unanimous disapproval, something opposite when Congress votes on it. Polls show that 89% of the American people opposes any aid to Israel. That means that 11% Zionist minority has turned the 89% non-Zionist majority into tax slaves for a foreign power. America has become a virtual colony of Israel and our very sovereignity has been clearly degraded. Even while the Israelis refuse to stop building illegal settlements in the West Bank, ignoring stipulations presented by the U.S. "roadmap," the Jewish state gets more U.S. aid. When has Israel ever not received what it demanded from us? The last time anyone tried to deny or delay anything to Israel was in September 1991 when the senior President George H. Bush proposed delaying a $10 billion loan guarantee to Israel due to the continued illegal settlement construction. We all know the consequence the former president had to pay when the Israeli cabinet accused him of being "anti-Semitic?" It didn't take but a few days before the president changed his mind. And that's the way it's always been. When will it ever end? When will the U.S. begin to use these gifts as leverage in bringing peace to the Middle East instead of using them as contributing to the unrest?
U.S. agrees to help Israel relocate military bases
WASHINGTON, Sept 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Defense Department said on Monday it agreed to help Israel relocate two infantry bases and move a third military base to Israel from the Palestinian territories in a deal valued at up to $350 million.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said it notified Congress about the deal, which dates back to U.S. pledges under the 1998 Wye River Accords -- a peace agreement that requires the relocation of certain Israeli defense facilities.
"As the proposed sale will provide only facilities for relocating military units, it should have no adverse impact on the regional military balance," the agency said in a statement.
Lawmakers now have 30 days to block the deal, although that was seen as unlikely in this case, defense officials said.
DSCA said Israel requested services from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for construction of two infantry training bases and a storage and logistics base for an armored division, which are being moved.
The Corps of Engineers will provide planning, design, acquisition, and management services, but the prime contractors for the new facilities will be selected under a separate bidding process, the agency said.
09/13/04 18:31 ET | |
