U.S. offers aid to Abbas-led Palestinian government

[nevadamedic]

Story Highlights
• NEW: U.S. secretary of state voices support for Palestinian president
• U.S. offers millions of dollars in aid to Mahmoud Abbas-led government
• Abbas dissolves security council to isolate Hamas, gains EU, Israeli support
• President Bush tells Abbas he's open to restarting peace talks

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/06/18/palestinian.cabinet/index.html

We cant get our Government to fund the war but we can send over $86 million dollars to their Government? Will we ever learn from our past mistakes? Why do we have to pay for them to rebuild their Government?

[Gaffer]

Not only that. Israel is releasing funds it was holding as well. If abbas skims as much as arafatman did he'll be sitting pretty.

[Kathianne]

Not only that. Israel is releasing funds it was holding as well. If abbas skims as much as arafatman did he'll be sitting pretty.

Abbas is an ass, a terrorist one at that, but Bush doesn't care.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070619/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_mideast


Bush and Olmert seek to prop up Abbas

By JENNIFER LOVEN, Associated Press Writer 3 minutes ago

President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sided emphatically Tuesday with a weakened Mahmoud Abbas, hoping extra money and warm words would give the moderate leader primacy over the Islamic militant Hamas in the newly divided Palestinian territories.

"He has spoken out for moderation," Bush said at an Oval Office strategy session with Olmert. "He is a voice that is a reasonable voice amongst the extremists in your neighborhood."

"Like you, I want to strengthen the moderates," echoed Olmert, who promised "to make every possible effort to cooperate" with Abbas.

It was not the first time Bush has felt the need to prop up Abbas, but this is a period of particular upheaval and uncertainty.

Bloody street battles in the Gaza Strip ended with Hamas seizing control last week of the tiny coastal territory from Abbas' Fatah security forces. The rout prompted Abbas to evict Hamas from the Hamas-Fatah coalition government, a move Hamas decries as illegal.

Nearly 3 million Palestinians now essentially have two governments. Nearly half are under Hamas control in Gaza, with the rest under Abbas' authority in the inland West Bank. Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction, while Abbas' Fatah movement seeks peace with the Jewish state.

The response from the United States, Israel and much of the West has been swift: try to shore up Abbas in hopes that the West Bank can be made into a democratic example that would bring along Gaza.

On Monday, the Bush administration resumed aid and full government contacts with the Palestinian government, suspended in 2006 when Hamas won legislative elections.

...

[theHawk]

Just what we need, more of our tax dollars going into that shithole.

[nevadamedic]

Just what we need, more of our tax dollars going into that shithole.

We will never learn, we build them up then they flip on us.