Key U.S. legislator says will block aid to Lebanon (1 Viewer)

[StGeorgeDragons]

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A key U.S. legislator said in Israel on Sunday he would block aid President George W. Bush promised Lebanon and free the funds only when Beirut agreed to the deployment of international troops on the border with Syria.

"My purpose is not to withhold aid from Lebanon, my purpose ... is to persuade the government of Lebanon that the closing of the Lebanon-Syria border to arms smuggling from Iran and Syria is in the prime national interest of Lebanon and the Lebanese people."

The Lebanese government has estimated that the damage from the war will cost $3.6 billion to repair and Bush administration officials have expressed concern that Hizbollah was gaining an early advantage in rebuilding shattered south Lebanon.

Lantos, from California, said he would introduce bipartisan legislation to provide more aid to Israel, which already receives more than $2 billion annually in assistance from the United States.

"Lebanon will get help from both Europe, the Arab world and the United States. Unless the United States provides some aid to Israel, Israel receives no aid," Lantos said.

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/art...=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1

 

[Aryanbeauty]

I totally agreed with Rep. Lantos. Tax payers money should not be spent without strings attached to it, and must benefit US foreign policy in return.

 

[Jordan.J]

His stance wont solve anything. He's just wasting time

 

[HotShot]

I totally agreed with Rep. Lantos. Tax payers money should not be spent without strings attached to it, and must benefit US foreign policy in return.

taxpayers money are being wasted in ISrael...

 

[Aryanbeauty]

taxpayers money are being wasted in ISrael...

Don't be jealous just because you didn't get them

At least, the policy is reciprocal and benefit both sides, US getting the best techonolgy from Israel and unquestioned political loyalty. Hardly wasted.

 

[dieburndie]

Yeah I highly doubt, even with troops lining the border, that they won't find some way to transport weapons etc into lebanon. I agree that it's a complete waste of time, especially concerning aid that Lebanon desperately needs.

 

[dieburndie]

Don't be jealous just because you didn't get them

At least, the policy is reciprocal and benefit both sides, US getting the best techonolgy from Israel and unquestioned political loyalty. Hardly wasted.

Is Israel's political loyalty really worth $2 billion? I kinda think that it's Israel that needs America's unquestioned political loyalty. It's not as if Israel's going to come along and stop Mexico and Canada from their likely invasion of the U.S. Sure, the Israeli army could assist America in whatever political endeavour, but it will just be funded with American dollars anyway, it might as well be a sector of the American Army.

 

[StGeorgeDragons]

I totally agreed with Rep. Lantos. Tax payers money should not be spent without strings attached to it, and must benefit US foreign policy in return.

yeh the true meaning of "aid". Like the "aid" Israel receives...

 

[The Brucemaster]

Fucking Americans is all I have to say...

 

[Aryanbeauty]

Is Israel's political loyalty really worth $2 billion? I kinda think that it's Israel that needs America's unquestioned political loyalty. It's not as if Israel's going to come along and stop Mexico and Canada from their likely invasion of the U.S. Sure, the Israeli army could assist America in whatever political endeavour, but it will just be funded with American dollars anyway, it might as well be a sector of the American Army.

In my Opinion Israel's loyalty towards US is Priceless. Israel is the one and only true friend of US in the Middle East where there is no question of distrust exist. Egypt received US $ 1.3 billion every year in military aid and $815 million a year in economic assistance from USA every year since it made peace with Israel, still Egypt is hardly a trusted friend of US despite Arab governments' attempts to won US trust. US needs Israel just as much as Israel needs the US; to maintain its influence in the middle east as a superpower.
Israeli Soldiers may not defend US from Canadian or Mexican invasion but Israeli intelligence worldwide contributed a lot to the CIA which would otherwise risk american lives or cost a lot to collect intelligence data on their own.

The reason Mr. Lantos made is clear, Lebanon should allow deployment of UN troops along Syrian border to prevent Hizbollah from re-arming. Otherwise it will lead to another round of violence which will be much more painful to Lebanon than before.

 

[banco55]

In my Opinion Israel's loyalty towards US is Priceless. Israel is the one and only true friend of US in the Middle East where there is no question of distrust exist. Egypt received US $ 1.3 billion every year in military aid and $815 million a year in economic assistance from USA every year since it made peace with Israel, still Egypt is hardly a trusted friend of US despite Arab governments' attempts to won US trust. US needs Israel just as much as Israel needs the US; to maintain its influence in the middle east as a superpower.
Israeli Soldiers may not defend US from Canadian or Mexican invasion but Israeli intelligence worldwide contributed a lot to the CIA which would otherwise risk american lives or cost a lot to collect intelligence data on their own.

The reason Mr. Lantos made is clear, Lebanon should allow deployment of UN troops along Syrian border to prevent Hizbollah from re-arming. Otherwise it will lead to another round of violence which will be much more painful to Lebanon than before.

Priceless? LOL. It might be priceless for getting campaign contributions but that's about it. You could make a case in the cold war that Israel's strong army was a deterrent against the soviet union ever making a move into the middle east but that argument has gone. The US attachment to Israel is currently fueled by a combination of momentum, the jewish lobby and the evangelical lobby. It's a very expensive price to pay for intelligence. You'll remember what Jim Baker Secretary of State during bush 41's admin said when talking about Israel's value to the US versus the value of having the oil producing Arabs on side? "F--- the Jews" is what he said.

 

[Aryanbeauty]

His comments was made regarding Jewish support for Republican party in the US not Israel in the middle east. You should be able to differentiate that. He was not asked Israel value compared to Arab, he made comments when someone mentioned Jewish-American influence in a Government meeting. Traditionaly american jewish tends to be democrats/left wing but the situation reversed during the current Presidency. Read here http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,410106,00.html

Since its inception Israel has been supported by US except in the Suez/Sinai War in 1956 in which US was not consulted by Israel, Britain and France. Long and powerful momentum (or a special friendship?)indeed, spanning half a century!

 

[dieburndie]

Alright, this is completely and clearly over my head. I'll just make a general statement like "America is bad" and leave it at that.

 

[HotShot]

Alright, this is completely and clearly over my head. I'll just make a general statement like "America is bad" and leave it at that.

LOL.

US getting the best techonolgy from Israel and unquestioned political loyalty

u give that kind of aid to any country i am sure they can produce the same level of technology. israel has so far got 100 billion from America.. which is quite a bit. on top of that they had numerous donations from wealthy jews in america and around the world.

As for egypt the money is there to keep them quite. America is dependent on israel in the middle east but - i wouldnt put 100 billion on that.

 

[ichocolateyou]

what made me … surprise …commiserative is that an officer of Labanon put his finger in his eyes …cannot help but …just proved their embarrassment …all that is U.S.!!