April 07, 2006

US, EU Shut Off Money Tap to Palestinian Authority

As I pointed out here after the Hamas election win, it is illegal for the US to give aid to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and the European Commission suspended aid to the new Hamas-led Palestinian government on Friday, pushing the Palestinian Authority closer to financial collapse.

The State Department, making its announcement, said it would boost humanitarian aid to the Palestinians through U.N. agencies to avoid widespread distress in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but the United States would not fund an organization committed to the destruction of Israel.

But surely, their Muslim brothers will rush in to fill the gap?
Hamas has appealed to Arab states and Iran to fill the shortfall, but has not even been able to find a bank willing to handle its finances.
Maybe because its chief (only) export is terrorism.

Also posted at The Dread Pundit Bluto and Vince Aut Morire.

Posted by: Bluto at 10:58 PM | Comments (23) | Add Comment
Post contains 163 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Well it's about damn time. Now to start killing them.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 08, 2006 05:57 AM (0yYS2)

2 I've got some money for those heathens.........it's wrapped around a 20 kiloton nuclear warhead.

Posted by: n.a. palm at April 08, 2006 08:26 AM (eXs2X)

3 Much of that money will instead go to U.N. relief programs in the palestinian territories...which means the actual palestinians will see little of it themselves.

Hamas was elected by an overwhelming majority of the paleostinian people, proving that indeed the paleostinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.

Posted by: Jesusland Carlos at April 08, 2006 08:41 AM (8e/V4)

4 Good, though it took them long enough.

OT: looks like aarons.cc got hacked

Posted by: RC at April 08, 2006 08:48 AM (PgcbG)

5 Screw the paleostinians. The only help they need is in the form of a nuclear missile to send them straight to hell. They are verminous animals and should be exterminated.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 08, 2006 09:25 AM (0yYS2)

6 Atheists are America's least trusted group, according to a national survey conducted by university sociology researchers. Based on a telephone survey of more than 2,000 households and in-depth interviews with more than 140 people, researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, homosexuals and other groups as "sharing their vision of American society." Americans are also least willing to let their children marry athEISTS ..... The best way to understand the nature of atheism is to understand its author. Satan is its author.

It’s important to remain conscious of the fact that Satan had his origin in heaven, and is thoroughly familiar with the fact of the existence of God, heaven, the angels, hell and etc. Thus despite what you have been previously deceptively taught and despite the deceptive dictionary’s meaning of atheism, atheism is properly defined as a denial of the existence of God in the midst of full knowledge that the true God does indeed exist. Atheism knows God exists; it is quite familiar with that fact, but it says “under no circumstance or situation will I admit to God’s existence.”

Atheism clearly perceives the fingerprints of God on all of creation, but refuses to admit He is the Creator. Atheism perceives the divine authorship of the TEN COMMANDMENTS, but refuses to admit that God is their Author. Atheism perceives the decorousness and perfection of the TEN COMMANDMENTS, but refuses to admit they are superior to all other laws. Atheism clearly perceives the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, but refuses to admit His divinity. If an atheist could see the wounds in the body of Christ and actually feel them with his hands, he would deny that the wounds are there. Atheism is deliberate effort to never admit the existence of God.

Atheism is the ultimate of Satanism. Ask Satan does God exist and he will deny it. Ask him does Satan exist and he will deny his own existence even while in your presence. Atheism holds the Bible in one hand, but deny its existence by denying its truth with the other.

Posted by: The Dutch Guy at April 08, 2006 10:29 AM (zqsRN)

7 Maybe it's just me, but why is the US sending money to the PA?? Is there really NOTHING else for us to spend our tax dollars on? I never have understood this. Why would the US support in any way an entity that appears to be the mortal enemy of Israel? What did I miss?

Posted by: Richard at April 08, 2006 02:10 PM (7KF8r)

8 you missed your brains thats all!

Posted by: The Dutch Guy at April 08, 2006 02:25 PM (zqsRN)

9 Jews Avoid Paying Taxes


A report, "House Agrees to Extend Holocaust Tax Break" (Associated Press, June 5, 2002), states that a bill proposing yet another tax break for Jews passed the house by a vote of 392 to 1.

The following comes directly from the Internal Revenue Service web page, www.irs.gov, and quite frankly, it speaks for itself.


"Any restitution payments made to holocaust victims and their heirs are excluded from gross income. Therefore, taxpayers should not include these payments as income when filing Federal tax returns.

"A victim of the holocaust is anyone who was persecuted on the basis of race, religion, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation by Nazi Germany, any other Axis regime or any other Nazi-controlled or Nazi-allied country."


Did you hear that, America? More special privileges for Jews and homosexuals. Don't you just have to ask yourself the question - Why should Christ-hating Jews get special tax privileges when white Christian Americans don't? In the near future, the Jews will give themselves more special privileges to include special tax exemption and "restitution payments" if they have ever been "persecuted" by any Christian Church. Wouldn't it be great for the Jews to get several billion dollars a year from the Southern Baptists? Let's not forget the Catholics and those mean old Mormons.

You better stand up now, decent white man and woman.

Posted by: The Dutch Guy at April 08, 2006 02:28 PM (zqsRN)

10 U.S. Aid to Israel: What U.S. Taxpayer Should Know

This morning as I was walking down Shuhada Street in Hebron, I saw graffiti marking the newly painted storefronts and awnings. Although three months past schedule and 100 percent over budget, the renovation of Shuhada Street was finally completed this week. The project manager said the reason for the delay and cost overruns was the sabotage of the project by the Israeli settlers of the Beit Hadassah settlement complex in Hebron. They broke the street lights, stoned project workers, shot out the windows of bulldozers and other heavy equipment with pellet guns, broke paving stones before they were laid and now have defaced again the homes and shops of Palestinians with graffiti. The settlers did not want Shuhada St. opened to Palestinian traffic as was agreed to under Oslo 2. This renovation project is paid for by USAID funds and it makes me angry that my tax dollars have paid for improvements that have been destroyed by the settlers.

Most Americans are not aware how much of their tax revenue our government sends to Israel. For the fiscal year ending in September 30, 1997, the U.S. has given Israel $6.72 billion: $6.194 billion falls under Israel's foreign aid allotment and $526 million comes from agencies such as the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Information Agency and the Pentagon. The $6.72 billion figure does not include loan guarantees and annual compound interest totalling $3.122 billion the U.S. pays on money borrowed to give to Israel. It does not include the cost to U.S. taxpayers of IRS tax exemptions that donors can claim when they donate money to Israeli charities. (Donors claim approximately $1 billion in Federal tax deductions annually. This ultimately costs other U.S. tax payers $280 million to $390 million.)

When grant, loans, interest and tax deductions are added together for the fiscal year ending in September 30, 1997, our special relationship with Israel cost U.S. taxpayers over $10 billion.

Since 1949 the U.S. has given Israel a total of $83.205 billion. The interest costs borne by U.S. tax payers on behalf of Israel are $49.937 billion, thus making the total amount of aid given to Israel since 1949 $133.132 billion. This may mean that U.S. government has given more federal aid to the average Israeli citizen in a given year than it has given to the average American citizen.

I am angry when I see Israeli settlers from Hebron destroy improvements made to Shuhada Street with my tax money. Also, it angers me that my government is giving over $10 billion to a country that is more prosperous than most of the other countries in the world and uses much of its money for strengthening its military and the oppression of the Palestinian people.


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Posted by: The Dutch Guy at April 08, 2006 02:31 PM (zqsRN)

11 NOTE TO THE DUTCH GUY:

You may have noticed that I changed the "posted by" on all your posts to the same name. That's because I don't allow sock puppets or posers on my threads. If you want to play that way, go somewhere else.

Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at April 08, 2006 03:07 PM (RHG+K)

12 Dutch gay?

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 08, 2006 03:40 PM (0yYS2)

13 Wow, two genocidal maniacs in one post--Our neonazi dutch guy, and the guy who thinks ALL Palestinians should be annihilated like vermin. Even the toddlers and babies, my little Hitler-in-training? What a gem you are, IM, a sparkling example of humanity. You and Dutch guy should set up a competition to see who can eliminate more of the groups you hate.

I'm glad we aren't funding Hamas, as they are killers without remorse. But I do have a serious question. Now that they are in government, are they terrorists? Every definition of terrorism that the US uses that I've seen has "non-state" actor in it. This is how things like mining Nicaraguan civilian harbors don't count as terrorism. They can be state sponsors of terrorism, for sure. But if a government commits an act of violence against civilians of another country...that's war, not terrorism. Right?

Of course, we could avoid this for some time by saying that there is no Palestinian state, just an embryonic authority.

And to answer the question--we have been funding the PA since its formation, in the hopes (perhaps vain ones) that it would contribute to peace emerging. We spend upwards of 3 billion a year for aid to Israel, about 2 billion and change to Egypt, and a nice chunk (used to be a billion, but it is down now) to Jordan, along with about 500k (?) to the PA in the hope that if we pay enough, the four of them can be bribed not to kill each other. If, someday, peace comes, think of the cost savings! But more seriously, the poverty under the PA is unbelievable, and without foreign aid, there would be a vast humanitarian crisis. A Somalia, next to a strategic ally.

Posted by: jd at April 08, 2006 07:48 PM (uT71O)

14 Yesterday, it was reported, "US freezes aid to Palestinian government."

If only, look closely at the statement from the State Department - "while increasing humanitarian aid to the Palestinians through U.N. agencies."

Thursday, Abdul had to worry about beans OR bullets. Thanks to those compassionate conservatives, now he only has to worry about bullets. Sweet.

How clever was this of Dr. Rice, and on a Friday afternoon. Not just another pretty face.

Posted by: allen at April 08, 2006 10:58 PM (n8vUh)

15 JD, you're either with civilization or with the islam, and all mulsims are enemies of civilizations. We must exterminate them or they will destroy us.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 09, 2006 07:08 AM (0yYS2)

16 Maybe it's just me, but why is the US sending money to the PA??

Because we're sappy dumbasses.

People need to understand the consequences of their actions. The Palestinians are about to get a dose of hard financial reality.

Posted by: Purple Avenger at April 09, 2006 08:33 AM (l6Jdw)

17 Uh, IM--you do realize that the vast majority of Kurds are Muslims? The people you are defending on the other thread are the ones you want to genocidally eliminate here.

I'm not one of those liberals that looks on with happy smiles at Islam, and imagines that there are not huge problems with even moderate Islamists. At the same time, it is worth noting that prior to the Renaissance, it was a better deal to be a Jew in most Islamic cities than it was to be a Jew in the West. We underwent a historic shift in our views of the intersection between temporal and religious authorities, our views on the rights of individuals. The Islamic world is in desperate need for such a reformation. What is needed is not a war on Islam, a war of extermination like you propose. What is needed is a war within Islam, a war sometimes fought with bullets and bombs, and sometimes fought with words and ideas. In that war, given our current image, we will sometimes hurt the side we want to win by allying too closely with it. But with deft actions, we can assist Islam to come into the 21st century.

Are you really serious that all Muslims must be killed? I'd like to think you are just being bombastic and extreme for effect.

Posted by: jd at April 09, 2006 08:42 AM (uT71O)

18 How are the Kurds our unconditional allies that we should trust them? They are allies of convenience, nothing more. As long as one muslim lives, civilization is threatened.

Posted by: Improbulus Maximus at April 09, 2006 09:47 AM (0yYS2)

19 I'll take that as a yes to the question of whether you support genocide against the Muslims. I can't tell you how sick I think that idea is. Islamic civilization has produced many things of beauty and utility. Read the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam sometime. Many works of Islamic literature have inspired writers in the west and elsewhere. Islamic jurisprudence was influential on many Talmudic scholars when Islam was far more open to Jewish discourse than anywhere in the West. Islam for centuries best-preserved the learnings of the greeks. And there is great humanity in Islam, amid the activities you and I both abhor. Read Bernard Lewis for a neo-con account of the good, great, and awful in Islam. There have been architectural and scientific contributions as well.

But more importantly, even without all those contributions, advocating genocide is morally repugnant. I cannot think of a worse thing to advocate. It is Hitlerian in its moral outlook. You are the mirror image of bin Laden, although even he does not go as far as you. He has not called for the killing of Christians and Jews all over the world. That sick bastard wants to kill us until he can set up his caliphate, but he doesn't want to kill us in New Jersey after that happens. You, apparently, want to kill all Muslims, everywhere. That makes you worse than bin Laden...congratulations!

Posted by: jd at April 09, 2006 10:16 AM (uT71O)

20 For example: Muslims saved my ex-girlfriend's family in 1991. They were going to be killed by Saddam, trapped in the invasion of Kuwait. They disguised themselves, and fled north. Only with the assistance of Kurds did they make it Turkey. The Kurds refused payment, saying it was a religious obligation to aid the persecuted. Islam is not the monster you make it out to be. It is a religion in need of a reformation, not in need of genocidal eradication.

Posted by: jd at April 09, 2006 10:19 AM (uT71O)

21 I agree with jd on the point of a Muslim Reformation being preferable to a war of extermination against Islam.

And the way to bring about that Reformation is...exactly what we have been doing; promoting liberal (in the classical sense) democracy in the Middle East so that Fundamentalist regimes suffer by comparison.

More has been accomplished in the past four years of active engagement than in the past forty of misguided laissez-faire and realpolitik non-action.

Posted by: The Dread Pundit Bluto at April 09, 2006 10:59 AM (RHG+K)

22 "Now that they are in government, are they terrorists? Every definition of terrorism that the US uses that I've seen has "non-state" actor in it." Yes, they're still terrorists. Palestine is not a state.

Posted by: Oyster at April 10, 2006 06:01 AM (YudAC)

23 I can't believe it, my co-worker just bought a car for $11703. Isn't that crazy!

Posted by: Betsy Markum at May 31, 2006 10:22 AM (o1lEG)

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