Sen. Patrick Leahy proposes freezing aid to Uganda aid for enacting anti-LGBT law

[DonViejo]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 20:15 EST

An influential U.S. lawmaker on Tuesday proposed withholding aid to Uganda after the African nation’s president signed a controversial new measure imposing life prison sentences for homosexuals.

“I am deeply concerned by the decision of President (Yoweri) Museveni of Uganda to sign into law the anti-homosexuality bill,” Senator Patrick Leahy, the most senior member of the chamber and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement.

“Much of US assistance to Uganda is for the people of Uganda, including those in the Ugandan LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community whose human rights are being so tragically violated,” he added.


“But we need to closely review all U.S. assistance to Uganda, including through the World Bank and other multilateral organizations.”

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/25/sen-patrick-leahy-proposes-freezing-aid-to-uganda-aid-for-enacting-anti-lgbt-law/

[RKP5637]

1. Excellent! The US should not support death gangs like Uganda. n/t

[AAO]

2. DUH - ya thinK? Thanks, Sem. Leahy for having the gits.

[Lucky Luciano]

3. That would be an obvious response to this craziness.

The Republicans will probably offer to double their aid though.

[Cha]

4. Hell Yeah! Ya

think!

[Initech]

5. And can we jail those here who made that law possible?

I'm looking at you, Rick Warren.

[freshwest]

17. And Bryan Fischer and the rest... Oops, 1st Amendment. Still cut their money off! n/t

[Initech]

18. Does the first amendment apply to war crimes or crimes against humanity?

[freshwest]

20. AFAIK, that's international law, not the Constitution. It's why RWNJs worldwide hate the UN, etc.

They can organize their own little pograms state by state or nation by nation. The world can condemn, but without force of arms and occupation as was done to Germany, it's just words. Many people forget Nuremberg was carried out by foreign forces on a conquered nation that could not resist the judgment of others.

We have war criminals running loose because we still exist as a nation and do not live under the boot of another country. We could not even do what the signs we carried said, 'Impeach Cheney first!' because there would have been a civil war with half the nation favoring the Bushes after all that time. They are like termites eating us from the inside out.

But it is only international courts, and only when they are backed up by force of arms that can challenge such. I knew people who tried and we even got a docket number from the Hague to try Bush and Cheney. They shelved it for the reason I just explained.

So we only have sanctions and cutting off aid as our tools, which do work, but slowly. If Uganda was occupied, the law could be overturned by force of arms, but I don't see that.

In the USA, I wish there was a way to charge groups like the AFA as conspirators, but what they do is legal here. But in the EU, I don't think it is. We're not the EU and don't have their code of human rights.

That is why to some people the EU is very attractive. But others hate it as they say it's bringing global governance. It's at times like this, that it looks good.

Too much dirt being done. It looks like the Senator calling for cutting off their aid and those in the UK calling for refugee status for the people named in a paper - how very Third Reich of them to do that! - and rescue them.

But what of the others who are merely suspected of being gay? Or their family members who can also be punished for not turning them in, when some moran calls them out?

We've got this in AZ that may be vetoed, and GA is voting to do the same thing. This is all media driven and I hate them for it everyday, promoting hate. And as I always say - they will not stop with one group. The Nazis did not stop with one group. And it makes me sick and discouraged that people are such suckers to fall for it!

[Auntie Bush]

6. Thanks Senater Leahy...VT is lucky to have you.

So am I.

[rhett o rick]

7. I am not sure this is a good thing. The aid should be going to those that need aid.

Freezing their aid wont hurt the government.

[pampango]

13. Norway and Denmark are shifting their aid from the government to NGO's.

That way aid still gets to those who need it. That is option to consider that is preferable to penalizing Ugandans in need for the sins of their government.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26338941

[They_Live]

21. most of the aid that US gives to Uganda

is humanitarian aid (medicine, food, etc.), and "anti- terrorism". Ummm...I'm pretty sure that this new law is defined as "terror", but I don't think we should stop helping with food, clothing and medicine for the most needy. That being aid, there need to be a way to get those supplies to the people that need it and not just handed off to insano-govt.

[blkmusclmachine]

8. NO MORE TAX DOLLARS TO UGANDAN GENOCIDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND I DON'T CARE IF THAT PISSES OFF U.S. EVANGELICALS!!!

[Initech]

11. AND NO MORE AIDING THE US CHRISTIAN CHURCHES THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE!!!

END THEIR TAX BREAKS!!!! THE FREE RIDE IS OVER!!

[LynneSin]

14. No Non-Profit status for any US Church that has contributed towards money to help pass anti-gay laws

There was alot of money funneled from US Churches to Yoweri Museveni and his cohorts to help pass these laws.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/2014/0225/Uganda-s-anti-gay-bill-refocuses-attention-on-US-evangelical-influence-video

Conservative evangelicals like Scott Lively and Lou Engle traveled to Uganda in 2009 and 2010, and Mr. Lively in particular is known to have advocated consistently and strongly against gay rights, and supported harsh laws against homosexuals. But Mr. Engle, based in Kansas City and known through his ministry The Call for backing conservative political causes, distanced himself from the Uganda bill and its punishments several years ago, saying the Ugandan church should examine its own soul.

In Uganda, however, Lively actively lobbied influential figures like Pastor Martin Ssempa, founder of Makerere University Church -- as well as the anti-gay bill’s sponsor, David Bahati, a legislator from the ruling party who introduced the law as a private popular measure. Human rights groups say that gave the bill some early diplomatic cover since it was not formally sponsored by the Ugandan government.

[Politicub]

9. I agree

I hope the aid stops and the government gets put under pressure by the international community.

[Comrade Grumpy]

10. Good on Leahy.

[Tippy]

12. Not fair to help only some of the people....

[mahannah]

15. Georgia and Arizona next?

[Doctor_J]

16. Next up - Arizona

these dipshits need to be punished. No more federal funds for countries OR STATES that deny civil rights.

[Mz Pip]

19. What took so long?

FFS, this has been in the works for ages. Definitely we should cut off aid.