U.S. to reduce loan guarantees to Israel

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N16263946.htm

WASHINGTON, Sept 16 (Reuters) - The United States will not make any cuts in the first installment of new loan guarantees to Israel in respose to its refusal to stop building Jewish settlements on the West Bank, sources familiar with the decision said on Tuesday.

U.S. officials said the Bush administration will make some reductions in those guarantees at some point, and is working on just how much to deduct.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell would make the determination on how much of the $9 billion in loan guarantees will be withheld.

Under a U.S.-backed Middle East peace "road map," Israel is required to freeze settlement activity on the West Bank. Israel's refusal so far to do so, coupled with Palestinian suicide bomb attacks on Israeli targets, have stalled the road map plan.

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[Francis]

1. Not so much a slap

more a wimper

[E_Zapata]

2. If the US in the red - how can we make a loan to anyone?

And it dawned on me - we should require that there can be no writing off of loans to any country at any time without the consent of Congress.

I am going to endeavor to get the percentage of "loans" that are ever paid back to the US.

We just wrote off billions of loans in the spring that we made to Israel in the past.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

5. This passed Congress

I believe it was approved by Congress last spring.

Mousepads, Shoe Leather, and Hope - The Great Grassroots Campaign

[dfong63]

6. post the info when you find out - i'd like to see it

i've heard it's a huge amount.

and just yesterday i saw another news article about the subject, that ended with the assertion that "Israel has never defaulted" on any loans. never mentioning that a huge portion (the amount you're going to research) was in effect a gift rather than a loan.

[beanball]

3. Blind support

for Israel is one of the reasons we are in deep poop with the Arab and Muslim world.Our policy is somewhat like faux news unfair and unbalanced. WAKE UP AMERICA

[Resistance]

4. I am American

and I won't wake up and you cant make me.

[dfong63]

7. i'll believe it when i see it

U.S. officials said the Bush administration will make some reductions in those guarantees at some point, and is working on just how much to deduct.

bush* has a history of talking big, but then backing off, when it comes to disciplining Sharon.