WP: G-8 Leaders Agree on $50B in African Aid

[DeepModem Mom]

G-8 Leaders Agree on $50B in African Aid

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER
The Associated Press
Friday, July 8, 2005; 9:24 AM


GLENEAGLES, Scotland -- World leaders wrapping up an economic summit shaken by terrorism agreed Friday on an "alternative to the hatred" _ a $50 billion aid package for Africa and $3 billion in additional support for the Palestinians....

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With a last-minute pledge from Japan, Blair won a key victory, announcing that aid to Africa would rise from the current $25 billion annually to $50 billion by 2010.

Blair, however, lost in his push to get all summit countries to commit to boosting foreign aid to an amount equal to 0.7 percent of national income by 2015. Instead, a summit document said the European Union had agreed to that support but did not mention the United States.

President Bush had refused to be bound by the 0.7 percent target. The United States is currently giving 0.16 percent of national income, the smallest percentage of any of the G-8 countries....

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Blair said the Palestinian aid package would total $3 billion "in the years to come." The British leader said the assistance was designed "so that two states, Israel and Palestine, two peoples and two religions can live side by side in peace."...


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/08/AR2005070800214.html?sub=AR

[magnolia]

1. As I said in your other post in GD...

I'm pleasantly surprised Blair isn't doing a all-terrorism speech.

[Double T]

2. Blair must have gagged bush and put him in a corner.