House approves bill limiting Afghan aid

[babylonsister]

Source: AP

House approves bill limiting Afghan aid

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 49 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The House passed $6.4 billion legislation Wednesday that would cut off U.S. aid to local governments in Afghanistan with ties to drug dealers, criminals or terrorists, a standard the White House says is unrealistic.

The legislation was pushed heavily by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (news, bio, voting record), who said not enough was being done to curb Afghanistan's growing opium market. Its passage marked increasing tension between the Bush administration, which says it has sole province on foreign policy matters, and lawmakers who say Congress must have a role in overseeing assistance programs.

"The time has come for a clear and comprehensive and truly wide-reaching counternarcotics strategy in Afghanistan," said Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The White House countered that the bill would tie the president's hands in responding to a complex situation.

"Besides setting an unrealistically high bar, which in fact could encourage the Taliban to promote corruption among local officials, the provision creates a serious barrier to assisting those areas with significant needs," according to an administration statement.

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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070606/ap_on_go_co/us_afghanistan;_ylt=Anj.OWMTc0ZpmManlTu5eynMWM0F

[partylessinOhio]

1. That woman has been an apologist for * all the years of his stolen terms.

Now she is going to kick him while he has fallen down. What a woman!

[Mojorabbit]

2. For once

I agree with the administration on this one. We have left this country is more of a shambles than we found it. I can't stand that woman.