US lawmakers blast Brazil's Palestinian move

[Violet_Crumble]

WASHINGTON — US lawmakers condemned Brazil's "severely misguided" and "regrettable" decision Friday to recognize a Palestinian state on borders pre-dating Israel's seizure of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967.

Brazil's decision "is regrettable and will only serve to undermine peace and security in the Middle East," charged Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ros-Lehtinen, set to chair the panel come January, said "responsible nations" would wait to take such a step until Palestinians return to direct talks with Israel and recognize its "right to exist as a Jewish state."

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced the decision Friday in a public letter addressed to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and published on the website of Brazil's foreign ministry.

The international community backs Palestinian demands for a state in most of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, all territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six Day War.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gJ8UDWsvBVaN1VyrqV1vtPUnUv0Q?docId=CNG.2a8de8a8d715bbf5472f2a7f29d9a3be.b51

[bemildred]

1. The seal of doom, no doubt.

:sarcasm:

I can pretty much guarantee that "Brazil" does not put much weight on the Congresspersons opinion.

[azurnoir]

2. Ros-Lehtinen will head the committee on Foreign aid

Brazil gets about $20,000,000 from the US or at least did until now it remains to be seen whether or not she cuts them off

http://www.usaid.gov/locations/latin_america_caribbean/country/brazil/

[bemildred]

3. Oh they well might cut 'em off, but Brazil is not so easily bought off these days. nt

[azurnoir]

5. didn't Brazil tell Bush to "keep it" once?

it had something to with his requirement on how aids prevention funds would be spent so they may do it again in this case also

[bemildred]

8. Don't know.

There have been "disagreements" before, I remember, but I haven't followed the details much.

[Mosby]

9. .

They turned down 40 mil of pepfar money because they didn't like the anti prostitution oath.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. I think the opinion of Congresscritters like that is becoming more and more irrelevant...

They seem to think themselves and their opinions are far more important than other countries think they are. Oh for the days when the US was a superpower! ;)

[azurnoir]

6. LOL that is very true and it would seem that the new GOP lead congress wants to end all foreign aid

well with one exception that is

[bemildred]

7. "Thanks, President Bush!" nt