Lawmakers Push for Cancellation of U.S. Funds to Qaddafi Foundations

[Aleenik]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/200...-push-cancellation-funds-qaddafi-foundations/

I say, do not give any money to this man. Or any charity related to him or his family.

As this piece of the article pointed out...

"How could this assistance effectively promote democracy when entrusted to the dictator's family?" she wrote in the letter.



Article-

The State Department notified lawmakers earlier this month of its intent to disburse $2.5 million in economic aid to Libya, including $400,000 for Muammar al-Qaddafi's foundations.

GOP lawmakers are calling on the Obama administration to cancel $400,000 in economic aid to foundations run by Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi following his rambling diatribe at the United Nations this week and the hero's welcome he gave to the Lockerbie bomber last month.

The State Department notified lawmakers earlier this month of its intent to disburse $2.5 million in economic aid to Libya, including $400,000 for Qaddafi's foundations. Of the $400,000 half will go to a foundation run by the leader's son, Saif, and the other half to one run by his daughter, Aisha.

Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtien, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting the cancellation of the entire $2.5 million of economic aid.

Ros-Lehtien argued that Congress' goal of providing money to promote democracy and human rights in Libya has been undermined by the administration's decision to funnel the resources through the Qaddafi family.

"How could this assistance effectively promote democracy when entrusted to the dictator's family?" she wrote in the letter.

The White House deferred questions to the National Security Council, which could not be reached on Saturday. Neither could the State Department.

The Florida Republican added that "this windfall" will only work to "further entrench a dictatorial regime whose extremist dogma was most recently demonstrated" with Qaddafi's "bizarre diatribe against freedom-loving nations at the UN."

On Wednesday, Qaddafi launched into a rambling assault against the UN Security Council, calling it a "terror council." He also suggested Israel was behind the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Many were also outraged last month when Qaddafi warmly embraced Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the man responsible for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing who was freed by Scotland to return to his native country of Libya where he could die from prostate cancer.

Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who is campaigning for Obama's former Senate seat, urged the president in a letter to withdraw the $400,000 in funds to Qaddafi's foundations.

"Just weeks after the Qaddafi family celebrated the return of a terrorist responsible for the murders of 189 Americans, the U.S. taxpayer should not be asked to reward them with $400,000," he wrote.

 

[JollyRoger]

Perhaps Qadhafi's sincerity was judged a bit too optimistically:

Because of American leadership and resolve, the world is changing for the better. Last month, the leader of Libya voluntarily pledged to disclose and dismantle all of his regime's weapons of mass destruction programs, including a uranium enrichment project for nuclear weapons. Colonel Qadhafi correctly judged that his country would be better off, and far more secure, without weapons of mass murder. Nine months of intense negotiations involving the United States and Great Britain succeeded with Libya, while 12 years of diplomacy with Iraq did not. And one reason is clear: For diplomacy to be effective, words must be credible - and no one can now doubt the word of America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/politics/21BUSH-ADVANCE-TEXT.html?pagewanted=2

 

[civ_king]

I'm confused

 

[ori]

curious how fox news accidentally neglected to mention the other letter where its both parties that want the money withheld

In a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, two U.S. lawmakers said they were unwilling to give the aid because of the warm reception Tripoli recently gave a Libyan official convicted of involvement in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing.
(...)
Lowey, a New York Democrat, chairs the influential House of Representatives appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding for the State Department and U.S. foreign assistance. Granger, of Texas, is the subcommittee’s top Republican.

While the State Department could reject their request, as a practical matter it is unlikely to do so because of the power that the appropriations committee has over its budget.

 

[Aleenik]

curious how fox news accidentally neglected to mention the other letter where its both parties that want the money withheld

I dunno, my point of the thread wasn't to bash the left or anything. It was just what the poll question is really, should funds be given to them or not.

The title of the thread, I just took from Fox News.

 

[Camikaze]

What exactly do the Foundations do? I mean, money shouldn't be stopped because of the name, but it should if the funds fuel the dictatorship, or something. But if it is a truly charitable foundation, then I see no problem with the continuation of funds.

 

[Bill3000]

I have a sudden urge to play Tropico.

 

[Miles Teg]

I'm going to take the bi-partisan position and state that absent any pressing reason to the contrary, Qaddafi should be cut off.

Anyways, French, could you change the thread title to a question for the poll or something? As is, it's just going to create a silly partisan row instead of an actual discussion.

 

[Aleenik]

I'm going to take the bi-partisan position and state that absent any pressing reason to the contrary, Qaddafi should be cut off.

Anyways, French, could you change the thread title to a question for the poll or something? As is, it's just going to create a silly partisan row instead of an actual discussion.

Sure, Ill do that.

I took out the GOP part of it, that good?

 

[ori]

as for cutting off the funding:
while Gaddafi has shown himself to be a somewhat unhinged jerk - he did open his country to the west, has allowed the lockerbie trial to occur and extradited two people to those trials , has paid compensation for bombings attributed to his regime and has verifiably given up his nuclear arms program. Not sure why there should be a need for the US to effectively punish Gaddafi for a speech he gave when his actions in recent years were essentially what the US and others have always wanted him to do. I don't see a real rationale to do so when just looking at the UN speech and his welcoming home of the Lockerbie bomber.
Of course given his perception in the US no sane politician will go on record and defend these payments - so they are going to be withheld.

 

[Dachs]

Why are two and a half million dollars being sent to Libya anyway?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Dunno. Why did so many Americans give money to the IRA?

 

[ori]

this is what its for:

The Bush Administration’s October 2008
certification (see “Settlement Details” above) ended standing restrictions on the provision of U.S.
foreign assistance contained in appropriations legislation for FY2008 and FY2009.12 Assistance
requests submitted by the Bush and Obama Administrations for FY2009 and FY2010 include
funding for programs to reengage with Libyan security forces after decades of isolation and to
support Libyan efforts to improve security capabilities in areas of common concern, such as
border control, counterterrorism, and export/import monitoring.
For FY2009, the Bush Administration requested $350,000 in International Military Education and
Training (IMET) funding for Libya to “educate and train Libyan security forces as well as create
vital linkages with Libyan officers after a 35-year break in contact.”13 Proposed training would
include English language education and “seek to identify candidates for specific courses” on
civil-military relations, border security, and counter-terrorism. The Obama Administration has
requested a further $350,000 in FY2010 IMET funds for Libya for similar purposes. Participation
in the IMET program also makes the Libyan government eligible to purchase additional U.S.
military training at a reduced cost.14 The Bush Administration’s FY2009 request indicated that
“the Government of Libya would pay for additional training and education with national funds.”
The Obama Administration is requesting FY2010 Foreign Military Financing assistance for Libya
for the first time, with the goal of providing assistance to the Libyan Air Force in developing its
air transport capabilities and to the Libyan Coast Guard in improving its coastal patrol and search
and rescue operations. According to the Administration’s request, “additional funding will be
sought through the Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Partnership (TSCTP) initiative, focusing
primarily on anti-terrorism assistance, counter-terrorism finance, terrorist interdiction, and delegitimizing terrorist ideology through educational, cultural, and information programming.”
Libya has been invited to join the TSCTP.

note that both last year and this year about 1 million $ is spend on military aid - and the Obama administration added a request for 2.5 million $ in developmental and humanitarian aid - the latter is what has come under fire now.

 

[Dachs]

Ah. Is this under the theory that "as long as we're spending money that doesn't really exist, we might as well practically throw it away"?

Dunno. Why did so many Americans give money to the IRA?

AFAIK those mostly weren't the US government.

 

[Camikaze]

note that both last year and this year about 1 million $ is spend on military aid - and the Obama administration added a request for 2.5 million $ in developmental and humanitarian aid - the latter is what has come under fire now.

So the (or some members of the) GOP thinks that in order to punish Libya and Qaddafi, humanitarian aid, not military aid, should be withdrawn.

 

[Dachs]

If they weren't getting military aid, they couldn't be allies in the Global War on Terror!

 

[Camikaze]

And if they have greater humanitarian problems, then they are more likely to be a breeding ground for terrorists.

 

[Dachs]

Do you really think I was being serious?

 

[Camikaze]

No, of course not. But that probably is the actual reasoning behind it. I felt like stating the obvious.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/200...-push-cancellation-funds-qaddafi-foundations/

I say, do not give any money to this man. Or any charity related to him or his family.

As this piece of the article pointed out...

"How could this assistance effectively promote democracy when entrusted to the dictator's family?" she wrote in the letter.



Article-

He isn't even a dictator. I don't think the man has any official title beside being ranked as a Colonel. He may be just a spokeperson (or a figurehead) of Libya's political philosophy, and has only some small role on how they conduct their policies domestically or abroad. To me, he seems to be just an elder of the tribe of the ruling class in Libyan society.