And the 2004 Nobel Prize for Irony goes to...

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Congressman Jim Kolbe! (R-Ariz.)

House Votes to Block Aid for Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers cheered as the House of Representatives voted on Thursday to strip financial assistance for Saudi Arabia from a foreign aid bill because of criticism that the country has not been sufficiently cooperative in the U.S. war on terror.

The vote was a stinging defeat for the Bush Administration which had strongly opposed the measure saying it would "severely undermine" counterterrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia and U.S. efforts for peace in the Middle East.

The House voted 217-191 to remove $25,000 in the $19.4 billion 2005 foreign aid bill earmarked for Saudi Arabia.

The funds were designated for military training but approval would have triggered millions of dollars in discounts on hardware and other military training, lawmakers said.

"I don't want my taxpayer dollars going to the Saudis and I don't want anyone else's to," said Nevada Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley.

Supporters of the measure also argued that with Saudi Arabia's massive wealth from ownership of one-fourth of the world's proven oil reserves, the kingdom should not need financial aid from the United States.

The Senate would also have to strip the Saudi aid from its version of the foreign assistance bill before it stands a chance of being enacted.

U.S.- Saudi ties were shaken by the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 were Saudi nationals and revelations that individual Saudis had financed al Qaeda, whose leader, Osama bin Laden, was born in the kingdom.

A study by the Council on Foreign Relations found recently that Saudi Arabia has stepped up its efforts to halt the flow of funds to militant groups, but said more needed to be done.

Arizona Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe, said the timing of the House measure "could not be worse." He acknowledged Saudi Arabia had not always been a model partner in the war on terror but said "we need all the friends and allies we can get."

I'm sure what he meant to say was: "we need to hang onto all the friends and allies that we haven't already alienated yet."

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I send aid and comfort to Saudi Arabia every time I pull up to a gas pump.

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Re: And the 2004 Nobel Prize for Irony goes to...

joefromchicago wrote:

Congressman Jim Kolbe! (R-Ariz.)

House Votes to Block Aid for Saudi Arabia

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Lawmakers cheered as the House of Representatives voted on Thursday to strip financial assistance for Saudi Arabia from a foreign aid bill because of criticism that the country has not been sufficiently cooperative in the U.S. war on terror.

The vote was a stinging defeat for the Bush Administration which had strongly opposed the measure saying it would "severely undermine" counterterrorism cooperation with Saudi Arabia and U.S. efforts for peace in the Middle East.

The House voted 217-191 to remove $25,000 in the $19.4 billion 2005 foreign aid bill earmarked for Saudi Arabia.

The funds were designated for military training but approval would have triggered millions of dollars in discounts on hardware and other military training, lawmakers said.

"I don't want my taxpayer dollars going to the Saudis and I don't want anyone else's to," said Nevada Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley.

Supporters of the measure also argued that with Saudi Arabia's massive wealth from ownership of one-fourth of the world's proven oil reserves, the kingdom should not need financial aid from the United States.

The Senate would also have to strip the Saudi aid from its version of the foreign assistance bill before it stands a chance of being enacted.

U.S.- Saudi ties were shaken by the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers in the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 were Saudi nationals and revelations that individual Saudis had financed al Qaeda, whose leader, Osama bin Laden, was born in the kingdom.

A study by the Council on Foreign Relations found recently that Saudi Arabia has stepped up its efforts to halt the flow of funds to militant groups, but said more needed to be done.

Arizona Republican Rep. Jim Kolbe, said the timing of the House measure "could not be worse." He acknowledged Saudi Arabia had not always been a model partner in the war on terror but said "we need all the friends and allies we can get."

I'm sure what he meant to say was: "we need to hang onto all the friends and allies that we haven't already alienated yet."

Slap 'em where they'll feel it, right? Rolling Eyes

We can keep that money to exploit "domestic" sources now, maybe... like the Gulf of Mexico... Rolling Eyes

Or buy us some new and better friends, like the Colombians... Rolling Eyes

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Re: And the 2004 Nobel Prize for Irony goes to...

joefromchicago wrote:

The House voted 217-191 to remove $25,000 in the $19.4 billion 2005 foreign aid bill earmarked for Saudi Arabia.

Cheering over the removal of a lousy $25K out of almost $20 Billion? That'll show'em we mean bidnez. Very Happy

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Ouch, that 25,000 should tell em!

Why are we giving money to them in the first place? We don't give them enough at the gas pump?

Africa has MILLIONS of people dying, Sudan is in the middle of genocide war, there is Rwanda and other countries suffering and we give one of the richest nations on earth money?

Anyone else see something wrong here?

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It is significant in that the sum there was an "honorarium" which officially made the Saudis recipients of military assistance grants, and therefore entitled to deep discounts when purchasing weaponry through the agency of the Defense Department. As our contracts for the purchase of weapons systems and munitions from corporations include a pricing floor, removing that $25,000 saved the tax payers a whole heap o cash which would otherwise have been paid to the manufacturers to make up the difference between the discounted price and the contractual price floor.

Scorecards, git yer scorecards ! ! !

Can't tell the players without a scorecard ! ! !

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And the 2004 Nobel Prize for Irony goes to...

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