U.S. House panel approves bill that provides military aid to RI<\/p>\n
Vicki Allen, Reuters, Washington<\/p>\n
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee passed a foreign aid
\nbill on Thursday that eases restrictions on military training aid
\nto Indonesia and would bar U.S. aid to a yet-to-be created
\nPalestinian state if it is not a democracy and<\/p>\n
The House Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommittee
\napproved a US$16.55 billion foreign aid bill for the next fiscal
\nyear which starts on Oct. 1. That is $230 million above current
\nspending and slightly above President George W. Bush's request.<\/p>\n
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the
\nbill in July, but it has not reached a full Senate vote.<\/p>\n
The bill reinstates International Military Education and
\nTraining funds for Indonesia's military, which were curtailed in
\n1999 as Washington sought to distance itself from the military
\nthat has been blamed for massacres in East Timor, drug
\ntrafficking and other corruption.<\/p>\n
Backers of fully reinstating the program to train foreign
\npersonnel in military management and combat said it sends a
\npositive signal to the world's largest Muslim nation as the
\nUnited States is courting allies in the war on terrorism.<\/p>\n
But critics said Indonesia's military has not demonstrated
\nreforms needed to get back into the program.<\/p>\n
The Senate Appropriations Committee also moved to reinstate
\nthe program for Indonesia.<\/p>\n
In a move that backers said would improve prospects for peace
\nfor Israel, the bill calls for restricting aid to a new
\nPalestinian state that the Bush administration envisions as the
\nresult of a Mideast peace initiative unless the new government is
\na democracy.<\/p>\n
But Republican Nita Lowey of New York, the subcommittee's top
\nDemocrat, said the measure backs Bush's conditions for
\nestablishing the state.<\/p>\n
\"I think it's important that we set these standards. These are
\ncornerstones of our foreign assistance policy,\" she said.<\/p>\n
But critics said the requirement would not improve Israel's
\nsecurity, and puts a new Palestinian state in a special category
\nsince many nondemocratic governments get U.S. aid.<\/p>\n
Republican David Obey of Wisconsin, top Appropriations
\nCommittee Democrat, said a democratically elected government that
\nbows to zealots could pose a more severe threat to Mideast
\nstability than other types of governments.<\/p>\n
\"I care more about whether they are trying to kill than
\nwhether they are a Jeffersonian democracy,\" Obey said.<\/p>\n
\"What if they have a competitive election and choose the old
\nleadership, then what?\" Republican Jesse Jackson Jr., an Illinois
\nDemocrat, said.<\/p>\n
Despite spending increases, several lawmakers said the bill
\nstill fell short on money to fight the global AIDS epidemic and
\nfor help to rebuild Afghanistan after the U.S. military operation
\nto oust the Taliban and al-Qaeda network.<\/p>\n
The bill includes $786 million for the global AIDS battle, up
\n$150 million from Bush's request. It also boosts U.S. Agency for
\nInternational Development funds, mostly for AIDS education and
\nprevention programs.<\/p>\n
It has $147 million for Afghanistan, well short of the $255
\nmillion Congress approved last year. The White House rejected
\npart of the Afghanistan aid Congress sought last year, and has
\nnot yet made a new request for Afghanistan aid for next year.<\/p>\n
The subcommittee put off expected disputes over international
\nfamily planning funds, aid to Colombia to fight drug trafficking
\nand rebel insurgents and several other issues until the bill
\nreaches the full committee or the House floor.<\/p>",
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