U.S. House panel approves bill that provides military aid to RI

U.S. House panel approves bill that provides military aid to RI

Vicki Allen, Reuters, Washington

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee passed a foreign aid
bill on Thursday that eases restrictions on military training aid
to Indonesia and would bar U.S. aid to a yet-to-be created
Palestinian state if it is not a democracy and

The House Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommittee
approved a US$16.55 billion foreign aid bill for the next fiscal
year which starts on Oct. 1. That is $230 million above current
spending and slightly above President George W. Bush's request.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its version of the
bill in July, but it has not reached a full Senate vote.

The bill reinstates International Military Education and
Training funds for Indonesia's military, which were curtailed in
1999 as Washington sought to distance itself from the military
that has been blamed for massacres in East Timor, drug
trafficking and other corruption.

Backers of fully reinstating the program to train foreign
personnel in military management and combat said it sends a
positive signal to the world's largest Muslim nation as the
United States is courting allies in the war on terrorism.

But critics said Indonesia's military has not demonstrated
reforms needed to get back into the program.

The Senate Appropriations Committee also moved to reinstate
the program for Indonesia.

In a move that backers said would improve prospects for peace
for Israel, the bill calls for restricting aid to a new
Palestinian state that the Bush administration envisions as the
result of a Mideast peace initiative unless the new government is
a democracy.

But Republican Nita Lowey of New York, the subcommittee's top
Democrat, said the measure backs Bush's conditions for
establishing the state.

"I think it's important that we set these standards. These are
cornerstones of our foreign assistance policy," she said.

But critics said the requirement would not improve Israel's
security, and puts a new Palestinian state in a special category
since many nondemocratic governments get U.S. aid.

Republican David Obey of Wisconsin, top Appropriations
Committee Democrat, said a democratically elected government that
bows to zealots could pose a more severe threat to Mideast
stability than other types of governments.

"I care more about whether they are trying to kill than
whether they are a Jeffersonian democracy," Obey said.

"What if they have a competitive election and choose the old
leadership, then what?" Republican Jesse Jackson Jr., an Illinois
Democrat, said.

Despite spending increases, several lawmakers said the bill
still fell short on money to fight the global AIDS epidemic and
for help to rebuild Afghanistan after the U.S. military operation
to oust the Taliban and al-Qaeda network.

The bill includes $786 million for the global AIDS battle, up
$150 million from Bush's request. It also boosts U.S. Agency for
International Development funds, mostly for AIDS education and
prevention programs.

It has $147 million for Afghanistan, well short of the $255
million Congress approved last year. The White House rejected
part of the Afghanistan aid Congress sought last year, and has
not yet made a new request for Afghanistan aid for next year.

The subcommittee put off expected disputes over international
family planning funds, aid to Colombia to fight drug trafficking
and rebel insurgents and several other issues until the bill
reaches the full committee or the House floor.