US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has told Charlie Rose the US may withdraw loan guarantees to pressure Israel on its continued building of settlements.Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz discounted Mitchell's pointed words on Sunday. He said "Only a few months ago we reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Department of State on the loan guarantees for 2010 and 2011. There were no conditions attached. Israel has made and continues to make every effort, including difficult gestures, to renew the negotiations. We haven't received any indication that the guarantees will be used to pressure us."
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Sheikh Issa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, the brother of UAE president and Abu Dhabi emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan has been acquitted of charges of torture.
Defense attorney Habib al-Mulla said, "The court acquitted Sheikh Issa after establishing he was not responsible [for torture]."
"The court accepted our defence that the Sheikh was under the influence of drugs [medicine] that left him unaware of his actions."
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Buckshot Cheney is no doubt pleased. The U.S. needs to distance itself from folks like this for our own sake and for the sake of The Middle East. Our continued involvement emboldens jerks like him.
ReplyDelete"Israel is not economically self-sufficient,
ReplyDeleteand relies on foreign assistance and borrowing
to maintain its economy. Since 1985, the
United States has provided $3 billion in grants
annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been
the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign
assistance, and is the largest cumulative recipient since World War II."
"Israel: US Foreign Assistance"-4/26/05
Congressional Research Service