Reuters: U.S. asks Congress for $3.9 billion for Colombia

[Eugene]

U.S. asks Congress for $3.9 billion for Colombia
08 Feb 2007 03:30:13 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Bush administration will ask Congress for
$3.9 billion over the next seven years to help Colombia fight illegal drugs and
boost funding for social programs, a State Department official said on Wednesday.

Under the plan, $626 million would be earmarked for this year, $589 million for
fiscal 2008 and similar amounts for the remaining five years of the program, said
the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The Bush administration's strategy is to gradually reduce U.S. funding for drug
eradication in the coming years and increase "soft" aid to build schools and roads,
for example, the official said.

-snip-

"With the support of the U.S. and the international community, this initiative will
consolidate and build on the achievements made through Plan Colombia to reduce
poverty, strengthen the rule of law, and significantly reduce violence in Colombia,"
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07286095.htm

Also: Bush budget pushes more aid to Latin America - Miami Herald

[sweetheart]

1. tax and spend republicans

its sickening, the grovelling...

[Erika]

2. Which U.S. domestic programs are we to cut? n/t

[lvx35]

3. Ah, more dysfunctional welfare for foreign governments on our dime. nt

[kenny blankenship]

4. Don't we give them enough already? 3.9 billion more? Ok, but for that amount...

...we get ALL the coke right?

Just trying to figure out what we're buying here.

[LynnTheDem]

5. And New Orleans can just go to hell!

FUCK Americans! George W. bUsh needs our money for HIS interests!

And as Commander in Chief Of We The People, and Decider Of All The World, King George W. bUsh gets to Command And Decide everything he wants. So give him our money and STFU!

Or will Americans finally wake the fuck up and drag that traitor and his minions out of the White House?

[Downtown Hound]

6. "U.S. asks Congress?" What a strange headline.

What they really meant to say was, "Bush" asks Congress. That headline makes it sound like America is asking itself. It seems that in the media's mind, Bush is the U.S.