S
sandman
Guest
,,,But nothing for Katrina.
[note this is not from US news, but an Irish newspaper.]
--------------------
http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishe...-qqqm=world-qqqa=world-qqqid=38570-qqqx=1.asp
30 July 2007
US agrees $30bn defence aid deal with Israel
By Ron Bousso, Jerusalem
ISRAELI Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the United States has agreed a 25%
increase in its military and defence aid to Israel, to $30 billion (?21.9bn)
in the next 10 years.
"In my last meeting with the president of the United States, we agreed that
the aid would stand at $30bn over the next 10 years, meaning over $3bn a
year, starting next year," he said yesterday at the start of his weekly
cabinet meeting.
"This is an increase of over 25% in the military and defence aid of the
United States to Israel," he added.
Olmert described the new package as a considerable improvement and a very
important element for the security of Israel. Current US defence aid to
Israel stands at $2.4bn a year.
A senior US defence official said on Saturday that Washington is readying a
major arms package for Saudi Arabia with an eye to countering the changing
threat from Tehran, Israel's arch foe.
The Pentagon provided no details on the arms package, which will reportedly
total $20bn over the next decade.
But it will include new weapons for the United Arab Emirates, and military
and economic support to Egypt, officials said.
The deal is intended to strengthen US allies in the Middle East and counter
the perceived threat from Iran, whose nuclear activities have provoked major
concern in Israel and the United States.
Israel has reacted cautiously to the reported Saudi package.
US President George W Bush, whom Olmert last met in Washington on June 19,
gave him assurances "to keep the qualitative edge between us (Israel) and
the other states (in the region)," the Israeli premier said.
"Other than the increase in aid, we received an explicit and detailed
commitment to guarantee Israel's qualitative advantage over other Arab
states.
"We understand the United States' desire to help moderate states which stand
at a united front with the United States and Israel in the struggle against
Iran," he added.
Mr Olmert's spokeswoman Miri Eisin said: "We have no doubt that the United
States would not do anything that could endanger the security of Israel."
Meanwhile, Israel allowed around 100 Palestinians who were stranded for
weeks in Egypt to return to the Hamas-held Gaza Strip through the Jewish
state yesterday, the first of some 600 people expected to return home in the
coming days.
Palestinian officials estimate 6,000 Palestinians have been waiting on the
Egyptian side of the border since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip
from forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction on June 14.
The first 100 Palestinians crossed into Israel from Egypt and were
transported through Israel, where they were given food and water, to a key
Gaza border crossing.
[note this is not from US news, but an Irish newspaper.]
--------------------
http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishe...-qqqm=world-qqqa=world-qqqid=38570-qqqx=1.asp
30 July 2007
US agrees $30bn defence aid deal with Israel
By Ron Bousso, Jerusalem
ISRAELI Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the United States has agreed a 25%
increase in its military and defence aid to Israel, to $30 billion (?21.9bn)
in the next 10 years.
"In my last meeting with the president of the United States, we agreed that
the aid would stand at $30bn over the next 10 years, meaning over $3bn a
year, starting next year," he said yesterday at the start of his weekly
cabinet meeting.
"This is an increase of over 25% in the military and defence aid of the
United States to Israel," he added.
Olmert described the new package as a considerable improvement and a very
important element for the security of Israel. Current US defence aid to
Israel stands at $2.4bn a year.
A senior US defence official said on Saturday that Washington is readying a
major arms package for Saudi Arabia with an eye to countering the changing
threat from Tehran, Israel's arch foe.
The Pentagon provided no details on the arms package, which will reportedly
total $20bn over the next decade.
But it will include new weapons for the United Arab Emirates, and military
and economic support to Egypt, officials said.
The deal is intended to strengthen US allies in the Middle East and counter
the perceived threat from Iran, whose nuclear activities have provoked major
concern in Israel and the United States.
Israel has reacted cautiously to the reported Saudi package.
US President George W Bush, whom Olmert last met in Washington on June 19,
gave him assurances "to keep the qualitative edge between us (Israel) and
the other states (in the region)," the Israeli premier said.
"Other than the increase in aid, we received an explicit and detailed
commitment to guarantee Israel's qualitative advantage over other Arab
states.
"We understand the United States' desire to help moderate states which stand
at a united front with the United States and Israel in the struggle against
Iran," he added.
Mr Olmert's spokeswoman Miri Eisin said: "We have no doubt that the United
States would not do anything that could endanger the security of Israel."
Meanwhile, Israel allowed around 100 Palestinians who were stranded for
weeks in Egypt to return to the Hamas-held Gaza Strip through the Jewish
state yesterday, the first of some 600 people expected to return home in the
coming days.
Palestinian officials estimate 6,000 Palestinians have been waiting on the
Egyptian side of the border since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip
from forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction on June 14.
The first 100 Palestinians crossed into Israel from Egypt and were
transported through Israel, where they were given food and water, to a key
Gaza border crossing.
