Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Obama Sends $20 Million to Gaza

Presidential Determination No. 2009-15 of January 27, 2009 (Unexpected Urgent Refugee and Migration Needs Related To Gaza) finds that it is in the U.S. national interest to send $20 million and change to meet the "humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza."

How or whether the recipients are screened to prevent this money from going to HAMAS entities is anyone's guess.

Memorandum for the Secretary of State

By the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 2(c)(1) of the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 (the ``Act''), as amended (22 U.S.C. 2601), I hereby determine, pursuant to section 2(c)(1) of the Act, that it is important to the national interest to furnish assistance under the Act in an amount not to exceed $20.3 million from the United States Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund for the purpose of meeting unexpected and urgent refugee and migration needs, including by contributions to international, governmental, and nongovernmental organizations and payment of administrative expenses of Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration of the Department of State, related to humanitarian needs of Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza. You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington, January 27, 2009

[FR Doc. E9-2488 Filed 2-3-09; 8:45 am] Billing code 4710-10-P

2 comments:

T.C. said...

Let's assume it does get in Hamas's hands. Doesn't this undermine American credibility in the region?

TSB said...

Well, it doesn't help American credibility if we fund all the sides in that conflict. We already fund al Fatah [Abu Mazen] and Israel, we really ought to let HAMAS fend for itself.