(New York Times) Steven R. Weisman - A trip to the Middle East next week by Secretary of State Rice is intended in part to make sure that Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations do not try to make up the difference if the West cuts off its portion of the $1 billion a year of outside assistance that has kept the Palestinian Authority afloat. Not only has the administration warned that it would cut off aid; it has demanded that the Palestinians return $50 million in American aid for reconstruction projects run by Palestinian ministries this year if Hamas does not renounce its anti-Israel positions, American officials said Thursday.
2006-02-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive