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Last update - 14:36 27/04/2009
Report: Obama wants aid to go to PA even if Hamas joins government
By Haaretz Service
Tags: israel news 

The Obama administration has asked Congress to amend U.S. law to enable the Palestinians to receive federal aid even if it forms a unity coalition with Hamas, the L.A. Times reported on Monday.

Hamas, which seized control of the Gaza Strip from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' forces in a bloody 2007 coup, has been deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S. and therefore cannot not legally receive U.S. government aid.

The U.S. has presented an $830.4-billion emergency spending bill, comprising funding for its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would also allocate $840 million to the Palestinian Authority and for reconstruction in the Gaza Strip following Israel's three-week offensive there earlier this year.
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Because none of the Gaza aid can legally reach Hamas, it will be difficult to ensure its delivery to the coastal territory.

The U.S. has refused to grant aid to Hamas unless the group agrees to recognize Israel, renounce violence and agreeing to follow past accords secured between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

The administration's request for the minor changes to aid measures is unlikely to come into fruition, as no concrete plans are yet underway for a Palestinian unity government. Reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah have been ongoing, but have so far yielded no results.

Still, the move has stirred controversy among pro-Israel U.S. officials, according to the L.A. Times.

Republican Representative Mark Steven Kirk told Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at a House hearing last week that the proposal was tantamount to supporting a government with "only has a few Nazis in it," the L.A. Times said.

Democratic Representative Adam B. Schiff called the proposal "completely unworkable," even if Hamas were to agree to abide by the U.S.' preconditions, according to the L.A. Times.

"You couldn't have the leadership of a terrorist organization pick the ministers in the government, with the power to appoint and withdraw them, and answering to them," the L.A. Times quoted him as saying.

Clinton has defended the proposal, saying that the U.S. has continued to fund other governments in which designated terror groups are represented, including the Lebanese government which includes officials from the Hezbollah militant organization.

The secretary of state urged the government to work to change the attitudes of Hamas, rather than cutting of all possibility of dealing with them should they join the ruling Palestinian coalition.

"We don't want to . . . bind our hands in the event that such an agreement is reached, and the government that they are part of agrees to our principles," she said
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  1.   if Lieberman`s foreign minister, then... 11:29  |  unbiased onlooker 27/04/09
  2.   The War is Coming 11:29  |  WHo 27/04/09
  3.   Conditions for Federal Aid must be made Across the Board 11:37  |  Tzfonit 27/04/09
  4.   Why Not? 11:42  |  Jamshid 27/04/09
  5.   No Red Lines, No chance of Peace 12:18  |  dmgold 27/04/09
  6.   No Surprise 12:25  |  leo 27/04/09
  7.   OBAMA HAS A LOVE AFFAIR WITH TERRORISTS. WATCH OUT USofA. 12:36  |  Poppy Bison 27/04/09
  8.   If Hamas joins the PA and meets the conditions then the US has no 12:53  |  JO 27/04/09
  9.   Good Idea 12:57  |  Razi 27/04/09
  10.   Maybe its time to impeach Obama.... The US has the power, use it. 13:02  |  BF 27/04/09
  11.   Shoveling $ to avowed terrorists is "minor legal change" 13:08  |  disgusted american 27/04/09
  12.   The important thing to do 13:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/04/09
  13.   Conditions for Federal Aid must be made Across the Board 13:15  |  Tzfonit 27/04/09
  14.   SEE, FINALLY.........Obama, Thankyou....have a good one.... 13:25  |  GO OBAMA!!! 27/04/09
  15.   You`ll Never Get That Passed Through Congress, Obama 13:36  |  Jeff Northridge 27/04/09
  16.   Obama wising up? 13:38  |  Roo 27/04/09
  17.   I TOLD YOU 13:46  |  indrajaya 27/04/09
  18.   #2 Jamshid is absolutely correct! 13:48  |  us observer 27/04/09
  19.   #3 dmgold---it is about time someone 13:56  |  Labhras 27/04/09
  20.   Obama wising up at last? 14:12  |  Roo 27/04/09
  21.   #14 is outrageous!! 14:17  |  Robert 27/04/09
  22.   is obarmy sending the 50 million cube of water too 14:33  |  v hardman 27/04/09
  23.   Obama wising up at last? 14:38  |  Roo 27/04/09
  24.   not "even", "espcially"! 14:46  |  yaron 27/04/09
  25.   COMMON SENSE AT LAST! 14:51  |  John S. Hancock 27/04/09
  26.   well done Obama 14:56  |  tim 27/04/09
  27.   about time the usa saw the light 14:56  |  Joe 27/04/09
  28.   We have waited a long time for some pressure 14:57  |  harold 27/04/09
  29.   It is good to see that wasting has come to it,s senses 14:59  |  akron 27/04/09
  30.   Looks as if George Mitchell is getting thru to Obama 15:01  |  sylvia 27/04/09
  31.   Bush is gone--aint that obvious. 15:03  |  veronica 27/04/09
  32.   # 14 - USA Observer 15:20  |  US Taxpayer 27/04/09
  33.   Obama wants aid to go......to Hamas 15:29  |  DT 27/04/09
  34.   Obama+Clinton+Mitchell== end of Israeli intransigence 15:29  |  Very busy censor 27/04/09
  35.   Will AIPAC and congress let him? 15:30  |  jim the mechanic 27/04/09
  36.   It is very important that Pesident Obama defines 15:35  |  17 27/04/09
  37.   Obama has already done his homework on this 15:42  |  Labhras 27/04/09
  38.   Common Sense 15:50  |  Vladek 27/04/09
  39.   Obama really is coming thru on his promise of change 15:54  |  joe bloe 27/04/09
  40.   Good move 16:03  |  Steve 27/04/09
  41.   #32 US tax payer 16:03  |  DR 27/04/09
  42.   Israel 16:07  |  ralph 27/04/09
  43.   Restoration 16:40  |  Matthew Houston 27/04/09
  44.   #37 labarse of arabia in an alcoholic haze and dream state 16:51  |  v hardman 27/04/09
  45.   True colors 17:13  |  Arie 27/04/09
  46.   Apology 17:21  |  Ariel 27/04/09
  47.   Not surprising--trying to build up a "center" 17:21  |  Paul Freedman 27/04/09
  48.   #44 VhardmanPaulHarris. Many who were not born in Israel... 17:40  |  Maureen Ann 27/04/09
  49.   The coming firestorm in US Congress, Obama doesn`t have the votes 17:42  |  Dr. L. Brnd 27/04/09
  50.   Hamas was democratically elected 17:42  |  Sarah Roche-Mahdi 27/04/09
  51.   Obama 17:43  |  Marc 27/04/09
  52.   #48 many who not born in oz claim it as theirs moaning ann 17:48  |  v hardman 27/04/09
  53.   #50 and for her next trick sarah will define democracy 17:51  |  v hardman 27/04/09
  54.   Obama - Good Decision 18:05  |  Bill 27/04/09
  55.   #52 VhardmanPaulHarris. What have you got against... 18:36  |  Maureen Ann 27/04/09
  56.   #41 DR 18:43  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/04/09
  57.   #44 V Hardman 18:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 27/04/09
  58.   #44 Hardman aka Paul Harris--sorry did I omit you 19:08  |  Labhras 27/04/09
  59.   #7 Poppy Bison aka Kathy--you cannot hide your 19:10  |  Labhras 27/04/09
  60.   obama 19:12  |  roger 27/04/09
  61.   Preference For Iran`s Influence 19:48  |  Mark of Lewiston 27/04/09
  62.   #3 I completely agree! 21:17  |  Welshman 27/04/09
  63.   ANTI-VIOLENCE BILL 02:18  |  Ed 28/04/09
  64.   OK, and so what does this tell us? 03:23  |  Johnboy 28/04/09
  65.   #64, johnboy 06:56  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 28/04/09
  66.   #65 Cipora the absolutist 15:56  |  Johnboy 28/04/09
  67.   Obama needs to think about consequences 19:27  |  ks 28/04/09
  68.   Obama Proves His Critics Right 00:08  |  Susan 29/04/09
  69.   aid to Hamas 02:25  |  Channah 29/04/09
  70.   little iknown fact 02:29  |  Channah 29/04/09
  71.   Hamas 02:32  |  Nancy 29/04/09
  72.   #66, jb 07:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/04/09
  73.   Obama aid to Hamas 07:23  |  Leland L. Medearis 30/04/09
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