The United States will revise its aid plan for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ security forces, Condoleezza Rice said. “I will be coming back to you with a reformed plan or re-established plan for how we would use security funding under the new conditions,” the U.S. secretary of state told the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. Reuters later quoted a State Department official as saying that Rice would slash funding for Abbas’ forces from $86 million to $50 million. Rice was facing tough questioning from Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the committee’s Foreign Operations subcommittee, over what has changed now that Abbas, considered moderate, had formed a unity government with the Hamas terrorist group. Rice said she still plans to use the funds to bolster those considered moderate within the Palestinian Authority. “I believe very strongly we do need to support the development of security forces that are loyal to those who accept the Quartet principles,” she said, referring to the international group of peace negotiators that mandates the Palestinian Authority must recognize Israel and renounce violence before aid can be resumed, “because I’m quite certain that those who do not accept it will continue to build their security forces.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
