Totally irresponsible. I guess the G8 wizards have not read the Palestinian National Charter...
This money, like Arafats, will end up in the pockets of corruption, and will also be used to buy more attack weapons to use against Israel.
Nice going Tony...what time is your appointment with the psychiatrist??

Posted by: duh_swami at July 11, 2005 1:05 PM

Totally irresponsible. I guess the G8 wizards have not read the Palestinian National Charter...
This money, like Arafats, will end up in the pockets of corruption, and will also be used to buy more attack weapons to use against Israel.
Nice going Tony...what time is your appointment with the psychiatrist??

Posted by: duh_swami at July 11, 2005 1:06 PM

Tony (Just call me Ethelred) Blair

Have they learned nothing from history?

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"

We discussed this before some months ago. Ethelred the Reedless (which means ill advised, not unprepared) got himself in quite a pickle when the Danes kept coming back for more and more. Like Tony he also had a formidable wife, Emma of Normandy, a lady with her own agenda. I wonder who it is giving the poor advice these days?
Answers on a postcard to....

Posted by: Granny Weatherwax at July 11, 2005 1:45 PM

Talk about danegeld!

Posted by: Elephant at July 11, 2005 1:47 PM

Talk about danegeld!

Posted by: Elephant at July 11, 2005 1:47 PM

Blair is not doing this as a valiant loner, bucking a trend: he is swimming with the dominant Leftist tide.

Posted by: metaxy at July 11, 2005 2:28 PM

These SOBs are giving MY money to Palestinians. If they want to help jihadist scum, let them donate out of their own billions, not my pennies.

You want to be generous dhimmis, Blair and Bush? Not at my expense. Bastards.

Posted by: angry_kafir at July 11, 2005 2:43 PM

As the Brits find more bodies in the Tube will the amount of billions to the PA go up accordingly?

Posted by: BigSleep at July 11, 2005 3:07 PM

I hereby propose that any country with a budget deficit starts planting bombs in rich western countries. Who said that crime didn't pay?

Posted by: cruzado at July 11, 2005 4:33 PM

I think this should give everyone comfort that our $9 billion will be used responsibly.

'Israel Will Eventually Disappear'
Ynet News ^ | 7/11/05 | Dian Bahur-Nir and Ali Waked

'Israel will eventually disappear'

Senior Hamas leader tells Italian newspaper pullout plan a temporary solution; says Palestine will become a Muslim state
By Dian Bahur-Nir and Ali Waked Mahmoud al-Zahar

Hamas will not compromise on one inch of Greater Palestine, Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told an Italian newspaper earlier this week.

Speaking to the Corriere Della Sera newspaper, al-Zahar said Hamas would "definitely not" be prepared for coexistence with Israel should the IDF retreat to its 1967 borders.

"It can be a temporary solution, for a maximum of 5 to 10 years. But in the end Palestine must return to become Muslim, and in the long term Israel will disappear from the face of the earth."

Go to hell

Asked about Hamas's intentions to carry out terror attacks in coordination with the disengagement plan, al-Zahar said Hamas has already promised not to initiate violence, and that the group's actions would be in response to Israeli actions.

"We won't disrupt the Israeli withdrawal, let them get out of here and go to hell," he said. "The problem will be afterwards, because in the hearts of every Palestinian, the liberation of Gaza must be accompanied by the liberation of Jerusalem and the West Bank."

London attack

Al-Zahar said the London bombings, whiched occured during the interview, are to be expected in countries that support the United States.

"It's no wonder today they have found terror attacks in their home," he said. "I am opposed to attacks against civilians, whoever they are, but why not tell it like it is - if the British soldiers were not in Baghdad and Bazra – there would be mercy for London today."

However, a-Zahar stopped short of supporting the attack on the London Underground, but tried to "explain" the acts of suicide bombers..

"There is a broad popular people's movement against American arrogant hegemony. World leaders, headed by the Bush and Blair governments, should have been more attentive to the voice of poorer countries."

Foreign Ministry protests

In Israel, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom provided a translation of part of the interview and parts of the Hamas consitution Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom for European Union envoy Javier Solana, in an attempt to explain Israel's rejection fo negotioations with Hamas.

The Ministry has also embarked on a campaign to discourage Europeans from dealing with Hamas, including an English translation of Hamas's convention, to be distributed to diplomats in a bid to illustrate the movement's radical and dangerous character to the attention of decision makers throughout the world.

"Now, when Europe has offered to recognize Hamas on a political level, al-Zahar provides clear statements of what to expect from the organization," Ministry officials told Ynet. "He does not even attempt to speak ambiguously in an attempt to please Europe and finds it difficult to hide the group's happiness at the London bombings."

Posted by: reset at July 11, 2005 6:26 PM

Didn't PA "officials" just get new Audis last year? Wow! They must be getting Jags this time around.

And our dollars go 'round and 'round, 'round and 'round.

Posted by: bj at July 11, 2005 7:11 PM

And Israel wants 2.2$ billion for their Gaza pullout. Where do I get in line for my cut of the booty?

Israel seeks $2.2 billion from US for Gaza pullout
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050711/ts_nm/mideast_dc

Posted by: reset at July 11, 2005 8:32 PM

In an interview in the Corriere della Sera (8 July, p. 15, bottom right) Mahmoud al-Zahar carefully explains that once Gaza is pocketed, the war for the West Bank begins. Once the West Bank is won, the rest of Israel will go. And then he adds this, which I hope everyone will look at closely, for Mahmoud al-Zahar is one of those who, along with his Hamas supporters who are now a majority of those "Palestinians,"
be receiving your tax dollars, your share of the largest single Jizyah in history -- the $9 billion to be paid to Arab Muslims who have managed already to drive many Christians from the area, and are getting ready to destroy the Jews.

Here is what he said:

"Comunque le armi americane o israeliane possono fare ben poco. Perche alla fine l'islam trionfera. La nostra religione, la nostra cultura, sono destinate ad avere il sopraveento in pochi decenni sulla decadenza dell'Occidente. Tra al massimo mezzo secolo degli Stati Unii restera soltanto un vago ricordo."

which Englished is:

"However American and Israeli arms can do very little. Because Islam will triumph in the end. Our religion, our culture, are destined to prevail over the decadent West within a few decades. Within a half-century -- at most -- the United States will be only a vague memory."

Glad your leaders are giving Mahmoud al-Zahar and his ilk $3 billion a year for the next three years?

What do you think? Does he sound like someone who will change his mind? Does he sound like someone who can be bought off?

We are imperilled, and we are led by the wilfully ignorant, and the foolish.

O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope in years to come,
Protect us from the stormy blast...

You know what I mean.

Posted by: Hugh at July 11, 2005 8:58 PM

And Jordan wants some booty too. We are such fools, and our government is spend happy with absolutely no self control. It is sickening to me. I cannot believe how we have become the world's 'goto' for handouts, and what little we get in return. At least Israel doesn't hate us and spit at us.

http://www.jordantimes.com/mon/economy/economy1.htm

US extends $100m additional grant

Jordan Times ^ | 7-11-05 | Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN — The US government will grant the Kingdom an additional $100 million taking the total US economic assistance this year to $350

Posted by: reset at July 11, 2005 9:08 PM

The Americans should have politely written down the phone numbers of natural-gas-rich Qatar (with only a few hundred thousand people to split the tens of billions in loot), and Kuwait, and the U.A.E., and even Mr. Big, Saudi Arabia, and handed the piece of paper over to the Jordanians, telling them "Good Luck." What a change that would have been. And had it been publicized, the American public would have been delirious with joy. As it is, the more they learn about the jizyah, the more they add up the amounts we have spent on the Muslims of Iraq, and Afghanistan, and to buy at least some cooperation from Pakistan, and the amounts given (for nothing, for less than nothing) to Egypt and to the "Palestinians" who look forward, as the head of Hamas Mahmud al-Zahar does, to a mere 50 years hence, when America is "but a vague memory," and to Jordan too, with its plucky little king replaced by his son, a slightly stouter and less plucky little king, but with a less fruity accent as well, and one more mediagenic consort, just like Assad, or the ruler of Qatar. My, all of those Circassian women kidnapped and brought back to Araby did, here and there, but only here and there, improve things physically, didn't they? Nothing like a little selective kidnapping and enslaving to improve the blood-line. Not to mention the Frangi, the Franks, who stayed on when the bulk of the Crusaders went home.

Posted by: Hugh at July 11, 2005 9:56 PM

Via de Independent On Line:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=24&art_id=vn20050710123401239C321093

“An expert in terrorist finances said the London bombings probably only cost between $10 000 and $15 000 to carry out.”

You do the math, Tony.

Posted by: Kim Hartveld at July 12, 2005 4:45 AM

Mahmoud al-Zahar-"Israel would Disappear"
Are'nt they saying this for 58 years?

Posted by: secret at July 12, 2005 5:17 AM

Mahmoud al-Zahar-"Israel would Disappear"
Are'nt they saying this for 58 years?

Posted by: secret at July 12, 2005 5:17 AM

US should deny the money sought by Israel for the Gaza pullout.That would hopefully fail the pullout.

Posted by: secret at July 12, 2005 5:25 AM

So mind-numbingly stupid it's almost laughable. Ever thought of asking this lot to cough up, Tony?

http://saudiembassy.net/2005News/News/EneDetail.asp?cIndex=5364

Posted by: Effractor at July 12, 2005 6:00 AM

So mind-numbingly stupid it's almost laughable. Ever thought of asking this lot to cough up, Tony?

http://saudiembassy.net/2005News/News/EneDetail.asp?cIndex=5364

Posted by: Effractor at July 12, 2005 6:01 AM

So mind-numbingly stupid it's almost laughable. Ever thought of asking this lot to cough up, Tony?

http://saudiembassy.net/2005News/News/EneDetail.asp?cIndex=5364

Posted by: Effractor at July 12, 2005 6:01 AM

Mahmoud al-Zahar-"Israel would Disappear"
Are'nt they saying this for 58 years?

Posted by: secret at July 12, 2005 05:17 AM

Indeed, they have. They also claim to have Allah on their side but lost three successive wars against Israel as well.

Posted by: waterdragon52 at July 12, 2005 9:06 AM