Bush signs $700 million humanitarian pact in Tanzania

[flashl]

Source: International Herald Tribune

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania: President George W. Bush has been smothered with affection here, never more so than on Sunday, when he sat at a wooden desk under a sweltering sun with President Jakaya Kikwete by his side, and signed a $698 million grant of foreign aid to Tanzania.

But while people here in the capital city of this east African nation are excited about Bush, another American politician seems to excite them even more - Barack Obama.

Bush is here on a six-day, five-country tour to spotlight American efforts to fight poverty and disease in Africa. But though the president's face is on billboards all over town, the name Obama is on the lips of Tanzanians - from taxi drivers to city merchants to the artisans who sell carved wooden Masai warriors in makeshift stalls at a dusty open-air market on the outskirts of town.

...

To be sure, there is excitement about Bush. The White House says foreign aid to Africa doubled during his first term and will nearly double again, to $8.7 billion a year, by 2010 if his budget proposals are adopted. The $698 million compact he signed Sunday is the largest grant ever awarded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation, established to assist countries that embrace democracy and fight corruption.

IHT

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/17/africa/bush.php

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$698 million to embrace democracy and fight corruption? Already, $2 million is missing.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Does that come out to $600 per person, $1200 for married couples?

[gateley]

2. Cui bono -- certainly not those in need of the aid.

I don't trust a thing that man does.

[Donnachaidh]

3. Guess he wants to protect the gun manufacturers that use Tanzania

as a drop-off point for their supplies. Watch a movie running on Sundance called Darwin's Nightmare. I'd really be surprised if much of that humanitarian aid got to the REAL people in Tanzania who need it. It will be shuttled off to the gun runners, and the politicians making money off the many wars and scuffles throughout the continent.

The locals live off the scraps of the Nile Perch (which includes the backbones and fishheads), while plane loads of Nile Perch are sold in Europe and the US. Every plane that leaves loaded with fish comes back loaded with MUNITIONS.

:puke:

[ohio2007]

14. gotta a link to that fish for EU munitions story ?

they would get more bang for their buck buying Chinese AK-47's.....they are dirt cheap compared to western weapons.. China is ready to deal.

[thunder rising]

4. NOLA? I thought charity begins at home. But I guess when your hated at home...

[Robbien]

5. This fund equates economic freedom with corporate superiority

MCC mandate: Corporations rule. People do not.

Any country agreeing to that mandate may get funding.

[Donkeykick]

6. Dubya is hoping that this gets his poll #s up!

:eyes:

[jwirr]

7. Look, I was watching a video of Brad Pitt's visit to Africa for ONE.

Everyone was very excited wanting to get close to him. But probably not because he is a big star. These nations are poor and to them anyone from "Amurika" is rich and offers hope. Which is why they get all excited. What they do not understand is that when *ss promises he usually does not deliver. But even if he actually gives part of that to them it is a lot.

[aquart]

8. Does he get to take home any pretty blue stones?

[Arctic Dave]

9. Trying to suck up

before China makes a pact with them first.
I agree, just like most aid packages the majority is siphoned off by the corrupt and doesn't get to the ones in need.

[anakie]

10. which equates to approx 3 days spending on the Iraq war! n/t

[dipsydoodle]

11. Doesn't seem to mention

with which American corporations they've got to spend the aid. Its almost as sick as petrodollar recycling - trade oil in petrodollars which can only be invested in the USA.

[MasonJar]

12. Is that about two days in Iraq? I've lost count the numbers are so high.

[ohio2007]

13. playing domino's ?

seeing how Kenya has issues in the news recently



Recent history
In 1979 Tanzania declared war on Uganda after Uganda invaded and tried to annex the northern Tanzanian province of Kagera. Tanzania not only expelled Ugandan forces, but, enlisting the country's population of Ugandan exiles, also invaded Uganda itself. On April 11, 1979, Idi Amin was forced to quit the capital, Kampala. The Tanzanian army took the city with the help of the Ugandan and Rwandan guerrillas. Amin fled into exile. <1>



snip

Prolonged drought during the early years of the 21st century has severely reduced electricity generation capacity (some 60% of Tanzania's electricity supplies are generated by hydro-electric schemesDuring 2006 Tanzania suffered a crippling series of "load-shedding" or power rationing because of the shortfall of generated power, largely because of insufficient hydro-electric generation snip
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanzania

Water is a problem

[laylah]

15. I am just curious as to

WHERE THE FORK DOES THAT MONEY COME FROM??????????? gawd/dess I HATE him...he sucks...is evil...and may he rot. :puke:

[Vinca]

16. In a slightly related twist to the story, George declined to go on a safari

because the last time he went he was subjected to the unscripted sight of elephants mating. Apparently it offends his sensibilities.
:rofl: