Funding for terrorists? I didn't vote for this...

You can read related commentary and links here.
What is the difference? Fatah holds the same views as Hamas; they are just less honest about it publicly, and pretend to acknowledge Israel's right to exist, in exchange for foreign aid. And that's exactly what they are getting. In fact, it looks like we will be sending funds for BOTH groups!

Our government doesn't want to send money to support our troops in Iraq, but they CAN send MILLIONS in US tax payers dollars to support terrorists. I'm not surprised at the Democrats doing this. But now the Republican's are hopping on board? From Tammy Bruce:

Bush Has Now Officially Jumped the Shark

[...] First, Rice insists on us sending $86 million more dollars to terrorist group Fatah, holed up in the West Bank after the absolutely terrific job they did with the hundreds of millions in weapons and support we had already sent to them. She also wants to give another $40 million to the UN which will then send it to the "Palestinians" in the Gaza Strip. Yeah, great idea--prop up Hamas, and help the people who voted in Hamas in the first place so their Islamist paradise will be sustained long enough so they can assist Iran in the complete destruction of Israel.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced Monday that the administration would contribute $40 million to the United Nations to help the Palestinians, particularly in the Gaza Strip, and ask Congress to approve another $86 million in U.S. aid.

Congress has been mostly quiet on the issue, although some Republicans say they have grave concerns the money will end up in the hands of Hamas.

if you think she's and Bush are pushing this because Fatah and the CIA were organizational geniuses and got all our weapons and supplies out of the Gaza Strip, think again. Hamas has released a list of $400 million in U.S. supplied weapons, ammunition and various military supplies they have captured. To say nothing of the CIA material also left behind. Here's a partial list of what Hamas, an Iranian Death Squad, now has its bloody paws on:

* "Dozens" of mounted machine guns
* Approximately 7,400 American M-16 assault rifles
* About 800,000 rounds of bullets.
* Eighteen armored personnel carriers
* Seven armored military jeeps
* "Tens" of armored civilian cars, including pickup trucks and magnums.
* Eight massive trucks equipped with water cannons for dispersing protests
* Fourteen military-sized bulldozers

And what does Hamas think of our pledge to send more aid and weapons to Abbas? They're lovin' it. [...]

(bold emphasis mine) I'm sure they are loving it. What the hell is our state department doing? How is this helping FIGHT the WOT? This looks more like insuring that it continues! Are we (the governments of the West) part of the problem? We certainly seem to be sustaining it. Literally.

You can read related commentary and links here.

LGF reports that the Bush Administration is considering 'Reaching Out' to the Muslim Brotherhood, the very source of the cancer that afflicts the Middle East today.

I thought it was the policy of Jimmy Carter and the Democrats to believe the lie that EVERYTHING can be solved by diplomacy. We've already been down that road many, many times, with disastrous results.

I didn't vote Republican so they could then implement the Democrat's foreign policy. If the Republicans are now going to go spineless and adopt the Democrat's clueless foreign policy, we are in BIG trouble.

I suspect that we are once again giving money to the Palestinians in order to once again prevent an all-out war. Essentially, we are buying them off. But that just allows them to regroup and grow stronger. Aren't we just postponing the inevitable, and perhaps making it even worse when it does happen?

If you want a crash-course in what is happening in Gaza and the West Bank, see LMC's post: The Gaza Civil War. It's an excellent summary of the situation, with many good links.