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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
 Posted - 09/13/2001 : 20:44:40
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comradebillyboy
Skeptic Friend
USA
188 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2001 : 21:25:22 [Permalink]
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the us government has been paying the talaban to not produce opium. this year the bush administration paid the talaban more than $150,000,000 to not grow opium poppies. they have been doing their share to help the administration's revitalized war on drugs.
comrade billyboy |
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 09/13/2001 : 21:34:08 [Permalink]
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quote:
the us government has been paying the talaban to not produce opium.
I wasn't aware of that- thanks for the reply, billy. Somehow, I'm skeptical of those folks... I've been hearing talk of our bombing them soon.
Ron White |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 00:31:21 [Permalink]
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I really hope that when the US commence bombing they bomb the right target. A repeat of what they did to Lebanon would definatly not be a good thing for the world.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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ronnywhite
SFN Regular
501 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 02:59:43 [Permalink]
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"A repeat of what they did to Lebanon would definatly not be a good thing for the world."
I wholeheartedly agree- retribution is in order, but retribution designed to achieve our ends- to punish the bad guys, and send a message to others like them... not just wreak unbridled havoc and destruction, hoping the idea gets across somewhere along the way.
Ron White |
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bestonnet_00
Skeptic Friend
Australia
358 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 03:14:13 [Permalink]
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The US will get back at whoever did this. They will probably have the rest of the world right behind them while doing so.
It seems to me very unlikely that the wrong target will be chosen and we should all hope it isn't.
The attack on the US is considered by most countries to be an attack on the whole world and the democratic principles that many of the countries on this planet operate by. Bin Laden is going to find out if Allah really does exist.
Radioactive GM Crops.
Slightly above background.
Safe to eat.
But no activist would dare rip it out.
As they think it gives them cancer. |
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Greg
Skeptic Friend
USA
281 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 04:44:26 [Permalink]
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quote:
the us government has been paying the talaban to not produce opium. this year the bush administration paid the talaban more than $150,000,000 to not grow opium poppies. they have been doing their share to help the administration's revitalized war on drugs.
The UN says that the Taliban is simply stockpiling poppies in order to drive the price up. The Talibn is an excessdingly opressive regime and I wouldn't trust them at all. I don't think that one can seriously justify sending that type of aid to the type of regime they are for just not growing opium. There are many other possible reasons that the Administration did this, from bribe money to hand over Bin Laden to bribe money to allow US interests in the country.
Greg.
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Greg
Skeptic Friend
USA
281 Posts |
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 06:33:31 [Permalink]
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quote:
the us government has been paying the talaban to not produce opium. this year the bush administration paid the talaban more than $150,000,000 to not grow opium poppies. they have been doing their share to help the administration's revitalized war on drugs.
This is not a question meant to start an argument, I honestly don't know the answer, and am asking for enlightenment.
When you say the "Bush Administration" gave someone money, can you be more specific? Where does any executive branch department get $150,000,000 from? Surely they don't have a descretionary fund that big, and Pres. Bush signed off on using some of if this way?
Are you sure this wasn't a spending program already in place, and Bush simply didn't get around to stopping it (or even knowing about it), therefore is being misrepresented as activily doing this so as to paint him in the worst possible light?
Was any money given to the Taliban during the Clinton years?
And finally, if it is true that the Bush Administration actively and willfully did this, and no one has ever done this before this year, as the Bush Administration has only been in office for about 9 months, have they really had time to send that much money somewhere?!
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Hope springs eternal but there's no conviction
Actions mistaken for lip service paid
All this concern is the true contradiction
The world is insane... |
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Greg
Skeptic Friend
USA
281 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 06:44:34 [Permalink]
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quote:
When you say the "Bush Administration" gave someone money, can you be more specific? Where does any executive branch department get $150,000,000 from? Surely they don't have a descretionary fund that big, and Pres. Bush signed off on using some of if this way?
The money came from foreign aid funds and has been payed out in installments over about 6 months - the last being about $43 Million about 4 weeks ago. I think that the total is somewhat less than $150 Million though. I will try to look up some more information if you like.
Greg.
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 06:52:11 [Permalink]
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quote:
The money came from foreign aid funds and has been payed out in installments over about 6 months - the last being about $43 Million about 4 weeks ago. I think that the total is somewhat less than $150 Million though. I will try to look up some more information if you like.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
I guess my main question is, who approves where the money goes? Am I wrong in thinking that only the Congress can spend any money (other than discretionary money that Congress gives to whoever to spend on whatever they want)?
So there's a foreign aid fund established. What role does the Executive Branch have in allocating that money, other than simple recommendations?
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Hope springs eternal but there's no conviction
Actions mistaken for lip service paid
All this concern is the true contradiction
The world is insane... |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 07:55:23 [Permalink]
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quote:
quote:
The money came from foreign aid funds and has been payed out in installments over about 6 months - the last being about $43 Million about 4 weeks ago. I think that the total is somewhat less than $150 Million though. I will try to look up some more information if you like.
Thanks, I appreciate it.
I guess my main question is, who approves where the money goes? Am I wrong in thinking that only the Congress can spend any money (other than discretionary money that Congress gives to whoever to spend on whatever they want)?
So there's a foreign aid fund established. What role does the Executive Branch have in allocating that money, other than simple recommendations?
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Hope springs eternal but there's no conviction
Actions mistaken for lip service paid
All this concern is the true contradiction
The world is insane...
I believe we had a similar thread in the Medicine board. The executive branch can direct the spending of funds in discretionary accounts of any governmental branch by executive order. In this way, President Bush funded stem cell research on the strains he identified. In this way, he could direct monies to Afghanistan to bribe them not to sell opium.
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Tokyodreamer
SFN Regular
USA
1447 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 08:04:50 [Permalink]
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quote:
The executive branch can direct the spending of funds in discretionary accounts of any governmental branch by executive order.
Ah, now we're gettin' somewhere! 
Was there an executive order by Bush to do this?
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Hope springs eternal but there's no conviction
Actions mistaken for lip service paid
All this concern is the true contradiction
The world is insane... |
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@tomic
Administrator
USA
4607 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 09:30:35 [Permalink]
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I do know that Bush had the final say on where this money went. he allowed it to go to a nation that has allowed bin Laden to operate within its border for years. Keeping track of things like this is part of the President's job.
If he wasn't so bent on cutting taxes he might have done a better job in other areas. Maybe not. Either way, he had the say. Should have stopped it. Didn't
@tomic
Gravity, not just a good idea...it's the law! |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 09:42:13 [Permalink]
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quote:
quote:
The executive branch can direct the spending of funds in discretionary accounts of any governmental branch by executive order.
Ah, now we're gettin' somewhere!
Was there an executive order by Bush to do this?
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Hope springs eternal but there's no conviction
Actions mistaken for lip service paid
All this concern is the true contradiction
The world is insane...
I will not attribute actions to an individual which I have no information on. While it is possible for the executive branch to direct these funds, the departments may be working on older directives or directives given by the executive branch to stop the proliferation of opium. If they have paid off Afghanistan in the past, then this is merely the continuation of this practice. I will say only that the executive through executive order has the possibility of directing this action.
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Greg
Skeptic Friend
USA
281 Posts |
Posted - 09/14/2001 : 09:49:45 [Permalink]
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I'm digging on this but I don't have a lot of time right now however...
The $43 Million I spoke of above was released as humanitarian aid at the end of July (I heard about it about 4 weeks ago). Feminist groups were dismayed at this because of the Taliban's treatment of women and asked the Administration to explain. Colin Powell explained that the aid was for displaced refugees within the Afghan borders and was distributed through UN aid networks and not the Taliban.
There were other dispersments of money to the Taliban earlier that I believe came out of the drug war budget much of which is discretionary.
More later.
Greg.
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