RUSH: The only thing I was gonna say about Olympia Snowe is, in this USA Today story there's major concern here that we may now lose the Senate because of this. Republicans might lose the Senate because of this. Excuse me. I thought that's what Romney was gonna do, was make sure that we didn't lose the Senate even if he lost. I did hear that? I know that I heard that. But if one Republican retires we might lose the Senate? First I've heard of that.
RUSH: You know what's laughable about the Republicans panicking over the fact that Olympia Snowe retiring means that we might lose the Senate? As far as I'm concerned, with her in it, we never had it! That's been the problem. With Olympia Snowe in the Senate as a Republican, we've never had the Senate as Republicans. She didn't vote with Republicans; she didn't vote with conservatives. This is no great loss. It's no different than a Democrat retiring. This is the illusion the Republican Party is in. They think they lost a Republican. They didn't! We never had the Senate as long as she was in it. And Susan Collins, too, and a number of others. Voinovich half the time. You know the usual suspects.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Olympia Snow Retiring - Rush's reaction
It was pretty much as I expected, and it was correct as well... Snow was a RHINO...
Condoms are pretty cheap...
Rush got in a zing about Nancy Pelosi and her "botox-filled" face. So what? So what, Rush?
But then he raised an important point. Law students at Georgetown are having so much sex that they can't afford to pay for their own birth control. Well...gee...then don't have sex, eh? Or why not just use condoms????
But then he raised an important point. Law students at Georgetown are having so much sex that they can't afford to pay for their own birth control. Well...gee...then don't have sex, eh? Or why not just use condoms????
February 29th, Leap Day:
"A Georgetown co-ed told Rep. Nancy Pelosi's hearing that the women in her law school program are having so much sex that they're going broke, so you and I should pay for their birth control. Speaking at a hearing held by Pelosi to tout Pres. Obama's mandate that virtually every health insurance plan cover the full cost of contraception and abortion-inducing products, Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke said that it's too expensive to have sex in law school without mandated insurance coverage. Apparently, four out of every ten co-eds are having so much sex that it's hard to make ends meet if they have to pay for their own contraception, Fluke's research shows."
Can you imagine if you're her parents how proud of Sandra Fluke you would be? Your daughter goes up to a congressional hearing conducted by the Botox-filled Nancy Pelosi, and testifies she's having so much sex she can't afford her own birth control pills and she agrees that Obama should provide them, or the Pope. "'Forty percent of the female students at Georgetown Law reported to us that they struggled financially as a result of this policy (Georgetown student insurance not covering contraception), Fluke reported. It costs a female student $3,000 to have protected sex over the course of her three-year stint in law school, according to her calculations.
"'Without insurance coverage, contraception, as you know, can cost a woman over $3,000 during law school,' Fluke told the hearing. $3,000 for birth control in three years? That's a thousand dollars a year of sex -- and, she wants us to pay for it."
Government wasting billions of our money - so what else is new?
We see articles like this all the time - but no one ever seems to do anything about it!
From HotAir: GAO Report: Government wastes “tens of billions” of dollars on duplication and overlap
Another year, another Government Accountability Office report that shows the federal government still hasn’t gotten its act together when it comes to waste. Last year, the GAO report showed overlap in 81 areas and recommended 176 actions to reduce or eliminate unnecessary duplication. This year, the report shows overlap in 51 areas and recommends 130 actions. That’s some improvement, I guess — but still not enough.
The White House says the report doesn’t reflect consolidation proposals in the president’s 2013 budget. But does the president’s budget address the ways in which the government undermines its own efforts to reduce potato chip consumption? Allow Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn to explain:
He said government’s duplication in nutritional programs alone — worth $62.5 billion in 2008, according to GAO — have burned taxpayers over items as simple as potato chips.
“While many of these programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allow federal funds to purchase potato chips, dozens of other government-wide initiatives, are aimed at keeping Americans healthy, specifically suggesting food like potato chips should be limited in intake, and perhaps even taken out of public schools all together,” he said.
“At the same time, just this year the Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $50,000 federal grant was being doled out to a private potato chip company in New York. According the proposal, this money would be used to overhaul their media strategy and raise brand awareness and consumer knowledge — essentially encouraging people to buy and consume potato chips,” he said, noting that potato chips sales in the United States exceed $6 billion annually.
Coburn said that sales level “begs the question why the taxpayers are now asked to subsidize promotion and marketing for the industry.”
Michelle Obama must be outraged.
Coburn and Gene Dodaro, comptroller general for the United States, testified today about the GAO report and government waste in general at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee. Chairman Darrell Issa took the report as evidence that “the bureaucracy” — not necessarily Democrats or Republicans — is the enemy of taxpayers, but Coburn cast the blame squarely on Congress:
“We set the budget, we pass the appropriations bills and we authorize new activities at the federal agencies. We refuse to apply metrics and standards to the programs we create. We ignore our duty to conduct oversight. And we choose to remain uninformed about existing efforts before creating new ones,” he said.
Coburn’s willingness to accept responsibility — he is, after all, a part of the very Congress he censures — is inspiring. Maybe we the people should look to ourselves to accept responsibility, too. Surely we can do more to encourage accountability. Maybe take a look at the report, find an example of waste that astonishes you and pitch an idea to curb it to your congressman?
From HotAir: GAO Report: Government wastes “tens of billions” of dollars on duplication and overlap
Another year, another Government Accountability Office report that shows the federal government still hasn’t gotten its act together when it comes to waste. Last year, the GAO report showed overlap in 81 areas and recommended 176 actions to reduce or eliminate unnecessary duplication. This year, the report shows overlap in 51 areas and recommends 130 actions. That’s some improvement, I guess — but still not enough.
The White House says the report doesn’t reflect consolidation proposals in the president’s 2013 budget. But does the president’s budget address the ways in which the government undermines its own efforts to reduce potato chip consumption? Allow Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn to explain:
He said government’s duplication in nutritional programs alone — worth $62.5 billion in 2008, according to GAO — have burned taxpayers over items as simple as potato chips.
“While many of these programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allow federal funds to purchase potato chips, dozens of other government-wide initiatives, are aimed at keeping Americans healthy, specifically suggesting food like potato chips should be limited in intake, and perhaps even taken out of public schools all together,” he said.
“At the same time, just this year the Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $50,000 federal grant was being doled out to a private potato chip company in New York. According the proposal, this money would be used to overhaul their media strategy and raise brand awareness and consumer knowledge — essentially encouraging people to buy and consume potato chips,” he said, noting that potato chips sales in the United States exceed $6 billion annually.
Coburn said that sales level “begs the question why the taxpayers are now asked to subsidize promotion and marketing for the industry.”
Michelle Obama must be outraged.
Coburn and Gene Dodaro, comptroller general for the United States, testified today about the GAO report and government waste in general at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Relations Committee. Chairman Darrell Issa took the report as evidence that “the bureaucracy” — not necessarily Democrats or Republicans — is the enemy of taxpayers, but Coburn cast the blame squarely on Congress:
“We set the budget, we pass the appropriations bills and we authorize new activities at the federal agencies. We refuse to apply metrics and standards to the programs we create. We ignore our duty to conduct oversight. And we choose to remain uninformed about existing efforts before creating new ones,” he said.
Coburn’s willingness to accept responsibility — he is, after all, a part of the very Congress he censures — is inspiring. Maybe we the people should look to ourselves to accept responsibility, too. Surely we can do more to encourage accountability. Maybe take a look at the report, find an example of waste that astonishes you and pitch an idea to curb it to your congressman?
29 Feb 2012, Wed, Rush Limbaugh headlines
--Don't Be Depressed by an Alternative Reality, Move to Realville and Live with Me
--Should I Just Declare the Republican Primary Over and Anoint Mitt Romney?
--Butt Sisters are Safe from Newt and Rick
--A Likeable Obama Supporter
--Who's Really Dividing Us on Social Issues? It's Obama, Not Santorum or Gingrich!
--Breaking News: Olympia Snowe Turns Over the Senate to the Democrats
--Sebelius: Private Health Insurance Industry in Death Spiral
--Establishment Frets Over Mitt
--Chu: We Don't Want to Lower Gas Prices
--An Upbeat Newt Backer
--This Show Gets Results: Ron Paul Recycles Anti-Romney Ad
Stack of Stuff
--Mitt Romney Wins Michigan, Arizona
--Dems Grow Confident of Taking Back House
--Gingrich Targeting "Super Tuesday"
-Gas Prices Hit $5 on Long Island
--Gov't Wasting Billions on Overlap
--Should I Just Declare the Republican Primary Over and Anoint Mitt Romney?
--Butt Sisters are Safe from Newt and Rick
--A Likeable Obama Supporter
--Who's Really Dividing Us on Social Issues? It's Obama, Not Santorum or Gingrich!
--Breaking News: Olympia Snowe Turns Over the Senate to the Democrats
--Sebelius: Private Health Insurance Industry in Death Spiral
--Establishment Frets Over Mitt
--Chu: We Don't Want to Lower Gas Prices
--An Upbeat Newt Backer
--This Show Gets Results: Ron Paul Recycles Anti-Romney Ad
Stack of Stuff
--Mitt Romney Wins Michigan, Arizona
--Dems Grow Confident of Taking Back House
--Gingrich Targeting "Super Tuesday"
-Gas Prices Hit $5 on Long Island
--Gov't Wasting Billions on Overlap
Olympia Snow retires, Romney wins
Rush will be talking about these today, so I won't share the news articles. Will comment on them more fully tonight (after I return from my Wednesday volunteer hours at the Library!)
29 Feb 2012, SoS Clinton and Staff
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/02/184861.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
1:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns departs on foreign travel to Brazil. Please click here for more information.
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides is on foreign travel to Korea and Japan through March 1. In Korea, he will meet with senior government officials and business leaders to reaffirm support for U.S.-Korea economic and defense cooperation. In Japan, he will do the same, and deliver remarks with 10 U.S. chiefs of mission in the Asia Pacific region to the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce in support of the Secretary's economic statecraft agenda.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
5:00 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Senator Bob Corker, on Capitol Hill.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:15 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with members the U.S.-Indonesian Interfaith Delegation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with UK Permanent Under Secretary Simon Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR MANAGEMENT PATRICK KENNEDY
Under Secretary Kennedy is on foreign travel in Kyiv, Ukraine.
9:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Kennedy delivers remarks at the dedication ceremony for the new embassy compound, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
8:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the UK-US Economic Statecraft Conference, at the UK Ambassador’s residence, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD Ambassador Richard Boucher, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Switzerland through March 5.
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
Ambassador Marshall leads an Experience America trip to Los Angeles, California with members of the Diplomatic Corps and their spouses through March 3. Experience America trips build relationships, encourage business investment and trade, provide a forum for dialogue, and create opportunities for interchange between Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and American leaders in a wide array of fields.
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:40 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at the South Asia Area Studies Seminar, at the Foreign Service Institute.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Lieutenant General (retired) Dan Leaf of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends an event hosted by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to represent the U.S. at the Urgent Debate on Syria during the High-Level segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 19th regular session. Please click here for more information.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Douglas Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29. This is part of a larger trip to the Gulf region to meet with economic officials and business community representatives to discuss deepening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, Gulf investment in North Africa and participation in the Deauville Partnership, the National Export Initiative, infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius through March 2. On Wednesday, Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on European security issues and the next steps in arms control at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM), in Warsaw, Poland.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer attends a meeting of the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness, at the Department of Commerce, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
11:15 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with participants from the Argentine FURPS Voluntary Visitors Program, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:45 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Douglas Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
1:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones hosts an inter-agency meeting of senior officials on the U.S. Water Partnership, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE).
COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS DAWN MCCALL
Coordinator McCall is on foreign travel in Barcelona, Spain to participate in the 2012 Mobile World Congress.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends the U.S.-Brazil Political-Military Dialogue in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with Korean Ambassador Moon Ha Yong, Special Representative for Overseas Korean and Consular Affairs, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
1:30 p.m. Ambassador Goosby meets with Representative Adam Schiff to discuss the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, on Capitol Hill.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on travel in New York City through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
10:30 a.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal joins Under Secretary Sherman’s meeting with members the U.S.-Indonesian Interfaith Delegation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
7:30 a.m. Director Sullivan meets with UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, at the UK Embassy, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
8:30 a.m. Director Sullivan delivers remarks at a symposium, “The Role of Soft Power: Economic Solutions to Strategic Problems”, at the UK Embassy, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:30 p.m. Director Sullivan meets with Israeli Policy Planning Director Eran Etzion, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
THERE WILL NOT BE A DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
1:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
Deputy Secretary Burns departs on foreign travel to Brazil. Please click here for more information.
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides is on foreign travel to Korea and Japan through March 1. In Korea, he will meet with senior government officials and business leaders to reaffirm support for U.S.-Korea economic and defense cooperation. In Japan, he will do the same, and deliver remarks with 10 U.S. chiefs of mission in the Asia Pacific region to the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce in support of the Secretary's economic statecraft agenda.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
5:00 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Senator Bob Corker, on Capitol Hill.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:15 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with members the U.S.-Indonesian Interfaith Delegation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with UK Permanent Under Secretary Simon Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR MANAGEMENT PATRICK KENNEDY
Under Secretary Kennedy is on foreign travel in Kyiv, Ukraine.
9:30 a.m. LOCAL Under Secretary Kennedy delivers remarks at the dedication ceremony for the new embassy compound, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
8:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the UK-US Economic Statecraft Conference, at the UK Ambassador’s residence, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:30 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD Ambassador Richard Boucher, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Switzerland through March 5.
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
Ambassador Marshall leads an Experience America trip to Los Angeles, California with members of the Diplomatic Corps and their spouses through March 3. Experience America trips build relationships, encourage business investment and trade, provide a forum for dialogue, and create opportunities for interchange between Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and American leaders in a wide array of fields.
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:40 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake delivers remarks at the South Asia Area Studies Seminar, at the Foreign Service Institute.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Lieutenant General (retired) Dan Leaf of the Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
7:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake attends an event hosted by the American-Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to represent the U.S. at the Urgent Debate on Syria during the High-Level segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 19th regular session. Please click here for more information.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
4:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Douglas Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29. This is part of a larger trip to the Gulf region to meet with economic officials and business community representatives to discuss deepening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, Gulf investment in North Africa and participation in the Deauville Partnership, the National Export Initiative, infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius through March 2. On Wednesday, Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on European security issues and the next steps in arms control at the Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM), in Warsaw, Poland.
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
2:00 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer attends a meeting of the Task Force on Travel and Competitiveness, at the Department of Commerce, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
11:15 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with participants from the Argentine FURPS Voluntary Visitors Program, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:45 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson meets with Commander, U.S. Southern Command General Douglas Fraser, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR OCEANS AND INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SCIENTIFIC AFFAIRS KERRI-ANN JONES
1:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Jones hosts an inter-agency meeting of senior officials on the U.S. Water Partnership, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE).
COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS DAWN MCCALL
Coordinator McCall is on foreign travel in Barcelona, Spain to participate in the 2012 Mobile World Congress.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends the U.S.-Brazil Political-Military Dialogue in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with Korean Ambassador Moon Ha Yong, Special Representative for Overseas Korean and Consular Affairs, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
1:30 p.m. Ambassador Goosby meets with Representative Adam Schiff to discuss the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, on Capitol Hill.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on travel in New York City through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
10:30 a.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal joins Under Secretary Sherman’s meeting with members the U.S.-Indonesian Interfaith Delegation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
7:30 a.m. Director Sullivan meets with UK Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott, at the UK Embassy, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
8:30 a.m. Director Sullivan delivers remarks at a symposium, “The Role of Soft Power: Economic Solutions to Strategic Problems”, at the UK Embassy, in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:30 p.m. Director Sullivan meets with Israeli Policy Planning Director Eran Etzion, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
THERE WILL NOT BE A DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
29 Feb 2012, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
11:00 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:00 pm
The President and the Vice President meet for lunch with Congressional Leadership
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
8:20 pm
The President and the First Lady host a dinner in honor of the Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and their families; the Vice President and Dr. Biden also attend
East Room
Pooled Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am
The Vice President meets with the National Guard Adjutants General
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
11:00 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:00 pm
The President and the Vice President meet for lunch with Congressional Leadership
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
8:20 pm
The President and the First Lady host a dinner in honor of the Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and their families; the Vice President and Dr. Biden also attend
East Room
Pooled Press
11:00 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:00 pm
The President and the Vice President meet for lunch with Congressional Leadership
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
8:20 pm
The President and the First Lady host a dinner in honor of the Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and their families; the Vice President and Dr. Biden also attend
East Room
Pooled Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am
The Vice President meets with the National Guard Adjutants General
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
11:00 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:00 pm
The President and the Vice President meet for lunch with Congressional Leadership
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
8:20 pm
The President and the First Lady host a dinner in honor of the Armed Forces who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn and their families; the Vice President and Dr. Biden also attend
East Room
Pooled Press
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Apology Express in Full Swing
If, 10 years ago, some gays had been expelled from Harvard, I can see apologizing to them and to the gay community.
But Harvard today apologized because - in 1920 - some suspected gays were expelled for being gay.
Why? No one alive today had anything to do with what happened in 1920 - why apologize for it.
in 1920 - that's the way it was. Women weren't treated well, blacks weren't treated well, gays weren't treated well. That's the way it was, and over the last 90+ years we have all gradually obtained our rights, so that today - or at least since 1969 and the Civil Rights Act - we all expect to be treated in the right way. And if someone mistreats us today - damn straight we'll expect apologies and so on.
But to apologize for something that they had nothing to do with - as the folks at Harvard have just done (they're also going to award these people posthumous degrees!) - that's just stupid.
And of course it opens the door for every relative of everyone who has been mistreated down through the centuries to say - because my grandmother or granddad was denied their rights in 1920, I didn't grow up in a wealthy household and you owe me $100,000 or more to make up for that.
Its stupid, but that's what's going to happen, because now that the door has been opened, you just know the blood-sucking lawyers are going to go right through it.
But Harvard today apologized because - in 1920 - some suspected gays were expelled for being gay.
Why? No one alive today had anything to do with what happened in 1920 - why apologize for it.
in 1920 - that's the way it was. Women weren't treated well, blacks weren't treated well, gays weren't treated well. That's the way it was, and over the last 90+ years we have all gradually obtained our rights, so that today - or at least since 1969 and the Civil Rights Act - we all expect to be treated in the right way. And if someone mistreats us today - damn straight we'll expect apologies and so on.
But to apologize for something that they had nothing to do with - as the folks at Harvard have just done (they're also going to award these people posthumous degrees!) - that's just stupid.
And of course it opens the door for every relative of everyone who has been mistreated down through the centuries to say - because my grandmother or granddad was denied their rights in 1920, I didn't grow up in a wealthy household and you owe me $100,000 or more to make up for that.
Its stupid, but that's what's going to happen, because now that the door has been opened, you just know the blood-sucking lawyers are going to go right through it.
28 Feb 2012, Tues, Rush Limbaugh headlines
--All Heck Breaks Loose on Primary Day
--Copycat Operation Chaos Attempted in Michigan; Mitt, Rick Trade Clever Robo-Calls
--Be Careful What You Wish For, Democrats
--Mitt Romney (Who Has Extensive Experience in the Private Sector) Says He Won't Make "Incendiary" Attacks on Obama to Excite the Conservative Base
--Where is the Good News for Obama?
--Is the GOP Elite Ready to Concede?
--Breaking News: A Democrat Votes for Santorum!
--Why Santorum Scares the Left
--Callers Weigh in on the State of the Race
Stack of Stuff
--Growing Number of People Become "Super-Commuters"
--Buffett: Banks Victimized by Excesses of Ousted Homeowners
--Poll: Vast Majority of Likely Voters Think Rich Already Pay Their Fair Share
-- Obama Using Espionage Act to "Silence and Prosecute Federal Workers"
-- Obamacare’s Top 5 Broken Promises
--Copycat Operation Chaos Attempted in Michigan; Mitt, Rick Trade Clever Robo-Calls
--Be Careful What You Wish For, Democrats
--Mitt Romney (Who Has Extensive Experience in the Private Sector) Says He Won't Make "Incendiary" Attacks on Obama to Excite the Conservative Base
--Where is the Good News for Obama?
--Is the GOP Elite Ready to Concede?
--Breaking News: A Democrat Votes for Santorum!
--Why Santorum Scares the Left
--Callers Weigh in on the State of the Race
Stack of Stuff
--Growing Number of People Become "Super-Commuters"
--Buffett: Banks Victimized by Excesses of Ousted Homeowners
--Poll: Vast Majority of Likely Voters Think Rich Already Pay Their Fair Share
-- Obama Using Espionage Act to "Silence and Prosecute Federal Workers"
-- Obamacare’s Top 5 Broken Promises
28 Feb 2012, Tu, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedules
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/02/184780.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Foreign Operations Hearing, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
7:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends Secretary Panetta’s dinner for NATO, at the Department of Defense.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Dr. Han Duk-soo Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Joseph Donovan, POLAD to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, Lebanon Paul Salem, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides is on foreign travel to Korea and Japan through March 1. In Korea, he will meet with senior government officials and business leaders to reaffirm support for U.S.-Korea economic and defense cooperation. In Japan, he will do the same, and deliver remarks with 10 U.S. chiefs of mission in the Asia Pacific region to the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce in support of the Secretary's economic statecraft agenda.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
1:15 p.m. Administrator Shah launches the “Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index,” at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, in New York City, New York. For more information click here.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with Bulgarian Ambassador Elena Poptodorova, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman discusses her recent trip to Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil with members of the Council of the Americas and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in TPCC Principals Meeting, at the Department of Commerce.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Geneva through March 5.
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
Ambassador Marshall leads an Experience America trip to Los Angeles, California with members of the Diplomatic Corps and their spouses through March 3. Experience America trips build relationships, encourage business investment and trade, provide a forum for dialogue, and create opportunities for interchange between Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and American leaders in a wide array of fields.
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake hosts a Twitter Session, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Saman Zia-Zarifi of Amnesty International, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Ambassador Richard Boucher, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to represent the United States at the Urgent Debate on Syria during the High-Level segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 19th regular session.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Sweden’s Ambassador for Trafficking Hans Lundborg, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks on the upcoming Seoul Nuclear Security Summit to the Fissile Materials Working Group, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29. This is part of a larger trip to the Gulf region to meet with economic officials and business community representatives to discuss deepening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, Gulf investment in North Africa and participation in the Deauville Partnership, the National Export Initiative, infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius through March 2.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
9:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Briefing, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS DAWN MCCALL
Coordinator McCall is on foreign travel in Barcelona, Spain to participate in the 2012 Mobile World Congress.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends the U.S.-Brazil Political-Military Dialogue, in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Goosby hosts an interagency meeting with the Board Chair of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Simon Bland, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on travel in New York City through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
3:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal participates in a roundtable discussion with Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), about human rights curriculum in schools administered by UNRWA, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
6:30 p.m. Director Sullivan delivers remarks to the 2011-2012 Truman-Albright Fellows in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE:
THERE WILL NOT BE A DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
10:00 a.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the Senate Appropriations Committee Foreign Operations Hearing, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
2:00 p.m. Secretary Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, on Capitol Hill.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
7:15 p.m. Secretary Clinton attends Secretary Panetta’s dinner for NATO, at the Department of Defense.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
10:00 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Dr. Han Duk-soo Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Joseph Donovan, POLAD to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:45 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, Lebanon Paul Salem, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:30 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with the Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
5:15 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY TOM NIDES
Deputy Secretary Nides is on foreign travel to Korea and Japan through March 1. In Korea, he will meet with senior government officials and business leaders to reaffirm support for U.S.-Korea economic and defense cooperation. In Japan, he will do the same, and deliver remarks with 10 U.S. chiefs of mission in the Asia Pacific region to the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce in support of the Secretary's economic statecraft agenda.
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
1:15 p.m. Administrator Shah launches the “Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index,” at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, in New York City, New York. For more information click here.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with Bulgarian Ambassador Elena Poptodorova, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sherman discusses her recent trip to Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil with members of the Council of the Americas and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
10:00 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats participates in TPCC Principals Meeting, at the Department of Commerce.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Geneva through March 5.
CHIEF OF PROTOCOL AMBASSADOR CAPRICIA PENAVIC MARSHALL
Ambassador Marshall leads an Experience America trip to Los Angeles, California with members of the Diplomatic Corps and their spouses through March 3. Experience America trips build relationships, encourage business investment and trade, provide a forum for dialogue, and create opportunities for interchange between Chiefs of Diplomatic Missions and American leaders in a wide array of fields.
AS FOR SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIAN AFFAIRS ROBERT BLAKE
10:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Blake hosts a Twitter Session, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Saman Zia-Zarifi of Amnesty International, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Blake meets with Ambassador Richard Boucher, Deputy Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to represent the United States at the Urgent Debate on Syria during the High-Level segment of the UN Human Rights Council’s 19th regular session.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS WILLIAM BROWNFIELD
11:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Brownfield meets with Sweden’s Ambassador for Trafficking Hans Lundborg, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
11:30 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks on the upcoming Seoul Nuclear Security Summit to the Fissile Materials Working Group, in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29. This is part of a larger trip to the Gulf region to meet with economic officials and business community representatives to discuss deepening the bilateral trade and investment relationship, Gulf investment in North Africa and participation in the Deauville Partnership, the National Export Initiative, infrastructure and entrepreneurship.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius through March 2.
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
9:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Briefing, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
COORDINATOR FOR INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION PROGRAMS DAWN MCCALL
Coordinator McCall is on foreign travel in Barcelona, Spain to participate in the 2012 Mobile World Congress.
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
9:00 a.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro attends the U.S.-Brazil Political-Military Dialogue, in Washington DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR ERIC GOOSBY
4:00 p.m. Ambassador Goosby hosts an interagency meeting with the Board Chair of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Simon Bland, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on travel in New York City through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SPECIAL ENVOY TO MONITOR AND COMBAT ANTI-SEMITISM HANNAH ROSENTHAL
3:00 p.m. Special Envoy Rosenthal participates in a roundtable discussion with Filippo Grandi, the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), about human rights curriculum in schools administered by UNRWA, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
6:30 p.m. Director Sullivan delivers remarks to the 2011-2012 Truman-Albright Fellows in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE:
THERE WILL NOT BE A DAILY PRESS BRIEFING
28 Feb 2012, Tue, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/president
10:30 am The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:30 am The President delivers remarks at the United Auto Workers conference
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
Pooled Press
12:45 pm The President and the Vice President meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
4:30 pm The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense Panetta
Oval Office
Closed Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:45 pm The President and the Vice President meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
4:30 pm The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense Panetta
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:30 am The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:30 am The President delivers remarks at the United Auto Workers conference
Washington Marriott Wardman Park
Pooled Press
12:45 pm The President and the Vice President meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
4:30 pm The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense Panetta
Oval Office
Closed Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
10:30 am The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
12:45 pm The President and the Vice President meet for lunch
Private Dining Room
Closed Press
4:30 pm The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary of Defense Panetta
Oval Office
Closed Press
Monday, February 27, 2012
How Social Engineering Works
Obama and the Democrats are doing it well...
Gas prices are so high the average family can't afford to go on long vacations, so they're giving up their cars for buses.
That means tourist-oriented businesses that have been around for decades are going to fold...a lot have folded already, but it's going to get even worse.
Of course the US whines about the cost of gas but in Europe it costs 3 times as much, about $10 a gallon. The thing there is that England is a small country, compared to the US. Germany is a small country. All those countries - each one is like the size of a US state. So they can drive around easily in their teeny tiny cars. Not so folks in the US...
Gas prices are so high the average family can't afford to go on long vacations, so they're giving up their cars for buses.
That means tourist-oriented businesses that have been around for decades are going to fold...a lot have folded already, but it's going to get even worse.
Of course the US whines about the cost of gas but in Europe it costs 3 times as much, about $10 a gallon. The thing there is that England is a small country, compared to the US. Germany is a small country. All those countries - each one is like the size of a US state. So they can drive around easily in their teeny tiny cars. Not so folks in the US...
We *Should* Be Able to Trust the Government - but it's always been incompetent
Rush got in a zing at Danica Patrick in his show today - "what do you expect from a woman driver." What a male chauvanist pig. (He got in another zing at Hilary Clinton and audio of her voice, a little bit shrill, saying that it wasn't unpatriotic to disagree with the current administration (i.e., Bush) and he says, that's why the divorce rate in this country is increasing. Well, he should know, he's been married 3 times.
Anyway, I have to admit I don't care for Danica Patrick. I was happy to see a female racing car driver - although she is not the only one, there aren't very many - but her titillating commercials for GoDaddy were - and our - just disgusting. Trading on her sex, just what a woman needs to do to gain respect in a male dominated field.
Anyway, I have to admit I don't care for Danica Patrick. I was happy to see a female racing car driver - although she is not the only one, there aren't very many - but her titillating commercials for GoDaddy were - and our - just disgusting. Trading on her sex, just what a woman needs to do to gain respect in a male dominated field.
Danica Patrick: Trust Government to Do What's Right
RUSH: Danica Patrick was talking to a reporterette, Michelle Fields. I guess it was Daytona, somewhere there was a NASCAR event, and Danica Patrick said, "I leave it up for the government to make good decisions for Americans." Now, this was about the recent mandate of the Catholic Church providing contraceptive devices and so forth. Danica Patrick was talking about Obama's contraception ruling. She was not speaking in general, although it applies generally. She said, "I leave it up to the government to make good decisions for America." She was talking about Obama mandating that the Catholic Church provide contraception. (sigh) What do you expect from a woman driver? I don't know why everybody is so shocked. But I'm gonna tell you: Her answer sums up the Democrat mind-set perfectly. Democrats want to convince us that personal responsibility is something the government ought to do for us. Do they not? Man, she's the perfect puppet! She is the ideal perfect puppet with that answer.
Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing
In New Jersey, a vodka company has put up this billboard. Talk about the coarsening of America. That a vodka company would want to be affiliated with prostitutes... like men who drink their vodka can only get women if they pay for them? Surprising.
Bronx Residents Upset over Vodka Billboard
RUSH: New York Daily News: Bronx community leaders are upset with a billboard selling vodka. It "greets drivers near an area once synonymous with prostitution." The billboard names the vodka, and the line on the billboard is: "Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing." The Bronx community leaders are not happy about this. "Bronx’s Community Board 2, who have been battling for a decade to revamp Hunts Points reputation as a place to pick up hookers. 'When I saw it I almost fell out of my seat,' said Rafael Salamanca Jr., district manager for CB 2. 'That's an inappropriate billboard given what the Hunts Point community has gone through in the past.' The creators of the ad stood by it, but said they’d be responsive to feedback." So you got a picture of a lamb wearing a cowboy hat, a bottle of vodka: "Escort Quality, Hooker Pricing," in Hunts Point in the Bronx.
It's obviously working.
The population there, the citizens, the residents obviously get the meaning of it.
27 Feb 2012, Mon, Rush Limbaugh Headlines
--Desperate to Distract from Obama, Liberals Claim I'm Destroying the Republican Party
--Act of Valor Cleans Up at Box Office
--The Democrat Gas Hypocrisy
--Hillary and Durbin Accuse Republicans of Playing Politics with the War in Afghanistan
--Don't Fear Social Issues
--Dems Saw What Happened to Governor Dumplin'
--Bam's Absurd Algae Dream
--Obamacare is Overwhelmingly Unpopular
Stack of Stuff
--Bronx Residents Upset over Vodka Billboard
--Dem Govs Meet with Obama to Go Around Congress
--Meryl Streep's Iron Lady Speech
--Danica Patrick: Trust Government to Do What's Right
--Obama Campaign Tries Intimidation to Boost Fundraising
--Koch Brothers Fight Back Against Smears
--Obama Approval at 45%, Lowest in Month
--First Lady Serves 2,000-Calorie Dinner to Governors
--Granholm: "Blaming the President for High Gas Prices is Like Blaming Rudy Giuliani for 9/11"
--Credit Card Debt Nears Toxic Levels
-- Obama Doctrine Failure
--Act of Valor Cleans Up at Box Office
--The Democrat Gas Hypocrisy
--Hillary and Durbin Accuse Republicans of Playing Politics with the War in Afghanistan
--Don't Fear Social Issues
--Dems Saw What Happened to Governor Dumplin'
--Bam's Absurd Algae Dream
--Obamacare is Overwhelmingly Unpopular
Stack of Stuff
--Bronx Residents Upset over Vodka Billboard
--Dem Govs Meet with Obama to Go Around Congress
--Meryl Streep's Iron Lady Speech
--Danica Patrick: Trust Government to Do What's Right
--Obama Campaign Tries Intimidation to Boost Fundraising
--Koch Brothers Fight Back Against Smears
--Obama Approval at 45%, Lowest in Month
--First Lady Serves 2,000-Calorie Dinner to Governors
--Granholm: "Blaming the President for High Gas Prices is Like Blaming Rudy Giuliani for 9/11"
--Credit Card Debt Nears Toxic Levels
-- Obama Doctrine Failure
If UNRWA, why Flotillas
I admit it - I'd never heard of UNRWA before. And I was surprised to hear of them, because if there's this great big organization, funded to the tunes of 10s of millions by Western countries to help Palestinians, why was there a need of flotillas last year bringing them supplies?
Why didn't those folks go through UNRWA?
And of course the question I asked in my earlier post - why are Western countries footing the bill for this? Why don't the Arab countries help the Palestinians with some of that oil money they've got coming out of their ears...not to mention moving htem out of refugee camps and saying, "Hey, just move in with us as immigrants. You'll have a better life here, anyway."
But nope, they're classified as "refugees" and live in utter squalor.
Another thing I want to know is, if Western countries are footing the bill for the education of these people, why don't we have any say in what they're taught? For example, why not teach them all English, and then give them lessons in why their own people have abandoned them, so that their suffering can be used as a political tool.
Or if they must be taught in Arabic or whatever language it is, why not teach them the same thing?
Why are we teaching these people, whom we are supporting! that Israel is evil and that Jews are evil, etc.
(Let's sneak in a few lessons about atheism while we're at it - atheism, the only hope of peace on earth and good will toward all people.)
Why didn't those folks go through UNRWA?
And of course the question I asked in my earlier post - why are Western countries footing the bill for this? Why don't the Arab countries help the Palestinians with some of that oil money they've got coming out of their ears...not to mention moving htem out of refugee camps and saying, "Hey, just move in with us as immigrants. You'll have a better life here, anyway."
But nope, they're classified as "refugees" and live in utter squalor.
Another thing I want to know is, if Western countries are footing the bill for the education of these people, why don't we have any say in what they're taught? For example, why not teach them all English, and then give them lessons in why their own people have abandoned them, so that their suffering can be used as a political tool.
Or if they must be taught in Arabic or whatever language it is, why not teach them the same thing?
Why are we teaching these people, whom we are supporting! that Israel is evil and that Jews are evil, etc.
(Let's sneak in a few lessons about atheism while we're at it - atheism, the only hope of peace on earth and good will toward all people.)
What is UNRWA?
I going through the schedule for the Secretary of State and her staff, I came across the following entry:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Considering how much money this organization is given... it's really surprising that most Palestinians still live in poverty - where does all the money go?
And has anyone ever pointed out to the Palestinians that their lives have gone down hill since they voted Hamas in? (It's interesting when you read this how many Western countries contribute to it. It seems that they're forced to contribute it, if you get all the way down to what happened to Canada when they pulled out.)
From Wikipedia:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It is the only agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict. It is separate from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which is the only other UN agency aiding refugees, dedicated to aiding all refugees in the world.
It was established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution 302(IV) of 8 December 1949. This resolution also reaffirmed paragraph 11, concerning refugees, of UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which was adopted some 12 months earlier and was passed unopposed, supported by Israel and the Arab states, with only the Soviet bloc and South Africa abstaining.
UNRWA has had to develop a working definition of "refugee" to allow it to provide humanitarian assistance. Its definition does not cover final status. Its operational definition of Palestine refugee for persons qualifying for UNRWA assistance says
Why don't the Arab states help them? (That's a rhetorical question.)
The UNRWA definition is meant solely to determine eligibility for UNRWA assistance. However, some argue it serves to perpetuate the conflict. Under General Assembly Resolution 194 (III), of 11 December 1948, other persons may be eligible for repatriation and/or compensation but are not necessarily eligible for relief under the UNRWA's working definition. Thus a person who is not or who has ceased to qualify for the benefits afforded by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, may still qualify for assistance as a refugee by the UNRWA definition.
All Palestine refugees (as defined) who are registered with UNRWA and are in need of assistance are eligible for help from UNRWA. In 2010, there were almost 5 million qualified Palestine refugees registered with the UNRWA. UNRWA provides facilities in 59 recognized refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It also provided relief to displaced persons inside the state of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952.
For a camp to be recognized by UNRWA, there must be an agreement between the host government and UNRWA governing use of the camp. UNRWA does not itself run any camps, has no police powers or administrative role, but simply provides services to the camp. Refugee camps, which developed from tent cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings, house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees. UNRWA also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps.
Organization and Funding
UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly and its mandate is renewed every three years.
It is the largest agency of the United Nations, employing over 25,000 staff, 99% of which are locally-recruited Palestinians. The Agency's headquarters are divided between the Gaza Strip and Amman, Jordan. Its operations are organised into five fields - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA's Commissioner-General is Filippo Grandi, an Italian citizen, who succeeded Karen Koning AbuZayd, a US citizen, in 2010. Grandi is responsible for managing UNRWA's overall activities. His subordinate in charge of distributing humanitarian aid and overseeing general UNRWA operations in Gaza is John Ging.
In 2009, UNRWA’s total budget was US$1.2 billion, for which the agency received US$948 million. In 2010, the biggest donors for its regular budget were the United States and the European Commission with $248 million and $165 million respectively. Sweden ($47m), the United Kingdom ($45m), Norway ($40m) and the Netherlands ($29m) are also important donors. In addition to its regular budget, UNRWA receives funding for emergency activities and special projects.
Operations
Services provided by UNRWA include health care, education, relief and social services and micro-credit loan programmes.
Education programme
UNRWA operates one of the largest school systems in the Middle East, with 663 schools employing more than 17,000 teaching and support staff. It has been the main provider of basic education to Palestinian refugee children since 1950.
The education programme is UNRWA's largest area of activity, accounting for half of its regular budget and 70 per cent of its staff. Basic education is available to all registered refugee children free of charge up to around the age of 15. By 2004 there were close to 500,000 students enrolled in 663 schools. UNRWA schools follow the curriculum of their host countries. This allows UNRWA pupils to progress to further education or employment holding locally-recognised qualifications and fits with the sovereignty requirements of countries hosting refugees.
In the 1960s UNRWA schools became the first in the region to achieve full gender equality. Overcrowded classrooms containing 40 or even 50 pupils are common. Almost all of UNRWA's schools operate on a double shift - where two separate groups of pupils and teachers share the same buildings. Not all refugee children attend UNRWA schools. In Jordan and Syria children have full access to government schools and many attend those because they are close to where they live. UNRWA also operates eight vocational and technical training centres and three teacher training colleges that have places for around 6,200 students.
Relief and social services programme
In Palestinian refugee society, families without a male bread winner are often very vulnerable. Those headed by a widow, a divorcee or a disabled father often live in dire poverty. UNRWA provides food aid, cash assistance and help with shelter repairs to these families. Fewer than six percent of refugees qualify as hardship cases, with the largest number being in Lebanon where restrictions on Palestinians entering the Lebanese job market cause severe hardship. Children from special hardship case families are given preferential access to the Agency's vocational training centres, while women in such families are encouraged to join UNRWA's women's programme centres. In these centres, training, advice and childcare are available to encourage female refugees’ social development.
Rations are distributed to families in UNRWA's special hardship category every quarter. The yearly value of the food is just over US$ 100 per person and most of it is received by the agency in the form of in-kind donations of basic foodstuff, such as flour, rice and dried milk. Finances permitting, the Agency also provides small cash grants to very poor refugee families to help with the purchase of items such as school uniforms and school books or as crisis grants, for example if they lose all their possessions in a house fire.
Most of the concrete-block shelters in the refugee camps were built by UNRWA in the 1950s to replace the tents in which refugees had lived since the 1948 war. Others were built after the 1967 conflict. Although most refugees have been able to make improvements and additions to their shelters over the years, the very poorest refugees often live in shelters that are now in extremely bad condition. Wet, crumbling walls, leaking zinc roofs and rodent infestation cause additional social and health problems. UNRWA has been able to repair hundreds of shelters in recent years, often simply by supplying materials while the families provide their own labour. UNRWA is unable to keep up with the growing numbers of special hardship case families who each year join its waiting list for shelter rehabilitation.
UNRWA created community-based organizations (CBOs) to target women, refugees with disabilities and to look after the needs of children. The CBOs now have their own management committees staffed by volunteers from the community. UNRWA provides them with technical and small amounts of targeted financial assistance, but many have made links of their own with local and international NGOs.
Health programme
Since 1950, UNRWA has been the main healthcare provider for the Palestinian refugee population. Basic health needs are met through a network of primary care clinics, providing access to secondary treatment in hospitals, food aid to vulnerable groups and environmental health in refugee camps.
The health of Palestine refugees resembles that of many populations in transition from developing world to developed world status. Immunisation programmes have vaccine-preventable diseases under control, but there remains a high prevalence of diseases caused by cramped housing and open sewers in the camps and high poverty levels. At the same time, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are on the increase.
Birth rates are among the highest in the world, with short intervals between pregnancies. Diarrhea and intestinal parasites are particularly common among children because of poor environmental health for the one third of refugees who live in camps. However, infant mortality rates are lower among refugees than the World Health Organisation's benchmark for the developing world. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Al-Aqsa Intifada has led to curfews and closures which have caused a growth in malnutrition, especially among children and nursing mothers. The economic hardships in the territory have driven many refugees away from private health care, increasing the number of patient visits to UNRWA doctors in the Gaza Strip by 61 per cent during the first two years of the conflict.
UNRWA's network of 122 clinics provides free primary healthcare to all registered refugees who ask for it. The clinics are based inside refugee camps or near concentrations of refugees. In 2003 the clinics handled 10 million patient visits - averaging more than 110 visits per doctor per day. Medical services include outpatient care, dental treatment and rehabilitation for the physically disabled. Maternal and child healthcare (MCH) is a priority for UNRWA's health programme. School health teams and camp medical officers visit UNRWA schools to examine new pupils to aid early detection of childhood diseases.
All UNRWA clinics offer family planning services with counselling that emphasises the importance of birth spacing as a factor in maternal and child health. Agency clinics also supervise the provision of food aid to nursing and pregnant mothers who need it and six clinics in the Gaza Strip have their own maternity units.
UNRWA provides refugees with assistance in meeting the costs of hospitalisation either by partially reimbursing them, or by negotiating contracts with government, NGO and private hospitals.
The 1.3 million refugees who still live in refugee camps - one third of the total – receive environmental health services from UNRWA. These include such essentials as sewage disposal, the provision of safe drinking water and disposal of refuse. Large scale projects have been carried out in camps since 1989, but many still have inadequate infrastructure, including open sewers. A great many refugee shelters suffer flooding by waste water in winter.
UNRWA Microfinance Department
UNRWA's Microfinance Department (MD) aims to alleviate poverty and support economic development in the refugee community by providing capital investment and working capital loans at commercial rates. The programme seeks to be as close to self-supporting as possible. It has a strong record of creating employment, generating income and empowering refugees.
The Microfinance Department is an autonomous financial unit within UNRWA, established in 1991 to provide microfinance services to Palestine refugees, as well as poor or marginal groups living and working in close proximity to them. With operations in three countries, the MD currently has the broadest regional coverage of any microfinance institution in the Middle East. Having begun its operations in the oPt, it remains the largest non-bank financial intermediary in the West Bank and Gaza. As of March 2010, it has extended over 202,100 loans across its areas of operation, valued at USD 224.29 million.
Mission:
The MD works by extending micro-credit and complimentary services to small entrepreneurs, households and businesses. This lending is guided in part by economic objectives: to sustain and create jobs, reduce poverty and boost economic security. However, its aim is also to support human development more broadly, by sustaining household consumption and family investments in education and health.
Fundamentally, all lending seeks to empower the MD’s clients, and in this respect particularly targets women and youth, as well as other economically and socially vulnerable groups, who face particular challenges in obtaining affordable credit. The MD conceives of its mission in the context of the United Nation’s broader vision of building inclusive financial services for the poor. Many of its clients manage small, often informal businesses on the margins of the economy. The vast majority are unable to secure affordable credit from commercial banks. Yet if provided with such loans they do have the ability to repay them, while generating sustainable incomes for themselves, as well as their families and employees, many of whom are drawn from the poorest segments of society. The MD’s work is to help close this circle of opportunity.
Outreach:
As of March 2009, the MD has invested USD 174.36 million in the Palestinian economy through 146,600 loans. In order to assist Palestine refugees across the wider Middle East region, the department has since 2003 also maintained operations in Jordan and Syria ─ currently home to 2.46 million Palestine refugees.
In the intervening six years it has grown into the second largest microfinance provider in Syria, where it is also the first institution to reach operational self-sufficiency, and the fifth largest in Jordan. In total it has disbursed over 55,400 loans in these markets, for a cumulative investment of USD 54.51 million. The department focuses its outreach on poor urban areas, which are both centres of commercial and industrial activity and host a high concentration of Palestine refugees. As of March 2010 it maintains 17 branches around the region, employing 310 staff. Seven branches are in the West Bank, three in Gaza, four in Jordan, and three in Syria. Operations in each country, as well as the West Bank and Gaza, are overseen by a field office, each of which is in turn supervised and provided with support services by the MD’s headquarters in Jerusalem.
Products and Services:
Through its branch offices the MD provides a range of credit products. Existing products available in the MD’s markets include the following:
Microenterprise Credit (MEC): targets the overwhelming majority of regional businesses which employ fewer than five workers, most of whom enjoy no access to formal credit and are vulnerable to shocks. The loans range from USD 300 to USD 8,500, and are designed to help such businesses build-up and maintain reserves of short-term working capital.
Microenterprise Credit Plus (MEC+): allows mature microenterprises who seek to expand capital and grow employment to expand MEC borrowing with more extended repayment horizons. Eligible clients include formal enterprises and borrowers who have demonstrated repayment ability over several loan cycles.
Solidarity Group Lending (SGL): designed for groups of women entrepreneurs who are collectively and individually responsible for repayment. Starting at USD 400, with a maximum ceiling of USD 5,000, the SGL sustains microenterprise, as well household expenditures on education, health, and basic needs.
Women’s Household Credit (WHC): an adaptation of the SGL loan, first piloted in Syria to accommodate home-based enterprise by women, allowing them to build up household assets used for business. Unlike the SLG product, it does not work on a group-lending model. Average disbursements are in the range USD 150 to USD 800.
Consumer Loan Product (CLP): supports low-income and working-class family consumption, regular investments in education and health, as well as emergency outlays.
Housing Loan Product (HLP): helps poor families with no access to mortgage facilities improve, expand or acquire housing.
Small-Scale Enterprise Lending (SSE): finances the long-term capital needs of a range of small-to large-scale formal enterprises
Small and Medium Enterprise Business Training (SMET): an enterprise training program in Gaza that trains participants in subjects such as book-keeping, taxation, tendering, computing and e-commerce.
Emergency operations
Since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, UNRWA has been working to alleviate the impact of resulting curfews and closures on the refugee population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The effect of closures on the Palestinian economy has caused thousands to lose their livelihoods. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the population is out of work -putting over 60 per cent of the population under the poverty line with an income of below US$2 a day.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that close to two million Palestinians, 62 per cent of the population, are considered "vulnerable" because they have inadequate access to food, shelter or health services. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reported a sharp growth in malnutrition and anemia among Palestinian children - marked by stunted growth or low body weights.
As part of its emergency relief activities, UNRWA provides temporary jobs for unemployed breadwinners - a programme that has allowed the Agency to indirectly support 160,000 women and children in Gaza alone. UNRWA has also increased its provision of food aid. Before the conflict UNRWA distributed food to around 20,000 refugee families, it now targets 230,000 families across the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA food parcels typically contain 50 kilograms of flour, five kilograms of rice, five kilograms of sugar, two liters of cooking oil, one kilogram of powdered milk and five kilograms of lentils.
The Agency assists the almost 30,000 refugees whose homes have been destroyed during military operations. UNRWA has provided tents, blankets, kitchen kits, medicines and drinking water, as well as cash assistance to help with renting a new home to those families made homeless. The Agency is also rebuilding and repairing shelters. The focus of the Agency's rebuilding work has been Rafah and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and in Jenin camp in the West Bank. In Jenin a donation of US$27 million from the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Society allowed UNRWA to rebuild the homes, infrastructure and communal facilities of the camp that were destroyed by the fighting in April 2002.
UNRWA's health programme faces increased demands in the territories because of the injuries, stress and psychological trauma caused by the conflict. The economic impact of closures is also increasing the demands made on the Agency as refugees seek care from the Agency rather than from private providers. UNRWA ambulances and mobile medical teams bring healthcare to communities isolated by closures for long periods.
The crisis has had a particularly marked effect on the refugee children served by UNRWA's schools. Teachers and pupils are often unable to reach their schools and thousands of teaching days have been lost. Schools have come under fire on many occasions and have been used as military outposts and detention centres. The violent events witnessed by the children have caused emotional and psychological trauma and many have suffered the loss of classmates or family members. Examination pass rates have collapsed because of the conflict and UNRWA is running remedial classes in each school to try to compensate for the time lost to education. The Agency has also hired teams of trauma counsellors to work with those children who have been emotionally scarred by their experiences.
To fund its emergency activities in the West Bank and Gaza UNRWA has launched a series of appeals for funds. The first of these was a flash appeal in October 2000 for US$4.83 million. In November 2004 UNRWA launched an appeal for US$186 million to cover emergency operations during 2005.
UNRWA and the Palestinian curriculum
In 1998, two years before the Al-Aqsa intifada, US Congressman Peter Deutsch (D-FL) and other Congressmembers pressured the State Department to ask UNRWA to investigate evidence that Palestinian Authority school books used in UNRWA-run schools contained anti-Semitic statements. The allegations surfaced in reports compiled by the Centre for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, an Israeli-American NGO.
For historical reasons UNRWA schools followed the Jordanian curriculum in the West Bank and the Egyptian curriculum in the Gaza Strip and this practice continued under the Israeli control of those areas between 1967 and 1994. Since 1994 the Palestinian Authority has progressively been replacing the old Jordanian and Egyptian textbooks as new PA-produced textbooks become available. The last of the older books was phased out of UNRWA schools in the autumn of 2004.
In 1999 and 2000, Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, published a study on this subject. Regarding the Palestinian Authority's new textbooks, he states: "The new books have removed the anti-Semitism present in the older books while they tell history from a Palestinian point of view, they do not seek to erase Israel, delegitimize it or replace it with the "State of Palestine"; each book contains a foreword describing the West Bank and Gaza as "the two parts of the homeland"; the maps show some awkwardness but do sometimes indicate the 1967 line and take some other measures to avoid indicating borders; in this respect they are actually more forthcoming than Israeli maps; the books avoid treating Israel at length but do indeed mention it by name; the new books must be seen as a tremendous improvement from a Jewish, Israeli, and humanitarian view; they do not compare unfavorably to the material my son was given as a fourth grade student in a school in Tel Aviv".
Brown also described the research into Palestinian textbooks conducted by the Centre for Monitoring the Impact of Peace as "tendentious and highly misleading". However, in an exchange with CMIP Brown notes "my criticism that CMIP's work is 'tendentious and highly misleading' was made before CMIP issued its 2001 report and could hardly have referred specifically to it."
In 2002, the United States Congress requested the United States Department of State to commission a reputable NGO to conduct a review of the new Palestinian curriculum. The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) was thereby commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and the US Consul General in Jerusalem to review the Palestinian Authority's textbooks. Its report was completed in March 2003 and delivered to the State Department for submission to Congress. Its executive summary states: "The overall orientation of the curriculum is peaceful despite the harsh and violent realities on the ground. It does not openly incite against Israel and the Jews. It does not openly incite hatred and violence. Religious and political tolerance is emphasized in a good number of textbooks and in multiple contexts."
Its June 2004 follow-up report notes that "except for calls for resisting occupation and oppression, no signs were detected of outright promotion of hatred towards Israel, Judaism, or Zionism" and that "tolerance, as a concept, runs across the new textbooks". The report also stated that "textbooks revealed numerous instances that introduce and promote the universal and religious values and concepts of respect of other cultures, religions, and ethnic groups, peace, human rights, freedom of speech, justice, compassion, diversity, plurality, tolerance, respect of law, and environmental awareness".
However, the IPCRI noted a number of deficiencies in the curriculum, stating "The practice of 'appropriating' sites, areas, localities, geographic regions, etc. inside the territory of the State of Israel as Palestine/Palestinian observed in our previous review, remains a feature of the newly published textbooks (4th and 9th Grade) laying substantive grounds to the contention that the Palestinian Authority did not in fact recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people. [...] A good number [of maps ...] show Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as one geographic entity (without demarcation lines or differentiated colorings). Historically Palestinian cities (e.g., Akka, Yafa, Haifa, Safad, al-Lid, Ar-Ramla, Beer As-sabe’) are included in some maps that lump together the areas controlled by the PA with those inside the State of Israel.
No map of the region bears the name of 'Israel' in it the pre-1967 Armistice Demarcation Lines. In addition, Israeli towns with a predominantly Jewish population are not represented on these maps." The Summary also states that the curriculum asserts a historical Arab presence in the region, while "The Jewish connection to the region, in general, and the Holy Land, in particular, is virtually missing. This lack of reference is perceived as tantamount to a denial of such a connection, although no direct evidence is found for such a denial." It also notes that "terms and passages used to describe some historical events are sometimes offensive in nature and could be construed as reflecting hatred of and discrimination against Jews and Judaism."
Criticism
From Israel and pro-Israel groups there has been extensive criticism of the statistics, data collection techniques, and definitions concerning Palestinian refugees by the UNRWA. It has been accused of hiring known militants, perpetuating Palestinian dependency, demonizing Israel, and funneling money from Western governments to line the pockets of the Palestinian Authority and purchasing arms for terrorists.
In 2003, Israel released to newspapers what the New York Times called a "damning intelligence report". Citing interrogations of suspected militants, the document claims that UNRWA operations being used as cover for Palestinian terrorists, including smuggling arms in UN ambulances and hosting meetings of Tanzim in UN buildings.
In 2006, the UNRWA drew criticism from the US Congressmen Mark Kirk and Steven Rothman. Their letter, sent to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, stated in part: "After an exhaustive review of the UN's own audit, it is clear UNRWA is wrought by mismanagement, ineffective policies, and failure to secure its finances. We must upgrade UNRWA's financial controls, management and enforcement of US law that bars any taxpayer dollars from supporting terrorists."
UNRWA responded by showing the results of its school students in Syria and Jordan, who outperform their peers in host-government schools. UNRWA also mentioned the difficult conditions in which it operates: its refugee load increased much faster than its budget, while the tightening of the closure regime since the Second Intifada deeply affected the humanitarian situation in the former Israeli-occupied territories.
It has been claimed by some that UNRWA is an example of a United Nations anti-Israel bias, and that the Palestine refugees should be treated equally to all others with refugee status around the world. Defenders of the UNRWA put forward the specific legal status of the Palestinians in 1948 who, because they were living under the British Mandate of Palestine, were stateless and therefore not eligible benefits under the common definition.
Critics of UNRWA say that the present definition give Palestine refugees a favored status when compared with other refugee groups, which the UNHCR defines in terms of nationality as opposed to a relatively short number of years of residency.
Critics of Israel say it should allow the refugees to return, which some say is stipulated in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302 which Israel supported, which would make UNRWA redundant. Defenders of UNRWA respond that it is precisely the stateless status of the Palestinians under British mandate in 1948 that made it necessary to create a definition of refugee based on criteria other than nationality. Historians, such as Martha Gellhorn and Dr. Walter Pinner, have also blamed UNRWA for distortion of statistics and even of sheer fraud. Pinner wrote in 1959 that the actual number of refugees then was only 367,000.
A private research group that includes former members of the Israeli Peace movement conducted extensive investigations into UNRWA, documenting and reporting on corruption and fraud. Additional investigations into the education system revealed that textbooks were effectively preparing children to continue the war against Israel. Despite denials from UNRWA, even the Vatican (at one time a major funding source for PA schoolbooks) acknowledged the incitement to hatred and violence embedded in textbooks at all grade levels and ceased funding the project.
Although UNRWA's Mandate is only Relief and Works, the Wall Street Journal Europe edition, published an op-ed by Asaf Romirowsky and Alexander H. Joffe in April 2011 saying that despite UNRWA's "purported goal, it is hard to claim that the UNRWA has created any Palestinian institutions that foster a genuinely civil society. Ideally the UNRWA would be disbanded and Palestinians given the freedom - and the responsibility - to build their own society."
James G. Lindsay
James G. Lindsay, a former UNRWA general-counsel and fellow researcher for Washington Institute for Near East Policy has published a report for WINEP in which he criticized UNRWA practices. Lindsay claimed that UNRWA is not ousting terrorists from its ranks:
UNRWA has taken very few steps to detect and eliminate terrorists from the ranks of its staff or its beneficiaries, and no steps at all to prevent members of organizations such as Hamas from joining its staff. UNRWA has no preemployment security checks and does not monitor off-time behavior to ensure compliance with the organization's anti-terrorist rules. No justification exists for millions of dollars in humanitarian aid going to those who can afford to pay for UNRWA services.[33][34]
Lindsay also stated that UNRWA’s failure to match UNHCR’s success in resettling refugees "obviously represents a political decision on the part of the agency" and "seems to favor the strain of Palestinian political thought espoused by those who are intent on a 'return' to the land that is now Israel". He argued that UNRWA’s education system is highly problematic. Lindsay quoted a number of American researches that defined UNRWA's schools' curriculum as "highly nationalistic" and "not a 'peace curriculum'" and stated that the textbooks fail "to identify Israel on maps", and that they avoid "discussing Jews or Israelis as individuals (which critics argue would make them more “human” to the reader)"[33]
In his report he also offered suggestions for improvement:
UNRWA should make the following operational changes: halt its one-sided political statements and limit itself to comments on humanitarian issues; take additional steps to ensure the agency is not employing or providing benefits to terrorists and criminals; and allow the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), or some other neutral entity, to provide balanced and discrimination-free textbooks for UNRWA schools.
Response to Lindsay's report
Andrew Whitley, director of the UNRWA representative office at UN headquarters in New York, said: "The agency is disappointed by the findings of the study, found it to be tendentious and partial, and regrets in particular the narrow range of sources used".
UNRWA's Jerusalem spokesman Chris Gunness stated that UNRWA rejects Lindsay's report and its findings and claimed that the study was inaccurate and misleading, since it "makes selective use of source material and fails to paint a truthful portrait of UNRWA and its operations today".
John Ging, head of UNRWA Gaza, stated in regards with Lindsay's criticism on UNRWA failure to resettle refugees that he was disappointed to find this issue in Lindsay’s report. Ging argued that Lindsay had "no basis to say that it is UNRWA’s decision because our mandate is given to us. I agree that it is a political failure, but we don’t set up the mandate, we are only the implementers".
Regarding the report portion about UNRWA's schools, Ging said: "As for our schools, we use textbooks of the Palestinian Authority. Are they perfect? No, they’re not. I can’t defend the indefensible."
Praise
UNRWA received public expressions of praise and appreciation by the Nobel Peace Laureates Mairéad Corrigan Maguire[38] and Kofi Annan, by the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations,[40] by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and by representatives from the European Union, the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Jordan, Ghana, and Norway, among others. In 2007, the Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations described his country as a "strong supporter" of UNRWA, which acts as "a safety net" for the Palestine refugees, providing them with "immediate relief, basic services and the possibility of a life in dignity." The same day, the Representative of Iceland praised the fact that
"despite times of exceptional hardship and suffering in the region, UNRWA has been able to deliver substantial results. On the humanitarian front, UNRWA played a central role in easing the suffering of both refugees and Lebanese civilians during its emergency operations in Lebanon and on the Gaza Strip. Under often life-threatening conditions, UNRWA's staff showed relentless dedication to the Agency's responsibilities."
Gershon Kedar, Israel's delegate to the fourth committee, confirmed Israel's support for the UNRWA: "My delegation wishes to inform the Committee that despite our concerns regarding the politicization of UNRWA, Israel supports its humanitarian mission, and will continue to work in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation with the agency under the leadership of its Commissioner-General, Karen Honing AbuZayd."
Relations with Israel
After Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in the June 1967 Six-Day War, Israel requested that the UNRWA continue its operations there, and agreed to facilitate them. In the years since, relations between Israel and UNRWA have found themselves subject to the varying intensities of conflict that have continued to rock the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
During the Al-Aqsa Intifada, which started in late 2000, UNRWA often complained that Israeli road closures, curfews and checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza have interfered with its ability to carry out its humanitarian mandate. The Agency has also complained that large scale house demolitions in the Gaza Strip have left over 30,000 people homeless. Israel justifies the demolitions as anti-terrorism measures.
Relations between UNRWA and Israel have often been strained. UNRWA has been under routine attack from the Israeli government and politicians for alleged involvement with Palestinian militant groups, such as Hamas. For example, the Israel Defence Force released a video from May 2004, in which armed Palestinian militants carry an injured colleague into an UNRWA ambulance, before boarding with him. The ambulance driver requested that the armed men leave, but was threatened and told to drive to a hospital. UNRWA issued a plea to all parties to respect the neutrality of its ambulances.
On other occasions, UNRWA buildings have been caught in battles between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants resulting in the deaths of several employees.
In November 2002 Iain Hook, a British employee of UNRWA, was shot and killed by an Israeli military sniper while working in the Jenin refugee camp, during an operation to locate a Palestinian militant suspected of masterminding a suicide bombing which had killed 14 people earlier in 2002. Peter Hansen, the head of UNRWA at the time criticized the killing: "Israeli snipers had sights. They would have known who the two internationals (non-Palestinians) were. They did not dress like Palestinians."
January 6, 2009 incident
On January 7, 2009, UNRWA officials alleged that the prior day, in the course of the Gaza War, the Israel Defense Forces shelled an UNRWA school in Jabalya, Gaza, killing more than forty people. The IDF initially claimed it was responding to an attack by Hamas gunman hiding in the compound, but upon reexamination, said that an "errant shell had hit the school." This accusation caused harsh criticism of Israel from all over the world. In a clarified report, a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs official stated: "The shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school."
IDF officials have disputed the accuracy of the UN fatality assessment: "It was not certain that the number of casualties reported by the UN, 43, was accurate and that Military Intelligence noticed Hamas attempts to cover up the identity of those killed in the strike."
October 1, 2004 incident
On October 1, 2004, Israel again lodged accusations against UNRWA. The Israeli Defence Forces released unmanned aerial vehicles and video documenting what they initially claimed was a group of Palestinian militants load a rocket into UN-marked vehicle. Israel announced its intention to file a strong complaint against UNRWA and demand that Danish diplomat Peter Hansen, UNRWA's head, be removed from office.
Hansen responded that the footage was of UNRWA crew members carrying a stretcher into the UN ambulance, stating "While the quality of the video clip is poor, its analysis shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the object carried and thrown into the vehicle is not / cannot be a Qassam rocket". Moreover, Hansen accused Israel of making "baseless accusations" which put UNRWA's ambulance crews in "grave danger".
The Israeli authorities initially dismissed UNRWA's reaction, blaming Hansen for being "anti-Israeli".. Later on, however, Israeli General Yisrael Ziv recognized having doubts over whether the object was a rocket launcher or a stretcher.
Eventually, the Israeli military changed some of its earlier statements and conceded the possibility that the object could have indeed been a stretcher, but did not offer the apology Hansen had demanded.
Peter Hansen
Israel has stated that Peter Hansen, UNRWA's former Commissioner-General (1996–2005) "consistently adopted a trenchant anti-Israel line" which resulted in biased and exaggerated reports against Israel. Hansen caused controversy in Canada in October 2004 when he said in an interview with CBC TV:
Oh I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime. Hamas as a political organization does not mean that every member is a militant and we do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another.
We demand of our staff, whatever their political persuasion is, that they behave in accordance with UN standards and norms for neutrality.
Hansen later specified that he had been referring not to active Hamas members, but to Hamas sympathizers within UNRWA. In a letter to the Agency's major donors, he said he was attempting to be honest because UNRWA has over 8,200 employees in the Gaza Strip. Given the 30 to 40 percent support to Hamas in Gaza at the time, and UNRWA's workforce of 11,000 Palestinians, at least some Hamas sympathizers were likely to be among UNRWA's employees. The important thing, he wrote, was that UNRWA's strict rules and regulations ensured that its staff remained impartial UN servants. But he was retired from United Nations service on March 31, 2005.
Investigation by the United States Congress
The United States government financed a programme of "Operations Support Officers", part of whose job is to make random and unannounced inspections of UNRWA facilities to ensure their sanctity from militant operations. In 2004 the US Congress asked the General Accounting Office to investigate media claims that taxpayer's dollars given to UNRWA had been used to support individuals involved in militant activities. During its investigation, the GAO discovered several irregularities in its processing and employment history.
Loss of Canadian support
In January 2010, the Government of Canada announced that it was redirecting aid previously earmarked to UNRWA "to specific projects in the Palestinian Authority that will ensure accountability and foster democracy in the PA."
Victor Toews, the president of Canada's Treasury Board, stated, "Overall, Canada is not reducing the amount of money given to the PA, but it is now being redirected in accordance with Canadian values. This "will ensure accountability and foster democracy in the PA." Previously, Canada provided UNRWA with 11 percent of its budget at $10 million (Canadian) annually.
The decision came despite positive internal evaluations of the Agency by CIDA officials. The Canadian decision put it very much at odds with the US and EU, which maintained or increased their levels of funding. Some suggested that the decision also cost Canada international support in its failed October 2010 effort to obtain a seat on the UN Security Council.
Documents obtained from the Canadian International Development Agency revealed that even the government of Israel opposed the Canadian move, and had asked Ottawa to resume contributions to UNRWA's General Fund.
Problems with Hamas
On 4 February 2009, UNRWA halted aid shipments into the Gaza Strip after it accused Hamas of breaking into a UN warehouse and stealing tonnes of blankets and food which had been earmarked for needy families. A few days later, the UN resumed aid after the missing supplies had been returned.
On 5 August 2009, the IDF accused Hamas of stealing three ambulances that had just been transferred through Israel to the UNRWA. The UNRWA spokesmand denied the claim. A week later, Hamas confirmed it confiscated the ambulances due to bureaucratic reasons. A UNRWA spokesman also confirmed this but soon retracted this admission and denied the incident, even publicizing a photo it claimed was of one its officials with the ambulances.
On 23 May 2010, a group of 30 armed masked men set fire to the construction site of an UNRWA summer camp in Gaza City, destroying it. The arsonists left a letter addressed to UNRWA head John Ging, threatening his life. Four bullets were attached to the letter.
Hamas condemned the arson but tried to minimize its importance. Additionally, Hamas advised UNRWA to reexamine its curriculum to ensure its suitability for Palestinian society, due to the mixing of genders at the camps.
The previous year Hamas denounced UNRWA and Ging, accusing them of using their summer camps to corrupt the morals of Palestinian youth. Hamas has its own network of summer camps and the two organizations are regarded to be vying for influence with Gazan youth.
In September 2011 it was reported that, under pressure from Hamas, UNRWA has made all its summer camps single-sex. At the same time it was reported that UNRWA has suspended the introduction of Holocaust studies in its schools.
ACTING AS FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION DAVID ROBINSON
10:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson meets with UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi, at the Department of State.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Considering how much money this organization is given... it's really surprising that most Palestinians still live in poverty - where does all the money go?
And has anyone ever pointed out to the Palestinians that their lives have gone down hill since they voted Hamas in? (It's interesting when you read this how many Western countries contribute to it. It seems that they're forced to contribute it, if you get all the way down to what happened to Canada when they pulled out.)
From Wikipedia:
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency, providing education, health care, social services and emergency aid to 5 million Palestine refugees living in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, as well as in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It is the only agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict. It is separate from UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, which is the only other UN agency aiding refugees, dedicated to aiding all refugees in the world.
It was established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution 302(IV) of 8 December 1949. This resolution also reaffirmed paragraph 11, concerning refugees, of UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which was adopted some 12 months earlier and was passed unopposed, supported by Israel and the Arab states, with only the Soviet bloc and South Africa abstaining.
UNRWA has had to develop a working definition of "refugee" to allow it to provide humanitarian assistance. Its definition does not cover final status. Its operational definition of Palestine refugee for persons qualifying for UNRWA assistance says
"whose normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948, and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948, and 1967 conflicts," This maintained that beneficiaries had to have lived in the British Mandate of Palestine for at least two years before fleeing and must have lost both their home and livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, or be the descendant of someone who had. Most of UNRWA's funding comes from European countries and the United States.
Why don't the Arab states help them? (That's a rhetorical question.)
The UNRWA definition is meant solely to determine eligibility for UNRWA assistance. However, some argue it serves to perpetuate the conflict. Under General Assembly Resolution 194 (III), of 11 December 1948, other persons may be eligible for repatriation and/or compensation but are not necessarily eligible for relief under the UNRWA's working definition. Thus a person who is not or who has ceased to qualify for the benefits afforded by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, may still qualify for assistance as a refugee by the UNRWA definition.
All Palestine refugees (as defined) who are registered with UNRWA and are in need of assistance are eligible for help from UNRWA. In 2010, there were almost 5 million qualified Palestine refugees registered with the UNRWA. UNRWA provides facilities in 59 recognized refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. It also provided relief to displaced persons inside the state of Israel following the 1948 conflict until the Israeli government took over responsibility for them in 1952.
For a camp to be recognized by UNRWA, there must be an agreement between the host government and UNRWA governing use of the camp. UNRWA does not itself run any camps, has no police powers or administrative role, but simply provides services to the camp. Refugee camps, which developed from tent cities to rows of concrete blockhouses to urban ghettos indistinguishable from their surroundings, house around one third of all registered Palestine refugees. UNRWA also provides facilities in other areas where large numbers of registered Palestine refugees live outside of recognized camps.
Organization and Funding
UNRWA is a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly and its mandate is renewed every three years.
It is the largest agency of the United Nations, employing over 25,000 staff, 99% of which are locally-recruited Palestinians. The Agency's headquarters are divided between the Gaza Strip and Amman, Jordan. Its operations are organised into five fields - Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA's Commissioner-General is Filippo Grandi, an Italian citizen, who succeeded Karen Koning AbuZayd, a US citizen, in 2010. Grandi is responsible for managing UNRWA's overall activities. His subordinate in charge of distributing humanitarian aid and overseeing general UNRWA operations in Gaza is John Ging.
In 2009, UNRWA’s total budget was US$1.2 billion, for which the agency received US$948 million. In 2010, the biggest donors for its regular budget were the United States and the European Commission with $248 million and $165 million respectively. Sweden ($47m), the United Kingdom ($45m), Norway ($40m) and the Netherlands ($29m) are also important donors. In addition to its regular budget, UNRWA receives funding for emergency activities and special projects.
Operations
Services provided by UNRWA include health care, education, relief and social services and micro-credit loan programmes.
Education programme
UNRWA operates one of the largest school systems in the Middle East, with 663 schools employing more than 17,000 teaching and support staff. It has been the main provider of basic education to Palestinian refugee children since 1950.
The education programme is UNRWA's largest area of activity, accounting for half of its regular budget and 70 per cent of its staff. Basic education is available to all registered refugee children free of charge up to around the age of 15. By 2004 there were close to 500,000 students enrolled in 663 schools. UNRWA schools follow the curriculum of their host countries. This allows UNRWA pupils to progress to further education or employment holding locally-recognised qualifications and fits with the sovereignty requirements of countries hosting refugees.
In the 1960s UNRWA schools became the first in the region to achieve full gender equality. Overcrowded classrooms containing 40 or even 50 pupils are common. Almost all of UNRWA's schools operate on a double shift - where two separate groups of pupils and teachers share the same buildings. Not all refugee children attend UNRWA schools. In Jordan and Syria children have full access to government schools and many attend those because they are close to where they live. UNRWA also operates eight vocational and technical training centres and three teacher training colleges that have places for around 6,200 students.
Relief and social services programme
In Palestinian refugee society, families without a male bread winner are often very vulnerable. Those headed by a widow, a divorcee or a disabled father often live in dire poverty. UNRWA provides food aid, cash assistance and help with shelter repairs to these families. Fewer than six percent of refugees qualify as hardship cases, with the largest number being in Lebanon where restrictions on Palestinians entering the Lebanese job market cause severe hardship. Children from special hardship case families are given preferential access to the Agency's vocational training centres, while women in such families are encouraged to join UNRWA's women's programme centres. In these centres, training, advice and childcare are available to encourage female refugees’ social development.
Rations are distributed to families in UNRWA's special hardship category every quarter. The yearly value of the food is just over US$ 100 per person and most of it is received by the agency in the form of in-kind donations of basic foodstuff, such as flour, rice and dried milk. Finances permitting, the Agency also provides small cash grants to very poor refugee families to help with the purchase of items such as school uniforms and school books or as crisis grants, for example if they lose all their possessions in a house fire.
Most of the concrete-block shelters in the refugee camps were built by UNRWA in the 1950s to replace the tents in which refugees had lived since the 1948 war. Others were built after the 1967 conflict. Although most refugees have been able to make improvements and additions to their shelters over the years, the very poorest refugees often live in shelters that are now in extremely bad condition. Wet, crumbling walls, leaking zinc roofs and rodent infestation cause additional social and health problems. UNRWA has been able to repair hundreds of shelters in recent years, often simply by supplying materials while the families provide their own labour. UNRWA is unable to keep up with the growing numbers of special hardship case families who each year join its waiting list for shelter rehabilitation.
UNRWA created community-based organizations (CBOs) to target women, refugees with disabilities and to look after the needs of children. The CBOs now have their own management committees staffed by volunteers from the community. UNRWA provides them with technical and small amounts of targeted financial assistance, but many have made links of their own with local and international NGOs.
Health programme
Since 1950, UNRWA has been the main healthcare provider for the Palestinian refugee population. Basic health needs are met through a network of primary care clinics, providing access to secondary treatment in hospitals, food aid to vulnerable groups and environmental health in refugee camps.
The health of Palestine refugees resembles that of many populations in transition from developing world to developed world status. Immunisation programmes have vaccine-preventable diseases under control, but there remains a high prevalence of diseases caused by cramped housing and open sewers in the camps and high poverty levels. At the same time, non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes are on the increase.
Birth rates are among the highest in the world, with short intervals between pregnancies. Diarrhea and intestinal parasites are particularly common among children because of poor environmental health for the one third of refugees who live in camps. However, infant mortality rates are lower among refugees than the World Health Organisation's benchmark for the developing world. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the Al-Aqsa Intifada has led to curfews and closures which have caused a growth in malnutrition, especially among children and nursing mothers. The economic hardships in the territory have driven many refugees away from private health care, increasing the number of patient visits to UNRWA doctors in the Gaza Strip by 61 per cent during the first two years of the conflict.
UNRWA's network of 122 clinics provides free primary healthcare to all registered refugees who ask for it. The clinics are based inside refugee camps or near concentrations of refugees. In 2003 the clinics handled 10 million patient visits - averaging more than 110 visits per doctor per day. Medical services include outpatient care, dental treatment and rehabilitation for the physically disabled. Maternal and child healthcare (MCH) is a priority for UNRWA's health programme. School health teams and camp medical officers visit UNRWA schools to examine new pupils to aid early detection of childhood diseases.
All UNRWA clinics offer family planning services with counselling that emphasises the importance of birth spacing as a factor in maternal and child health. Agency clinics also supervise the provision of food aid to nursing and pregnant mothers who need it and six clinics in the Gaza Strip have their own maternity units.
UNRWA provides refugees with assistance in meeting the costs of hospitalisation either by partially reimbursing them, or by negotiating contracts with government, NGO and private hospitals.
The 1.3 million refugees who still live in refugee camps - one third of the total – receive environmental health services from UNRWA. These include such essentials as sewage disposal, the provision of safe drinking water and disposal of refuse. Large scale projects have been carried out in camps since 1989, but many still have inadequate infrastructure, including open sewers. A great many refugee shelters suffer flooding by waste water in winter.
UNRWA Microfinance Department
UNRWA's Microfinance Department (MD) aims to alleviate poverty and support economic development in the refugee community by providing capital investment and working capital loans at commercial rates. The programme seeks to be as close to self-supporting as possible. It has a strong record of creating employment, generating income and empowering refugees.
The Microfinance Department is an autonomous financial unit within UNRWA, established in 1991 to provide microfinance services to Palestine refugees, as well as poor or marginal groups living and working in close proximity to them. With operations in three countries, the MD currently has the broadest regional coverage of any microfinance institution in the Middle East. Having begun its operations in the oPt, it remains the largest non-bank financial intermediary in the West Bank and Gaza. As of March 2010, it has extended over 202,100 loans across its areas of operation, valued at USD 224.29 million.
Mission:
The MD works by extending micro-credit and complimentary services to small entrepreneurs, households and businesses. This lending is guided in part by economic objectives: to sustain and create jobs, reduce poverty and boost economic security. However, its aim is also to support human development more broadly, by sustaining household consumption and family investments in education and health.
Fundamentally, all lending seeks to empower the MD’s clients, and in this respect particularly targets women and youth, as well as other economically and socially vulnerable groups, who face particular challenges in obtaining affordable credit. The MD conceives of its mission in the context of the United Nation’s broader vision of building inclusive financial services for the poor. Many of its clients manage small, often informal businesses on the margins of the economy. The vast majority are unable to secure affordable credit from commercial banks. Yet if provided with such loans they do have the ability to repay them, while generating sustainable incomes for themselves, as well as their families and employees, many of whom are drawn from the poorest segments of society. The MD’s work is to help close this circle of opportunity.
Outreach:
As of March 2009, the MD has invested USD 174.36 million in the Palestinian economy through 146,600 loans. In order to assist Palestine refugees across the wider Middle East region, the department has since 2003 also maintained operations in Jordan and Syria ─ currently home to 2.46 million Palestine refugees.
In the intervening six years it has grown into the second largest microfinance provider in Syria, where it is also the first institution to reach operational self-sufficiency, and the fifth largest in Jordan. In total it has disbursed over 55,400 loans in these markets, for a cumulative investment of USD 54.51 million. The department focuses its outreach on poor urban areas, which are both centres of commercial and industrial activity and host a high concentration of Palestine refugees. As of March 2010 it maintains 17 branches around the region, employing 310 staff. Seven branches are in the West Bank, three in Gaza, four in Jordan, and three in Syria. Operations in each country, as well as the West Bank and Gaza, are overseen by a field office, each of which is in turn supervised and provided with support services by the MD’s headquarters in Jerusalem.
Products and Services:
Through its branch offices the MD provides a range of credit products. Existing products available in the MD’s markets include the following:
Microenterprise Credit (MEC): targets the overwhelming majority of regional businesses which employ fewer than five workers, most of whom enjoy no access to formal credit and are vulnerable to shocks. The loans range from USD 300 to USD 8,500, and are designed to help such businesses build-up and maintain reserves of short-term working capital.
Microenterprise Credit Plus (MEC+): allows mature microenterprises who seek to expand capital and grow employment to expand MEC borrowing with more extended repayment horizons. Eligible clients include formal enterprises and borrowers who have demonstrated repayment ability over several loan cycles.
Solidarity Group Lending (SGL): designed for groups of women entrepreneurs who are collectively and individually responsible for repayment. Starting at USD 400, with a maximum ceiling of USD 5,000, the SGL sustains microenterprise, as well household expenditures on education, health, and basic needs.
Women’s Household Credit (WHC): an adaptation of the SGL loan, first piloted in Syria to accommodate home-based enterprise by women, allowing them to build up household assets used for business. Unlike the SLG product, it does not work on a group-lending model. Average disbursements are in the range USD 150 to USD 800.
Consumer Loan Product (CLP): supports low-income and working-class family consumption, regular investments in education and health, as well as emergency outlays.
Housing Loan Product (HLP): helps poor families with no access to mortgage facilities improve, expand or acquire housing.
Small-Scale Enterprise Lending (SSE): finances the long-term capital needs of a range of small-to large-scale formal enterprises
Small and Medium Enterprise Business Training (SMET): an enterprise training program in Gaza that trains participants in subjects such as book-keeping, taxation, tendering, computing and e-commerce.
Emergency operations
Since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in September 2000, UNRWA has been working to alleviate the impact of resulting curfews and closures on the refugee population in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The effect of closures on the Palestinian economy has caused thousands to lose their livelihoods. It is estimated that more than 50 per cent of the population is out of work -putting over 60 per cent of the population under the poverty line with an income of below US$2 a day.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that close to two million Palestinians, 62 per cent of the population, are considered "vulnerable" because they have inadequate access to food, shelter or health services. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) reported a sharp growth in malnutrition and anemia among Palestinian children - marked by stunted growth or low body weights.
As part of its emergency relief activities, UNRWA provides temporary jobs for unemployed breadwinners - a programme that has allowed the Agency to indirectly support 160,000 women and children in Gaza alone. UNRWA has also increased its provision of food aid. Before the conflict UNRWA distributed food to around 20,000 refugee families, it now targets 230,000 families across the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA food parcels typically contain 50 kilograms of flour, five kilograms of rice, five kilograms of sugar, two liters of cooking oil, one kilogram of powdered milk and five kilograms of lentils.
The Agency assists the almost 30,000 refugees whose homes have been destroyed during military operations. UNRWA has provided tents, blankets, kitchen kits, medicines and drinking water, as well as cash assistance to help with renting a new home to those families made homeless. The Agency is also rebuilding and repairing shelters. The focus of the Agency's rebuilding work has been Rafah and Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip and in Jenin camp in the West Bank. In Jenin a donation of US$27 million from the United Arab Emirates Red Crescent Society allowed UNRWA to rebuild the homes, infrastructure and communal facilities of the camp that were destroyed by the fighting in April 2002.
UNRWA's health programme faces increased demands in the territories because of the injuries, stress and psychological trauma caused by the conflict. The economic impact of closures is also increasing the demands made on the Agency as refugees seek care from the Agency rather than from private providers. UNRWA ambulances and mobile medical teams bring healthcare to communities isolated by closures for long periods.
The crisis has had a particularly marked effect on the refugee children served by UNRWA's schools. Teachers and pupils are often unable to reach their schools and thousands of teaching days have been lost. Schools have come under fire on many occasions and have been used as military outposts and detention centres. The violent events witnessed by the children have caused emotional and psychological trauma and many have suffered the loss of classmates or family members. Examination pass rates have collapsed because of the conflict and UNRWA is running remedial classes in each school to try to compensate for the time lost to education. The Agency has also hired teams of trauma counsellors to work with those children who have been emotionally scarred by their experiences.
To fund its emergency activities in the West Bank and Gaza UNRWA has launched a series of appeals for funds. The first of these was a flash appeal in October 2000 for US$4.83 million. In November 2004 UNRWA launched an appeal for US$186 million to cover emergency operations during 2005.
UNRWA and the Palestinian curriculum
In 1998, two years before the Al-Aqsa intifada, US Congressman Peter Deutsch (D-FL) and other Congressmembers pressured the State Department to ask UNRWA to investigate evidence that Palestinian Authority school books used in UNRWA-run schools contained anti-Semitic statements. The allegations surfaced in reports compiled by the Centre for Monitoring the Impact of Peace, an Israeli-American NGO.
For historical reasons UNRWA schools followed the Jordanian curriculum in the West Bank and the Egyptian curriculum in the Gaza Strip and this practice continued under the Israeli control of those areas between 1967 and 1994. Since 1994 the Palestinian Authority has progressively been replacing the old Jordanian and Egyptian textbooks as new PA-produced textbooks become available. The last of the older books was phased out of UNRWA schools in the autumn of 2004.
In 1999 and 2000, Nathan Brown, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University, published a study on this subject. Regarding the Palestinian Authority's new textbooks, he states: "The new books have removed the anti-Semitism present in the older books while they tell history from a Palestinian point of view, they do not seek to erase Israel, delegitimize it or replace it with the "State of Palestine"; each book contains a foreword describing the West Bank and Gaza as "the two parts of the homeland"; the maps show some awkwardness but do sometimes indicate the 1967 line and take some other measures to avoid indicating borders; in this respect they are actually more forthcoming than Israeli maps; the books avoid treating Israel at length but do indeed mention it by name; the new books must be seen as a tremendous improvement from a Jewish, Israeli, and humanitarian view; they do not compare unfavorably to the material my son was given as a fourth grade student in a school in Tel Aviv".
Brown also described the research into Palestinian textbooks conducted by the Centre for Monitoring the Impact of Peace as "tendentious and highly misleading". However, in an exchange with CMIP Brown notes "my criticism that CMIP's work is 'tendentious and highly misleading' was made before CMIP issued its 2001 report and could hardly have referred specifically to it."
In 2002, the United States Congress requested the United States Department of State to commission a reputable NGO to conduct a review of the new Palestinian curriculum. The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) was thereby commissioned by the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv and the US Consul General in Jerusalem to review the Palestinian Authority's textbooks. Its report was completed in March 2003 and delivered to the State Department for submission to Congress. Its executive summary states: "The overall orientation of the curriculum is peaceful despite the harsh and violent realities on the ground. It does not openly incite against Israel and the Jews. It does not openly incite hatred and violence. Religious and political tolerance is emphasized in a good number of textbooks and in multiple contexts."
Its June 2004 follow-up report notes that "except for calls for resisting occupation and oppression, no signs were detected of outright promotion of hatred towards Israel, Judaism, or Zionism" and that "tolerance, as a concept, runs across the new textbooks". The report also stated that "textbooks revealed numerous instances that introduce and promote the universal and religious values and concepts of respect of other cultures, religions, and ethnic groups, peace, human rights, freedom of speech, justice, compassion, diversity, plurality, tolerance, respect of law, and environmental awareness".
However, the IPCRI noted a number of deficiencies in the curriculum, stating "The practice of 'appropriating' sites, areas, localities, geographic regions, etc. inside the territory of the State of Israel as Palestine/Palestinian observed in our previous review, remains a feature of the newly published textbooks (4th and 9th Grade) laying substantive grounds to the contention that the Palestinian Authority did not in fact recognize Israel as the State of the Jewish people. [...] A good number [of maps ...] show Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as one geographic entity (without demarcation lines or differentiated colorings). Historically Palestinian cities (e.g., Akka, Yafa, Haifa, Safad, al-Lid, Ar-Ramla, Beer As-sabe’) are included in some maps that lump together the areas controlled by the PA with those inside the State of Israel.
No map of the region bears the name of 'Israel' in it the pre-1967 Armistice Demarcation Lines. In addition, Israeli towns with a predominantly Jewish population are not represented on these maps." The Summary also states that the curriculum asserts a historical Arab presence in the region, while "The Jewish connection to the region, in general, and the Holy Land, in particular, is virtually missing. This lack of reference is perceived as tantamount to a denial of such a connection, although no direct evidence is found for such a denial." It also notes that "terms and passages used to describe some historical events are sometimes offensive in nature and could be construed as reflecting hatred of and discrimination against Jews and Judaism."
Criticism
From Israel and pro-Israel groups there has been extensive criticism of the statistics, data collection techniques, and definitions concerning Palestinian refugees by the UNRWA. It has been accused of hiring known militants, perpetuating Palestinian dependency, demonizing Israel, and funneling money from Western governments to line the pockets of the Palestinian Authority and purchasing arms for terrorists.
In 2003, Israel released to newspapers what the New York Times called a "damning intelligence report". Citing interrogations of suspected militants, the document claims that UNRWA operations being used as cover for Palestinian terrorists, including smuggling arms in UN ambulances and hosting meetings of Tanzim in UN buildings.
In 2006, the UNRWA drew criticism from the US Congressmen Mark Kirk and Steven Rothman. Their letter, sent to the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, stated in part: "After an exhaustive review of the UN's own audit, it is clear UNRWA is wrought by mismanagement, ineffective policies, and failure to secure its finances. We must upgrade UNRWA's financial controls, management and enforcement of US law that bars any taxpayer dollars from supporting terrorists."
UNRWA responded by showing the results of its school students in Syria and Jordan, who outperform their peers in host-government schools. UNRWA also mentioned the difficult conditions in which it operates: its refugee load increased much faster than its budget, while the tightening of the closure regime since the Second Intifada deeply affected the humanitarian situation in the former Israeli-occupied territories.
It has been claimed by some that UNRWA is an example of a United Nations anti-Israel bias, and that the Palestine refugees should be treated equally to all others with refugee status around the world. Defenders of the UNRWA put forward the specific legal status of the Palestinians in 1948 who, because they were living under the British Mandate of Palestine, were stateless and therefore not eligible benefits under the common definition.
Critics of UNRWA say that the present definition give Palestine refugees a favored status when compared with other refugee groups, which the UNHCR defines in terms of nationality as opposed to a relatively short number of years of residency.
Critics of Israel say it should allow the refugees to return, which some say is stipulated in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 302 which Israel supported, which would make UNRWA redundant. Defenders of UNRWA respond that it is precisely the stateless status of the Palestinians under British mandate in 1948 that made it necessary to create a definition of refugee based on criteria other than nationality. Historians, such as Martha Gellhorn and Dr. Walter Pinner, have also blamed UNRWA for distortion of statistics and even of sheer fraud. Pinner wrote in 1959 that the actual number of refugees then was only 367,000.
A private research group that includes former members of the Israeli Peace movement conducted extensive investigations into UNRWA, documenting and reporting on corruption and fraud. Additional investigations into the education system revealed that textbooks were effectively preparing children to continue the war against Israel. Despite denials from UNRWA, even the Vatican (at one time a major funding source for PA schoolbooks) acknowledged the incitement to hatred and violence embedded in textbooks at all grade levels and ceased funding the project.
Although UNRWA's Mandate is only Relief and Works, the Wall Street Journal Europe edition, published an op-ed by Asaf Romirowsky and Alexander H. Joffe in April 2011 saying that despite UNRWA's "purported goal, it is hard to claim that the UNRWA has created any Palestinian institutions that foster a genuinely civil society. Ideally the UNRWA would be disbanded and Palestinians given the freedom - and the responsibility - to build their own society."
James G. Lindsay
James G. Lindsay, a former UNRWA general-counsel and fellow researcher for Washington Institute for Near East Policy has published a report for WINEP in which he criticized UNRWA practices. Lindsay claimed that UNRWA is not ousting terrorists from its ranks:
UNRWA has taken very few steps to detect and eliminate terrorists from the ranks of its staff or its beneficiaries, and no steps at all to prevent members of organizations such as Hamas from joining its staff. UNRWA has no preemployment security checks and does not monitor off-time behavior to ensure compliance with the organization's anti-terrorist rules. No justification exists for millions of dollars in humanitarian aid going to those who can afford to pay for UNRWA services.[33][34]
Lindsay also stated that UNRWA’s failure to match UNHCR’s success in resettling refugees "obviously represents a political decision on the part of the agency" and "seems to favor the strain of Palestinian political thought espoused by those who are intent on a 'return' to the land that is now Israel". He argued that UNRWA’s education system is highly problematic. Lindsay quoted a number of American researches that defined UNRWA's schools' curriculum as "highly nationalistic" and "not a 'peace curriculum'" and stated that the textbooks fail "to identify Israel on maps", and that they avoid "discussing Jews or Israelis as individuals (which critics argue would make them more “human” to the reader)"[33]
In his report he also offered suggestions for improvement:
UNRWA should make the following operational changes: halt its one-sided political statements and limit itself to comments on humanitarian issues; take additional steps to ensure the agency is not employing or providing benefits to terrorists and criminals; and allow the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), or some other neutral entity, to provide balanced and discrimination-free textbooks for UNRWA schools.
Response to Lindsay's report
Andrew Whitley, director of the UNRWA representative office at UN headquarters in New York, said: "The agency is disappointed by the findings of the study, found it to be tendentious and partial, and regrets in particular the narrow range of sources used".
UNRWA's Jerusalem spokesman Chris Gunness stated that UNRWA rejects Lindsay's report and its findings and claimed that the study was inaccurate and misleading, since it "makes selective use of source material and fails to paint a truthful portrait of UNRWA and its operations today".
John Ging, head of UNRWA Gaza, stated in regards with Lindsay's criticism on UNRWA failure to resettle refugees that he was disappointed to find this issue in Lindsay’s report. Ging argued that Lindsay had "no basis to say that it is UNRWA’s decision because our mandate is given to us. I agree that it is a political failure, but we don’t set up the mandate, we are only the implementers".
Regarding the report portion about UNRWA's schools, Ging said: "As for our schools, we use textbooks of the Palestinian Authority. Are they perfect? No, they’re not. I can’t defend the indefensible."
Praise
UNRWA received public expressions of praise and appreciation by the Nobel Peace Laureates Mairéad Corrigan Maguire[38] and Kofi Annan, by the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations,[40] by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, and by representatives from the European Union, the United States, the Netherlands, Japan, Bangladesh, Cyprus, Jordan, Ghana, and Norway, among others. In 2007, the Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations described his country as a "strong supporter" of UNRWA, which acts as "a safety net" for the Palestine refugees, providing them with "immediate relief, basic services and the possibility of a life in dignity." The same day, the Representative of Iceland praised the fact that
"despite times of exceptional hardship and suffering in the region, UNRWA has been able to deliver substantial results. On the humanitarian front, UNRWA played a central role in easing the suffering of both refugees and Lebanese civilians during its emergency operations in Lebanon and on the Gaza Strip. Under often life-threatening conditions, UNRWA's staff showed relentless dedication to the Agency's responsibilities."
Gershon Kedar, Israel's delegate to the fourth committee, confirmed Israel's support for the UNRWA: "My delegation wishes to inform the Committee that despite our concerns regarding the politicization of UNRWA, Israel supports its humanitarian mission, and will continue to work in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation with the agency under the leadership of its Commissioner-General, Karen Honing AbuZayd."
Relations with Israel
After Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza in the June 1967 Six-Day War, Israel requested that the UNRWA continue its operations there, and agreed to facilitate them. In the years since, relations between Israel and UNRWA have found themselves subject to the varying intensities of conflict that have continued to rock the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
During the Al-Aqsa Intifada, which started in late 2000, UNRWA often complained that Israeli road closures, curfews and checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza have interfered with its ability to carry out its humanitarian mandate. The Agency has also complained that large scale house demolitions in the Gaza Strip have left over 30,000 people homeless. Israel justifies the demolitions as anti-terrorism measures.
Relations between UNRWA and Israel have often been strained. UNRWA has been under routine attack from the Israeli government and politicians for alleged involvement with Palestinian militant groups, such as Hamas. For example, the Israel Defence Force released a video from May 2004, in which armed Palestinian militants carry an injured colleague into an UNRWA ambulance, before boarding with him. The ambulance driver requested that the armed men leave, but was threatened and told to drive to a hospital. UNRWA issued a plea to all parties to respect the neutrality of its ambulances.
On other occasions, UNRWA buildings have been caught in battles between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants resulting in the deaths of several employees.
In November 2002 Iain Hook, a British employee of UNRWA, was shot and killed by an Israeli military sniper while working in the Jenin refugee camp, during an operation to locate a Palestinian militant suspected of masterminding a suicide bombing which had killed 14 people earlier in 2002. Peter Hansen, the head of UNRWA at the time criticized the killing: "Israeli snipers had sights. They would have known who the two internationals (non-Palestinians) were. They did not dress like Palestinians."
January 6, 2009 incident
On January 7, 2009, UNRWA officials alleged that the prior day, in the course of the Gaza War, the Israel Defense Forces shelled an UNRWA school in Jabalya, Gaza, killing more than forty people. The IDF initially claimed it was responding to an attack by Hamas gunman hiding in the compound, but upon reexamination, said that an "errant shell had hit the school." This accusation caused harsh criticism of Israel from all over the world. In a clarified report, a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs official stated: "The shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school."
IDF officials have disputed the accuracy of the UN fatality assessment: "It was not certain that the number of casualties reported by the UN, 43, was accurate and that Military Intelligence noticed Hamas attempts to cover up the identity of those killed in the strike."
October 1, 2004 incident
On October 1, 2004, Israel again lodged accusations against UNRWA. The Israeli Defence Forces released unmanned aerial vehicles and video documenting what they initially claimed was a group of Palestinian militants load a rocket into UN-marked vehicle. Israel announced its intention to file a strong complaint against UNRWA and demand that Danish diplomat Peter Hansen, UNRWA's head, be removed from office.
Hansen responded that the footage was of UNRWA crew members carrying a stretcher into the UN ambulance, stating "While the quality of the video clip is poor, its analysis shows beyond the shadow of a doubt that the object carried and thrown into the vehicle is not / cannot be a Qassam rocket". Moreover, Hansen accused Israel of making "baseless accusations" which put UNRWA's ambulance crews in "grave danger".
The Israeli authorities initially dismissed UNRWA's reaction, blaming Hansen for being "anti-Israeli".. Later on, however, Israeli General Yisrael Ziv recognized having doubts over whether the object was a rocket launcher or a stretcher.
Eventually, the Israeli military changed some of its earlier statements and conceded the possibility that the object could have indeed been a stretcher, but did not offer the apology Hansen had demanded.
Peter Hansen
Israel has stated that Peter Hansen, UNRWA's former Commissioner-General (1996–2005) "consistently adopted a trenchant anti-Israel line" which resulted in biased and exaggerated reports against Israel. Hansen caused controversy in Canada in October 2004 when he said in an interview with CBC TV:
Oh I am sure that there are Hamas members on the UNRWA payroll and I don't see that as a crime. Hamas as a political organization does not mean that every member is a militant and we do not do political vetting and exclude people from one persuasion as against another.
We demand of our staff, whatever their political persuasion is, that they behave in accordance with UN standards and norms for neutrality.
Hansen later specified that he had been referring not to active Hamas members, but to Hamas sympathizers within UNRWA. In a letter to the Agency's major donors, he said he was attempting to be honest because UNRWA has over 8,200 employees in the Gaza Strip. Given the 30 to 40 percent support to Hamas in Gaza at the time, and UNRWA's workforce of 11,000 Palestinians, at least some Hamas sympathizers were likely to be among UNRWA's employees. The important thing, he wrote, was that UNRWA's strict rules and regulations ensured that its staff remained impartial UN servants. But he was retired from United Nations service on March 31, 2005.
Investigation by the United States Congress
The United States government financed a programme of "Operations Support Officers", part of whose job is to make random and unannounced inspections of UNRWA facilities to ensure their sanctity from militant operations. In 2004 the US Congress asked the General Accounting Office to investigate media claims that taxpayer's dollars given to UNRWA had been used to support individuals involved in militant activities. During its investigation, the GAO discovered several irregularities in its processing and employment history.
Loss of Canadian support
In January 2010, the Government of Canada announced that it was redirecting aid previously earmarked to UNRWA "to specific projects in the Palestinian Authority that will ensure accountability and foster democracy in the PA."
Victor Toews, the president of Canada's Treasury Board, stated, "Overall, Canada is not reducing the amount of money given to the PA, but it is now being redirected in accordance with Canadian values. This "will ensure accountability and foster democracy in the PA." Previously, Canada provided UNRWA with 11 percent of its budget at $10 million (Canadian) annually.
The decision came despite positive internal evaluations of the Agency by CIDA officials. The Canadian decision put it very much at odds with the US and EU, which maintained or increased their levels of funding. Some suggested that the decision also cost Canada international support in its failed October 2010 effort to obtain a seat on the UN Security Council.
Documents obtained from the Canadian International Development Agency revealed that even the government of Israel opposed the Canadian move, and had asked Ottawa to resume contributions to UNRWA's General Fund.
Problems with Hamas
On 4 February 2009, UNRWA halted aid shipments into the Gaza Strip after it accused Hamas of breaking into a UN warehouse and stealing tonnes of blankets and food which had been earmarked for needy families. A few days later, the UN resumed aid after the missing supplies had been returned.
On 5 August 2009, the IDF accused Hamas of stealing three ambulances that had just been transferred through Israel to the UNRWA. The UNRWA spokesmand denied the claim. A week later, Hamas confirmed it confiscated the ambulances due to bureaucratic reasons. A UNRWA spokesman also confirmed this but soon retracted this admission and denied the incident, even publicizing a photo it claimed was of one its officials with the ambulances.
On 23 May 2010, a group of 30 armed masked men set fire to the construction site of an UNRWA summer camp in Gaza City, destroying it. The arsonists left a letter addressed to UNRWA head John Ging, threatening his life. Four bullets were attached to the letter.
Hamas condemned the arson but tried to minimize its importance. Additionally, Hamas advised UNRWA to reexamine its curriculum to ensure its suitability for Palestinian society, due to the mixing of genders at the camps.
The previous year Hamas denounced UNRWA and Ging, accusing them of using their summer camps to corrupt the morals of Palestinian youth. Hamas has its own network of summer camps and the two organizations are regarded to be vying for influence with Gazan youth.
In September 2011 it was reported that, under pressure from Hamas, UNRWA has made all its summer camps single-sex. At the same time it was reported that UNRWA has suspended the introduction of Holocaust studies in its schools.
27 Feb 2012, Mon, SoS Clinton and Staff Schedule
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/appt/2012/02/184676.htm
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the assistant secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
2:30 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP), at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Administrator Shah delivers keynote remarks at the launch of USAID’s new Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, at USAID.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius from through March 2. On Monday, Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on European security issues and the next steps in arms control at a EUCOM conference at Ramstein Air Base.
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
10:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Donald Gips, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Tanzanian Ambassador to the United States Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:45 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the World Bank East Asia Pacific Region Conference, at the World Bank.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats attends a Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade Steering Committee Meeting, at the National Association of Manufacturers.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Geneva through March 5.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to attend the Human Rights Council 19th Session High-Level Week.
AS FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
Assistant Secretary Campbell is on foreign travel to New Zealand and Australia through March 2 to meet with senior officials in the region.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
7:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks at the American Society for Microbiology Conference in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
12:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks at the Nonproliferation Education Policy Center Conference in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29 where he will meet with government officials and private sector representatives to discuss the business and investment climate.
(MEDIA AS DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
11:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer participates in a quarterly meeting of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with the executive leadership of Univision , at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
4:15 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
ACTING AS FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION DAVID ROBINSON
10:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson meets with UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro delivers remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on U.S. support for international peacekeeping, in Washington, DC.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with Australian Deputy Chief of Mission, Graham Fletcher, at the Department of State
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM DANIEL BENJAMIN:
11:30 a.m. Ambassador Benjamin meets with Swedish Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR AT LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR GOOSBY
4:30 p.m. Ambassador Goosby participates in a meeting with the Board Chair of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Simon Bland, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on domestic travel in New York City, New York through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
10:00 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Fulton County Chairman (Georgia) John Eaves, at the Department of State.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
Director Sullivan speaks to students at the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston, Massachusetts.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p..m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
9:15 a.m. Secretary Clinton meets with the assistant secretaries, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
6:30 p.m. Secretary Clinton meets with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon, at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
DEPUTY SECRETARY BILL BURNS
10:30 a.m. Deputy Secretary Burns meets with Australian Ambassador Kim Beazley, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
1:00 p.m. Deputy Secretary Burns attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
USAID ADMINISTRATOR RAJ SHAH
2:30 p.m. Administrator Shah meets with Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the United Nations World
Food Programme (WFP), at USAID.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
4:00 p.m. Administrator Shah delivers keynote remarks at the launch of USAID’s new Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, at USAID.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS WENDY SHERMAN
11:00 a.m. Under Secretary Sherman meets with OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING US FOR ARMS CONTROL AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY ROSE GOTTEMOELLER
Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller is on foreign travel to Ramstein Air Base, Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw, and Vilnius from through March 2. On Monday, Acting Under Secretary Gottemoeller delivers remarks on European security issues and the next steps in arms control at a EUCOM conference at Ramstein Air Base.
US FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT ROBERT HORMATS
10:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Donald Gips, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
11:30 a.m. Under Secretary Hormats meets with Tanzanian Ambassador to the United States Mwanaidi Sinare Maajar, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
12:45 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats delivers remarks at the World Bank East Asia Pacific Region Conference, at the World Bank.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
2:00 p.m. Under Secretary Hormats attends a Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade Steering Committee Meeting, at the National Association of Manufacturers.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
US FOR CIVILIAN SECURITY, DEMOCRACY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS MARIA OTERO
Under Secretary Otero is on foreign travel to Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Geneva through March 5.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION AFFAIRS ESTHER BRIMMER
Assistant Secretary Brimmer is on foreign travel in Geneva, Switzerland to attend the Human Rights Council 19th Session High-Level Week.
AS FOR EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS KURT CAMPBELL
Assistant Secretary Campbell is on foreign travel to New Zealand and Australia through March 2 to meet with senior officials in the region.
AS FOR INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND NONPROLIFERATION TOM COUNTRYMAN
7:15 a.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks at the American Society for Microbiology Conference in Washington, DC.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
12:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Countryman delivers remarks at the Nonproliferation Education Policy Center Conference in Washington, DC.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS JOSE FERNANDEZ
Assistant Secretary Fernandez is on foreign travel in Doha, Qatar through February 29 where he will meet with government officials and private sector representatives to discuss the business and investment climate.
(MEDIA AS DETERMINED BY HOST)
ACTING AS FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS MIKE HAMMER
11:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer participates in a quarterly meeting of the Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Hammer meets with the executive leadership of Univision , at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
ACTING AS FOR WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS ROBERTA JACOBSON
4:15 p.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Jacobson attends a meeting at the White House.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY WHITE HOUSE)
ACTING AS FOR POPULATION, REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION DAVID ROBINSON
10:00 a.m. Acting Assistant Secretary Robinson meets with UNRWA Commissioner General Filippo Grandi, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AS FOR POLITICAL-MILITARY AFFAIRS ANDREW SHAPIRO
1:00 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro delivers remarks at the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) on U.S. support for international peacekeeping, in Washington, DC.
(OPEN PRESS COVERAGE)
3:30 p.m. Assistant Secretary Shapiro meets with Australian Deputy Chief of Mission, Graham Fletcher, at the Department of State
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE AND COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM DANIEL BENJAMIN:
11:30 a.m. Ambassador Benjamin meets with Swedish Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR AT LARGE AND U.S. GLOBAL AIDS COORDINATOR GOOSBY
4:30 p.m. Ambassador Goosby participates in a meeting with the Board Chair of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Simon Bland, at the Department of State.
(CLOSED PRESS COVERAGE)
AMBASSADOR-AT-LARGE FOR GLOBAL WOMEN’S ISSUES MELANNE VERVEER
Ambassador Verveer is on domestic travel in New York City, New York through March 2 to co-lead the U.S. Delegation to the 56th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and participate in bilateral meetings and side events in support of women’s rights and empowerment.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY USUN)
SR FOR GLOBAL INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS RETA JO LEWIS
10:00 a.m. Special Representative Lewis meets with Fulton County Chairman (Georgia) John Eaves, at the Department of State.
DIRECTOR OF POLICY PLANNING JAKE SULLIVAN
Director Sullivan speaks to students at the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston, Massachusetts.
(MEDIA DETERMINED BY HOST)
PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE
12:30 p..m. Daily Press Briefing with Spokesperson Victoria Nuland
27 Feb 2012, Mon, Pres and VP Schedules
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule
9:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:00 am
The President meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:20 am
The President and the Vice President deliver remarks to the National Governors Association; the First Lady and Dr. Biden also deliver remarks
State Dining Room
Pooled Press
3:15 pm
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary Geithner
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:30 pm
The President attends a campaign event
The Jefferson Hotel
Closed Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
9:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:20 am
The President and the Vice President deliver remarks to the National Governors Association; the First Lady and Dr. Biden also deliver remarks
State Dining Room
Pooled Press
3:15 pm
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary Geithner
Oval Office
Closed Press
9:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
10:00 am
The President meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:20 am
The President and the Vice President deliver remarks to the National Governors Association; the First Lady and Dr. Biden also deliver remarks
State Dining Room
Pooled Press
3:15 pm
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary Geithner
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:30 pm
The President attends a campaign event
The Jefferson Hotel
Closed Press
http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/vice-president
9:30 am
The President and the Vice President receive the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:20 am
The President and the Vice President deliver remarks to the National Governors Association; the First Lady and Dr. Biden also deliver remarks
State Dining Room
Pooled Press
3:15 pm
The President and the Vice President meet with Secretary Geithner
Oval Office
Closed Press
Sunday, February 26, 2012
11-year old girls fight - over a boy!
I know this happens...although I thought they held off until they were 13 or so. This is just so sad. At age 11 girls should be thinking of their careers...they shouldn't even be thinking of boys in a sexual way... or if they are...it should be - "OH, he's going to date her! Well then fine, I'll go find someone else." But to fight over him, physically fight - as if who he wanted didn't matter - that's just sick and sad and is evidence of the sexualization of our culture which makes girls think that fighting each other over who a boy gets to love...is causing havoc with our young people.
I mean... wasn't it boys who used to fight over a girl? When did girls deciding who got to date a boy by physical force start?
(And please note I don't think not dating boys until you're 16 or so, and keeping your virginity until you're over 20 and with a good job and preferably married is a religious or even moral issue - just an issue of common sense.)
I mean... wasn't it boys who used to fight over a girl? When did girls deciding who got to date a boy by physical force start?
(And please note I don't think not dating boys until you're 16 or so, and keeping your virginity until you're over 20 and with a good job and preferably married is a religious or even moral issue - just an issue of common sense.)
From ABC News: 11-Year-Old Girl Dies After Fight With Classmate Over Boy
Health officials and police in Long Beach, Calif., are trying to determine how an 11-year-old girl died after getting into a fight with another girl over a boy.
Joanna Ramos, a fifth grader at Willard Elementary School, died Friday night in the hospital after complaining of a headache.
"She was so nice to me; she was like a sister to me," said classmate Stephanie Soltero, crying. "They were fighting over a boy, just for a boy. It's just stupid."
The two girls and seven onlookers went to an alley off campus after school on Friday, where they had planned to fight, according to Deputy Chief Robert Luna of the Long Beach Police Department. No weapons were used and no one was knocked to the ground.
Police are waiting for autopsy results to determine Ramos' cause of death.
Ramos' classmate said she was complaining about a pain in her head during an after-school program.
"She was crying and saying her head was hurting. She said to the supervisor, the principal on call, she told them that my head was hurting and then she called the parents and the parents took her to the hospital," classmate Justin Robert King Jr. said.
Ramos was unconscious and not breathing when family members took her to the hospital at about 5:50 p.m., according to police. She was rushed into surgery but pronounced dead three hours later.
"There are times when words do not convey a sense of sadness and loss that we feel. This was one of those times. Our hearts go out to the families affected by this tragic event yesterday. It resulted in the death of an 11-year-old girl from Long Beach. It's hard to understand how this can happen. If you're like me, you're also thinking of your own children, perhaps your daughter or your granddaughter, and you get a sense of how precious life really is," Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said Saturday.
Outside Willard Elementary School, friends left balloons, candles, stuffed animals, flowers and letters to Ramos.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Poll Reporting Skews Results Big Time
Rush commented on a news article that had the headline "Santorum Winnng More Report From Republican Women.
He talks about it like this poll means something, like it's valid, like it's interesting.
And unfortunately, while people who read Rush's transcripts can see the supporting link to the article - his listeners can't. So his listeners think that this little news article is true.
But if you actually read the article with its very deceiving headline, you find out that of the 1012 women that were talked to... 135 of them were Republican.
135!
And from this incredible drop-in-the-ocean amount of Republican women.. it's being reported as fact that Santorum's popularity with Republican women is on the rise?
That is ridiculous.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rick-santorum-winning-more-support-from-republican-women/2012/02/22/gIQAPDJjWR_story.html
He talks about it like this poll means something, like it's valid, like it's interesting.
Rick Santorum Winning More Support from Republican Women." Washington Post. We are talking about contraception because the mainstream news media controls the conversation. We're talking about it because Obama wants it discussed, and the media won't let it die no matter what the Republicans do. Amy Gardner at the Washington Post: "Over the past several weeks, Republicans have watched squeamishly as presidential contender Rick Santorum has waded into multiple controversies that risk alienating half the 2012 electorate: women.
"But in fact, Santorum has grown more popular among women while talking about his opposition to abortion, his disapproval of birth control and his view that the federal government shouldn’t pay for prenatal screenings. A new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows not only that Santorum is doing better among GOP women than he was a few weeks ago, but also that he is less unpopular ... among Democratic and independent women than his Republican rivals Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich." He is less unpopular than those two among Democrat and independent women. How is this possible?
And unfortunately, while people who read Rush's transcripts can see the supporting link to the article - his listeners can't. So his listeners think that this little news article is true.
But if you actually read the article with its very deceiving headline, you find out that of the 1012 women that were talked to... 135 of them were Republican.
135!
And from this incredible drop-in-the-ocean amount of Republican women.. it's being reported as fact that Santorum's popularity with Republican women is on the rise?
That is ridiculous.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/rick-santorum-winning-more-support-from-republican-women/2012/02/22/gIQAPDJjWR_story.html
Do The Taliban See any Kind of A Double Standard Here?
Christians in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East aren't treated very well - the Bible is burned with impunity.
But let some Americans burn a Koran - and oh, my!
And of course President Obama has apologized to Afghanistan with a typical result - they don't want his apology, they want the folks who burned the Koran put on trial and doubtless executed by being stoned with rocks.
Here's an idea - put a Koran burner and a Bible burner on trial at the same time and sentence them both to death. Tell Afghanistan that anyone who burns a Bible must die also.
Let's see what they say then.
Ah, religion...
But let some Americans burn a Koran - and oh, my!
And of course President Obama has apologized to Afghanistan with a typical result - they don't want his apology, they want the folks who burned the Koran put on trial and doubtless executed by being stoned with rocks.
Here's an idea - put a Koran burner and a Bible burner on trial at the same time and sentence them both to death. Tell Afghanistan that anyone who burns a Bible must die also.
Let's see what they say then.
Ah, religion...
Condoms, Tubes Tied, or Vasectomy
A doctor called up Rush on Friday and said this:
Well- I'm thinking what he means by "contraception" is birth control pills - pills that change a woman's hormones and make her gain weight and so on.
Which is why condoms are the way to go. And even if birth control pills or diaphrams (which have their own health issues) are used, a condom should be used anyway to guard against sexually transmitted diseases!
And since condoms are going to be used anyway, why not just use them instead of the hormone-changing pills?
CALLER: Hi. Yeah, I don't have a lot of time, I realize that. I want to get right to my point. I'm a vascular specialist who sees a lot of blood clots in the lung, in the leg, sometimes in the arteries, but a lot in the veins, and probably one out of every three blood clots that I see in women is from the use of contraception.
Well- I'm thinking what he means by "contraception" is birth control pills - pills that change a woman's hormones and make her gain weight and so on.
Which is why condoms are the way to go. And even if birth control pills or diaphrams (which have their own health issues) are used, a condom should be used anyway to guard against sexually transmitted diseases!
And since condoms are going to be used anyway, why not just use them instead of the hormone-changing pills?
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