Strings attached, or, the financial world offers new initiatives in debt bargaining

[Jurriaan Bendien <bendien@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The United States will deduct $289.5 million from loan guarantees  to Israel
over disagreements regarding Israeli activity in Palestinian territories.
The Israeli Embassy in Washington announced late on Tuesday that the amount
was "suggested" by Israel. "Israel accepts that the United States does not
view some of the Israeli activities to date in parts of Judea, Samaria and
Gaza as being consistent with US policy," the statement reads.

"Israel understands that the US should not finance directly, or indirectly,
activities with which it does not agree." Israel "therefore suggested that
the US deduct the agreed sum of $289.5 million from the $3 billion in loan
guarantees currently available." An Israeli diplomat told AFP the decision
was taken on Tuesday following a meeting in Washington between US national
security adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Dov Weisglass, Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon's chief of staff.

Whole text at
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7DCEBB15-296E-4CFE-8ED3-F67E0ECCACF3.
htm

Bit of humour: Moses and Job are discussing about the latest news at in the
school playground. Says Job: "do you know what the American economy is ?".
Says Moses: "I think it's a sort of bank, a financial trust". Says Job:
"Then why do they make such a big thing of terrorism ?". Moses thinks,
points his finger to his head, and says "I think it's a projection". Says
Job: "projection of what ?". Moses shrugs, says, "asking that, is like
asking how did we end up here, being born in Eretz Israel ?".