How to Avoid Funding Hamas: Scrutinize Those Who Receive U.S. Aid
By Matthew Levitt
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is one of the primary vehicles the U.S. government intends to use to provide newly pledged aid to Gaza. Amazingly, the agency is resisting efforts to implement a program to ensure that U.S. funds do not inadvertently support terrorism.
On Friday, the U.S. government announced that President Obama has authorized the use of $20.3 million to address critical post-conflict humanitarian needs in Gaza. Under the system as it exists today, some or all of those funds could end up in Hamas coffers.
The necessary first step to fix all this is simple and long-overdue: a partner verification system. Unfortunately, while USAID first published the proposed rule for such a system in July 2007, and a final rule was just published in the Federal Register last month, the proposed vetting system is still being vigorously opposed within USAID. In fact, the final rule was scheduled to go into effect Monday -- but was dealt a new setback when USAID bureaucrats held a backdoor meeting and effectively extended the implementation date.
Fortunately, President Obama will have the opportunity to rectify USAID's vetting shortcomings. As the final notice in the Federal Register notes, "The decision as to whether to implement PVS [a partner verification system] will be made by the incoming Obama administration."
The full article, which appears in todays' New York Daily News, is available here.
