Presidential press secretary Scott McClellan said today the administration would be reviewing the financial aid program that provides U.S. taxpayer funds to the Palestinian Authority, but did not indicate the funds would be pulled immediately – despite emphasizing that the United States would not fund terrorists.
WND asked McClellan at today's press briefing: "Why aren't the Hamas-electing Palestinians immediately cut off from all U.S. funding in light of what they decided to elect – a terrorist government whose leaders have again refused to abandon its call for the destruction of Israel?"
"We do not and we will not fund a terrorist organization," responded McClellan. "We will not fund an organization that advocates the destruction of Israel. We will not fund an organization that engages in terror. Hamas has choices to make. They need to renounce their platform calling for the destruction of Israel. They need to reject terror. …
"Our assistance programs will be reviewed with that key principle in mind, that we will not fund a terrorist organization. We can not be clearer."
WND pressed the spokesman, saying, "'Reviewed'? What about now, right now, to stop the money right now, the millions going –"
Said McClellan: "Well, first of all, right now we believe it's important for President Abbas to continue to remain engaged in the peace process, and indications are that he intends to do that, from what we've seen in recent days and in terms of his comments. And we will see how the new government forms. At this point, it's in the process of forming. And as we've said, if Hamas is the new government, we will not fund a terrorist organization."
"If"? asked WND. "You're implying there is any doubt that Hamas is going to be the government."
The spokesman responded: "Well, I think there's a level of uncertainty in the political system in the Middle East right now, and in the Palestinian territories. And so we'll see how that plays out."
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