The Hindu : International : Bush plea for Iraq aid nets $600

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 26, 2005

International

International

Bush plea for Iraq aid nets $600

Mark Townsend

HOUSTON: An extraordinary appeal to Americans from the Bush administration for money to help pay for the reconstruction of Iraq has raised only $600. Yet, since the appeal was launched earlier this month, donations to rebuild New Orleans have attracted hundreds of millions of dollars.

The public's reluctance to contribute much more than the cost of two iPods to the administration's attempt to offer citizens' a further stake in building a free and prosperous Iraq' has been seized on by critics as evidence of growing ambivalence over that country.

This coincides with concern over the increasing cost of the war. More than $30 billion has been appropriated for the reconstruction. Initially, America's overseas aid agency, USaid, expected it to cost taxpayers no more than $1.7 billion, but it is now asking the public if they want to contribute even more.

It is understood to be the first time that a U.S. Government has made an appeal to taxpayers for foreign aid money. Contributors have no way of knowing who will receive their donations or even where they may go, after officials said details had to be kept secret for security reasons.

USaid's Heather Layman denied it was disappointed with the meagre sum raised after a fortnight. In the past 12 months, Americans raised some $250 billion for charity, including other foreign causes such as the Asian tsunami victims.

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2005

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