President Bush says he would like to double US aid to Africa

June 30th 2005

President Bush is proposing spending 1.2 Billion dollars to fight Malaria in Tanzania, Uganda and Angola.  In addition the President is proposing to spend 400 million dollars in an effort to educate African Child and reduce sexual violence. 

It is believed Bush is under pressure to increase the aid to Africa after having turned down a proposal by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to give the continent 50 billion dollars a year.  This would have been done by making long-term aid commitments that would allow poor countries to raise money on global capital markets.  The President is under pressure to provide more money to Africa.  The Group of Eight (G8) summit next week in Scotland has proposed Washington take a greater role in combating malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Chad Dobson, US policy director for the anti-poverty organization Oxfam, said Bush's pledge will mean an extra 900 million dollars a year for Africa and would be a welcome first step.

President Bush has tripled aid to Africa since he took office.  Many Libertarians I have spoken to feel he may be the most liberal Presidents in decades.  The Presidents National Security advisor, Stephan J Hadley said the Presidents aid pledge will increase overall US assistance to Africa from 4.3 billion dollars in 2004 to at least 8.6 billion dollars by 2010.  He said it was the largest aid increase over the shortest period of time since the Democrat Harry Truman’s Marshall Plan. 

By Dan Wilson
Best Syndication Staff Writer