Foreign Aid Commitments

Re “Foreign Aid Pays Dividends,” editorial, Oct. 22: I have to disagree that foreign aid contributes significantly to the national interest. The Times correctly points out that only 1% of our budget goes to foreign aid. However, once Congress funds all mandatory spending like Social Security, Medicare and defense, the amount available to spend in a discretionary way is a much smaller amount. This results in foreign aid being a much larger percentage in the discretionary spending category.

You also state that the U.S. has a commitment to underwrite the Wye River accord. Actually, President Clinton made the commitment and Congress rightly balked at the $2-billion price tag. Israel and Palestine already receive $5 billion in aid annually and should use that money to fund their own peace agreements.

As a taxpayer I wonder why our F-22 fighter program is cut and almost canceled by the tune of $2 billion, yet that same amount is generously sent overseas to implement a foreign peace agreement.

SEAN FEE

Granada Hills

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The Times decries what it sees as congressional “provincialism” with respect to U.S. foreign aid policy. The Times says our sour attitude on foreign aid makes us look like a “rube” abroad. I would rather say that it makes us look like a “boob” at home to keep sending money to foreign countries that steal and otherwise squander money sent for foreign aid programs. Maybe congressional leaders are tired of being held hostage around the world to politically appease every Tom, Dick and Harry who can think of hundreds of ways to waste U.S. taxpayer money and then expect the U.S. to write it off.

J.C. KERR

Laguna Beach

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Hooray for The Times! Members of Congress should be ashamed of their foreign assistance bill just vetoed by the president. This GOP-led Congress has failed to pay our U.N. dues on time for years, refuses to pay our share of U.N. peacekeeping operations around the globe, cuts the Peace Corps and State Department budgets, doesn’t fund the Wye Middle East peace accords and shaves money from programs in Russia dismantling nuclear weapons and chemical stockpiles.

Someone needs to tell these rednecks that Americans will not forgive them for ignoring American security and throwing away our global leadership position after years of sacrifice through the Cold War. Our international credibility is shredded. Congress needs to restore the $2 billion cut from the foreign operations bill and fund improved embassy security as the genuine emergency it is.

MARGUERITE COOPER

Los Angeles