An "unusual effort" by the State Department

When celebrity activists are talking about cutting a presidential candidate's "nuts off" and newsmakers spin it as part of a discussion on "urban policy," it hardly makes sense to be outraged by anything anymore. However, it may still be worthwhile for some of us to note that the New York Times is at it again with the "Gaza Scholars" (today, page A-8):

U.S. Tries to Help 3 Scholars Barred From Leaving Gaza

GAZA - American consular officials drove from Jerusalem to the Gazan border on Thursday in an unusual effort to interview three Gazan Fulbright scholars who Israel says are too dangerous to allow into the country.

Using a portable fingerprinting machine flown in from Washington for the interviews, the Americans were seeking to expedite the granting of study visas to the three scholars, despite Israeli concerns.

You have to read to the end of the fourth paragraph to find out what those "Israeli concerns" are. Turns out the three "were determined to have links to Hamas."

American officials who asked for the details of those links were given only general statements about family ties. The officials decided to find a way to get the students out - thus the drive to Gaza....

If the three Fulbright scholars - Zuhair Abu Shaaban, Fidaa Abed and Osama Daoud - do not raise alarms in their State Department vetting in the coming days, the American Consulate will grant them visas and press Israel to allow them to go to the border between the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jordan to fly to the United States to pursue graduate degrees in engineering and computer science.

The Washington Post covers the story too, explaining that

"... they cannot leave because of Israeli and Egyptian travel bans imposed after the violent Hamas takeover of Gaza last year."

State Dept. spokesman Sean McCormack on the State Department's "unusual effort" on behalf of these three poorpalestinians:

"It is certainly not the norm," he said. "It's a symbol of our commitment to the Fulbright program and to educational exchanges."

Also of interest is this 04/30/2008 Report from the State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism:

The Department of State, USAID, and other U.S. agencies continued to support an increased focus on education in predominantly Muslim countries and those with significant Muslim populations. The United States' approach stresses mobilizing public and private resources as partners to improve access, quality, and the relevance of education, with a specific emphasis on developing civic-mindedness in young people....

Between FY-2002 and FY-2007, MEPI [the Department of State's Middle East Partnership Initiative] funding for projects in basic education totaled approximately $90 million.

If you happen to go to Combined Jewish Philanthropies for your news, there's this unintentional heads-up from the Ass. Press:

Abed is headed to the University of California at San Diego for a graduate degree in computer science. Abu Shaaban, 24, plans to study electrical engineering at the University of Connecticut and Daoud, 25, is seeking a doctorate in civil engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Palestinian Fulbright scholars Zuhair Abu Shaaban, 24, right, Fidaa Abed 23, left, and Osama Daoud, 25, wait to cross the Erez Border crossing between Israel and Gaza Strip in order to meet U.S. consular officials at the Israeli side of the border, Thursday, July 10, 2008. U.S. consular officials have traveled to the Gaza border to process the visa applications of three Palestinian Fulbright scholars whose scholarships were at risk because of Israeli travel restrictions. (AP photo by Adel Hana)

Condoleezza Rice, quoted at the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights:

"If you cannot engage young people and give complete horizons to their expectations and their dreams, I don't know that there will be any future for Palestine."

The U.S. Government "Rewards for Justice" program is administered by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

Under this program, the Secretary of State is currently offering rewards of up to $25 million for information that prevents or favorably resolves acts of international terrorism against U.S. persons or property worldwide....

Comments

[herb glatter]

Palestinians "studying" engineering - we've seen that before when Yayah Yeyesh the engingeer who designed suicide bomb vests to kill Jewish infants, children women and men was sent to Paradise by a booby trapped cell phone tirggered by an IAF helicopter