Stephanie
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4 September 2006 Former US President Bill Clinton has called for the US to sharply increase foreign aid, suggesting it was important in fighting terrorists and "cheaper than going to war".
In an interview with American news channel CNN, Clinton pointed out that the US government gives a little more than 10 billion dollars a year in real aid and that Washington should be offering a lot more.
Clinton said the US should be giving aid at the target level set by the United Nations of 0.7 percent of gross national income. In 2004, total us government foreign aid of 19.7 billion dollars, including all types and recipient countries, hit only about 0.17 percent of gross national income. "We should be giving about 60 billion dollars a year. And in a budget that's what, over two trillion dollars, it's no money, really," he said during the interview. "And it's much cheaper than going to war. We've already spent over 300 billion dollars in Iraq alone, he said.
"So spending this money to be in a world with more partners and fewer terrorists and more possibility for growth and more prosperity for Americans is a very inexpensive thing to do," the former president said.
President Clinton has set an historical precedent in US-Africa relations by placing strong emphasis on his Partnership Initiative for Economic Growth and Opportunity in Africa.
http://www.africa-interactive.net/index.php?PageID=1612