The White House Friday highlighted a new multi-million-dollar technology fund for Muslim nations, following a pledge made by President Barack Obama in his landmark speech to the Islamic world.

The White House said the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) had issued a call for proposals for the fund, which will provide financing of between 25 and 150 million dollars for selected projects and funds.

The Global Technology and Innovation Fund will "catalyze and facilitate private sector investments" throughout Asia, the Middle East and Africa, the White House said in a statement.

The US is sending trillions to the middle east muslims for oil purchases and Obama decides we need to use taxpayer money to subsidize businesses in muslim nations. Am I crazy for saying the Arab sheiks should be the ones doing this, not the US taxpayer???

The US is sending trillions to the middle east muslims for oil purchases and Obama decides we need to use taxpayer money to subsidize businesses in muslim nations. Am I crazy for saying the Arab sheiks should be the ones doing this, not the US taxpayer???

If you read between the lines, it's pretty clear that OPIC is designed to provide targeted financing for a very particular kind of project, one that the "Arab sheiks" and other authoritarian leaders in the Arab world might never even allow were it not for the potential embarrassment of turning down "free American money." Specifically,

"OPIC said sample projects could help foster the development of new computer technology or telecommunications businesses, or widen access to broadband Internet services."

On balance, it's a pretty cost-effective way to build relationships with technical and business communities across the Arab world, while promoting the development of technologies that will make it increasingly difficult for authoritarian governments to monitor and control the flow of information through their society and across national borders.

It's also, not to put too fine a point on it, a cost-effective way to build new markets for American information and technology companies. . which God knows, our economy could use.

I realize that it's a far cry from the previous Administration's notion of "engagement" with the Islamic world, but even if you think it's an utter waste of time and money, it's got to compare favorably to the tens of millions of dollars that the Republicans spent paying Blackwater contractors to do this.

to recognize the cleverness of that policy,

one has to be not a blatant partisan on the imaginary crusade against all the communists and maoists and socialists entrenched in the WH

and do not devote the after Feb 2009 existence to garbage searching for everything which in the sick imagination and FOX-brainwashed minds could contribute to paranoid fantasies....

HST doesn't care if the policy is clever...or makes sense...or even what the facts are...

he's got his talking point on it (well, he was TOLD what the talking point is to be)...and he's sticking to it.

we have no debt nor should we feel any obligation to the muslim world after what Bush did to it, and that's too high a price to pay for establishing bonds as an expression of good will, that might impede the continuation and spread of ill will from the muslim community as a result.

Indeed, Mr. "Bomb, Bomb, Iran", give us another example of your genius.

You DO realize the jihadis use computers and the internet for recruitment, planning and weapons technology dissemination, don't you? Why would we want to improve their network infrastructure and node sophistication? I swear Obama could decide to pardon Osama bin Ladin and send him $25 billion for the trouble of having to live in a cave for the past eight years and you clowns would just do "golf claps" and move on. As for Bush and Blackwater, no one here was a bigger critic of them than me...

mercurial1:

we have no debt nor should we feel any obligation to the muslim world after what Bush did to it, and that's too high a price to pay for establishing bonds as an expression of good will, that might impede the continuation and spread of ill will from the muslim community as a result.

Indeed, Mr. "Bomb, Bomb, Iran", give us another example of your genius.

What Bush did to it? What about what they did to US???

Reptilicus:

HST doesn't care if the policy is clever...or makes sense...or even what the facts are...

he's got his talking point on it (well, he was TOLD what the talking point is to be)...and he's sticking to it.

I haven't heard anybody discussing this yet, have you? Or do you just witlessly impugn people you disagree with in an attempt to make yourself look smarter than you are?

and have pics of Iraqi women and children being eaten by dogs in the streets of Fallujah.

Is that why you want Iran bombed too, so as to add to your pic collection?

mercurial1:

and have pics of Iraqi women and children being eaten by dogs in the streets of Fallujah.

Is that why you want Iran bombed too, so as to add to your pic collection?

How long before you strap on the suicide belt Merc? Have you started making your farewell video yet?

not that this wasn't already obvious to those of us in the reality based community.

Sure, millions of dead and displaced muslims because of wmd lies is the kinda thing muslims should love us for, and 9/11 should trump all that.

moron

mercurial1:

not that this wasn't already obvious to those of us in the reality based community.

Sure, millions of dead and displaced muslims because of wmd lies is the kinda thing muslims should love us for, and 9/11 should trump all that.

moron

If you had payed attention at all you'd know I never supported the Iraq invasion and was one of the first to reject the WMD claim. However, I hardly think any of that means we owe the Muslim community anything (and most certainly not money and technology that they will just use against us). And you think I'M a moron...

after having it demonstrated that there's no comparison between millions of dead and displaced muslims in Iraq and those killed by muslim extremists.

There's also the admission that those muslim Iraqis got what the deserved, given that victims always have an inherent right to damages.

Odd, how does one reconcile thinking killing so many muslims in Iraq is okay with not supporting that invasion?

Oh that's right, only a world class distortionist and contortionist would even try.

HST-libertarian:

You DO realize the jihadis use computers and the internet for recruitment, planning and weapons technology dissemination, don't you? Why would we want to improve their network infrastructure and node sophistication? I swear Obama could decide to pardon Osama bin Ladin and send him $25 billion for the trouble of having to live in a cave for the past eight years and you clowns would just do "golf claps" and move on. As for Bush and Blackwater, no one here was a bigger critic of them than me...

Well, yes, Jihadis have been known to use the internet for all sorts of nefarious and homicidal purposes. . . but that's not a major (or even significant) element of information traffic anywhere, except maybe for the LAN in Osama Bin Laden's spider hole. . . and even there, it's likely that the level of official "Jihad-related traffic" comes in a distant third, lagging far behind the categories of "Decadent Online Gaming" and "Sinful Western Porn." I mean, C'mon. . . Jihadis have also been known to make use of briefcases, wristwatches, and pants, but I don't see anyone arguing for an export ban.

As for Bin Laden. . . you know, you might just be on to something, there. If Obama offered him a Presidential pardon and $25 billion in exchange for a cease-fire. . .he might just be arrogant enough to take our "surrender" at face value, and emerge hiding to collect his "reparations" and crow about his triumph over the "Great Satan". . .right up until the moment the B-2 bombers arrive at his position, and he figures out that we were lying. . . shame on us. It's a truly beautiful vision, and worth a hell of a lot more than a "golf clap" if Obama should ever pull it off.

And all Muslim States"???

Yes..we know about 9/119/119/119/119/119/119/119/­119/119/119/119/119/119/119/11­9/119/119/119/119/119/119/119/­119/119/119/119/119/119/119/11­9/119/119/119/119/119/119/119/­119/119/119/119/119/119/119/11­9/119/119/119/119/119/119/119/­119/119/119/119/119/119/119/11­....

Why didn't we invade Saudi Arabia?