The logo of the US-funded Radio Sawa, which broadcasts to the Middle East

By Adam Wild Aba, IOL Correspondent

WASHINGTON, November 27 (IslamOnline.net) – America’s new behemoth budget is earmarking huge appropriations to the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) in a bid to shine up the country’s blemished image worldwide and protect its interests.

The two government bodies will get under the so-called omnibus spending bill 8.8 billion dollars with an eight-percent increase from fiscal 2004 and three-percent over the sum requested by the government.

The BBG supervises radio and television targeting chiefly the Muslim and Arab world like the Washington-based Al-Hurra satellite channel, Radio Sawa and the Voice of America (VOA).

It additionally manages Radio and TV Martí (Office of Cuba Broadcasting) and provides engineering and program support to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.

Passed 344-51 by the House of Representatives on November 20, the 388-billion-dollar budget allots 600 million dollars to extend radio and TV transmission to the Muslim and Arab world, including new air programs and appointment of more staff.

It also designates 60 million dollars in aid programs to Arab and Muslim women, with the objective of raising their awareness of democracy and political participation.

A pentagon report revealed last week that the US was alienating Muslims worldwide and losing the “the war of ideas” because of adopting faulty policies and what is perceived as “self-serving hypocrisy”.

In August, US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, who is to replace outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell, admitted failure to win the Muslims’ hearts and minds.

“We can and we must do more. Our interaction must be a conversation, not a monologue,” Rice said, stressing that Washington wanted to dispel an image that it was a “crass” culture.

Development Programs

Development programs are also high on the spending bill with 4.2 billion dollars being earmarked to the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed the Foreign Assistance Act into law created by executive order USAID.

Receiving overall policy guidance from the secretary of state, USAID has been the principal US agency to extend assistance to countries recovering from disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.

In addition, 403 million dollars are designated in humanitarian aid to US and international NGOs operating in southern Sudan.

Family and pro-life United Nations programs will also receive 441 million dollars.

Military Aid

The spending bill also contains massive military aid programs for key US allies worldwide under the so-called global war on terror.

It allocates, for the first time, 300 million dollars in military assistance for Pakistan, which had been rewarded by Washington for helping hunt down Al-Qaeda and Taliban members along its borders with Afghanistan.

Israel, the leading US Middle Eastern ally, is getting a 73-million-dollar increase in its military aid program to a total of 2.2 billion.

In addition, Tel Aviv will receive 360 million in economic assistance.

Egypt is being offered 1.3 billion dollars for its military and 535 million for its economic needs.

The African Union’s peacekeeping mission will also receive this year 75 million dollars.

Congress is supposed to pass 13 appropriation bills every year covering defense, education, health, foreign aid and every other aspect of federal spending, excluding entitlement programs such as Medicare and Social Security.

This year Congress voted on the omnibus spending bill that combines nine of the traditional 13 bills that fund the federal government. It is expected to be signed into law by President George W. Bush next month.