| |

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday will pledge about $300 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for the war-torn Gaza Strip, plus about $600 million in assistance to the Palestinian Authority, a U.S. official said Sunday.

State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood told reporters traveling with Clinton Sunday that she would announce the donations at an international pledging conference at this Red Sea resort. The conference is seeking money for Gaza and the Palestinian economy.

Obama administration officials had indicated last week that the U.S. was preparing to pledge $900 million in assistance for Gaza, but Wood’s description of the plan Sunday indicated that the only portion going directly to rebuilding Gaza was the $300 million. source.

Talk about wasting money, wasting American tax money to something that is worth less than GM stocks.

| |

Related Reading:

GM High-Tech PerformanceGM High Tech Performance serves enthusiasts of domestic late-model GM performance cars including Camaros, Firebirds, Corvettes, and Grand Nationals. GM also covers fuel injection, supercharging, nitrous oxide systems, turbo technology, electronic engine management, and cutting-edge engine hardware.

Preacherman BluesBest friends...Megapreachers...One good...one evil...As kids, Terrell (TJ) Money and Percival (PC) Turner had one goal-become big time preachers. But once they accomplish that goal, heading up One World Faith; the largest church in the Southeast, the best friends battle on just how they should be leading their flock. TJ is living up to his name and looking to capitalize on a congregation more than willing to shell out big bucks for a man of God. Percival tries to walk the straight and narrow, but soon the lure of the bling leads him astray.
Can either one survive?
When PC tries to right his wrong ways, the battle lines are drawn and best friends will see sides of each other that they never knew existed. Soon, TJ gets down and dirty-pulling up every trick and devastating secret to keep his holy money train rolling. Will Percival learn the hard way that TJ is a sinner who doesn't want to be saved? And if he does, will it be in time enough to stop tragedy from turning his own life upside down? When the dust settles, someone will definitely be singing the Preacherman Blues.

Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia

Ahmed Rashid, whose masterful account of Afghanistan's Taliban regime became required reading after September 11, turns his legendary skills as an investigative journalist to five adjacent Central Asian Republics—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—where religious repression, political corruption, and extreme poverty have created a fertile climate for militant Islam. Based on groundbreaking research and numerous interviews, Rashid explains the roots of fundamentalist rage in Central Asia, describes the goals and activities of its militant organizations, including Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda, and suggests ways of neutralizing the threat and bringing stability to the troubled region. A timely and pertinent work, Jihad is essential reading for anyone who seeks to gain a better understanding of a region we overlook at our peril.

Terrorist: A NovelJohn Updike has written a brilliant novel that ranks among the most provocative of his distinguished career. Terrorist is the story of Ahmad Ashmawy Mulloy, an alienated American-born teenager who spurns the materialistic, hedonistic life he witnesses in the slumping New Jersey factory town he calls home. Turning to the words of the Holy Qur’an as expounded to him by the pedantic imam of a local mosque, Ahmad devotes himself fervently to God. Neither the world-weary guidance counselor at his high school nor Ahmad’s mischievously seductive classmate Joryleen succeeds in deflecting him from his course, as the threads of an insidious plot gather around him.

“One compelling and surprising ride.”–USA Today
“The startlingly contemporary story of a high school student . . . whose zealous Islamic faith and disaffection with modern life make him a pawn in the larger conflict between Muslim and Christian, East and West. They also make him a powerful voice for Updike’s ongoing critique of American civilization.”
–Time

“A chilling tale that is perhaps the most essential novel to emerge from Sept. 11.”
–People (Critic’s Choice)


From the Trade Paperback edition.

40 Hadiths for Children with StoriesOur beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), who brought us the Qur’an or the commands of our Lord, explained to us these Divine commands through his hadith. He taught us through his sayings what we need to do in order to be happy both in this life and in the Hereafter.