Terrorist attack survivors outraged by White House guest
Iraqi’s ties to Iran a concern
Survivors of a 1996 terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen are offended that an Iraqi official with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was welcomed to the White House this week.
“Outrage at the visit to the White House really doesn’t describe what I feel,” said William M. Schooley, who survived the June 25, 1996, bombing of the Khobar Towers.
“I watched outstanding airmen die that night and witnessed horrific carnage. The survivors of Khobar Towers have been swept under the rug and now have received the greatest insult,” he added.
The Washington Times first reported Tuesday that Hadi Farhan al-Amiri, who serves as Iraq’s transportation minister, was part of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s delegation to the White House on Monday.
Michelle’s Solo Hawaii Trip Likely to Exceed $100,000
First lady Michelle Obama’s separate voyage to Hawaii promises to cost taxpayers tens of thousand in extra dollars, as her separate entourage and hefty flying costs pile on the costs.
The military jet flight alone is priced at more than $60,000, according to government estimates. But that’s only the beginning. The additional cargo flight that often accompanies the first lady on such a trip must also be paid for, as well as the limos and other accoutrements it will contain.
As she will be separated from the presidential security bubble, Michelle will require her own entourage of Secret Service protection, in addition to the staffers who will be leaving early to go to Hawaii with her.
The total tab will certainly be in excess of $100,000, and possibly quite a bit more.
Executive Order 13589 -- Promoting Efficient Spending
EXECUTIVE ORDER
PROMOTING EFFICIENT SPENDING
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to further promote efficient spending in the Federal Government, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Policy. My Administration is committed to cutting waste in Federal Government spending and identifying opportunities to promote efficient and effective spending. The Federal Government performs critical functions that support the basic protections that Americans have counted on for decades. As they serve taxpayers, executive departments and agencies (agencies) also must act in a fiscally responsible manner, including by minimizing their costs, in order to perform these mission critical functions in the most efficient, cost effective way. As such, I have pursued an aggressive agenda for reducing administrative costs since taking office and, most recently, within my Fiscal Year 2012 Budget. Building on this effort, I direct agency heads to take even more aggressive steps to ensure the Government is a good steward of taxpayer money.
No comments:
Post a Comment