Conflict of Interest

According to the US Department of State, there are 4 nations on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list; Cuba, Iran, Sudan, & Syria.

According to USAID, the US 2007 actual total foreign aid included $13 million to Cuba and $494 billion to Sudan. Iran and Syria list no country-specific funding, but there are regional pools of foreign aid and a quick search of the 2009 budget request Near East Regional Overview indicates funds to be used in both nations (from regional funds). In fact, the summary of the 2009 budget request indicates, on page 88-90, $4.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing spent in 2007 on 60 different countries.

This seems in contrast with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution:

No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

As USAID points out the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act appeared after the expiration of the laws implementing the Marshall Plan, which used US dollars to fund redevelopment of Europe. This extended into funding armaments against Communism. Today the US sends foreign aid to both Israel & "West Bank/Gaza", Russia & Georgia, Sudan, Central African Republic, & Chad among the many nations receiving US aid.