Pres. Bush meets with aides to discuss recent compromise plan for providing loan guarantees to Israel proposed by Sens. Patrick Leahy and Robert Kasten of the Senate Foreign Operations Subcommittee [the committee isryesponsible for preparing draft legislation authorizing U.S. foreign aid expenditures in 1992]. The proposal would grant Israel $1 billion in guarantees immediately followed by an additional $1 billion later in the year. Israel would receive an additional $2 billion annually for the next five years but subject to presidential approval. Each dispersement would also be subject to the "Leahy deduction," a figure representing the amount Israel spends on new settlement construction [named after Sen. Leahy, who first proposed adopting such a deduction]. (NYT 3/14)
Israeli officials state they will allow U.S. to inspect Patriot missile batteries in Israel to determine if any are missing or have been tampered with. (WP 3/14)