Bush Does it Right on Foreign Aid

In case you missed it, the Tribune editorialized Saturday, "Yemen's big test":

In his commendable drive to spread democratic principles, President Bush has dramatically changed America's guidelines for providing foreign aid. In 2002 Bush announced the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a "compact for global development." In the Cold War era, the U.S. often sent aid to developing countries without raising many questions about how well it was spent, as long as the recipients stayed out of the Soviet camp. The linkage between the United States and tyrants often bought useful allies, but it also invited the resentment of the people in those nations.

Millennium Challenge rewards developing countries for their performance, not just their promises, in such key areas as human rights, economic freedom, education, infrastructure development and transparent government.

Yemen has aided in the war on terror, capturing Al Quada suspects. A poor country, it has been open to foreign investment. In the past several months, though, there has been a crackdown on journalists after reports of corruption.

In November, the Millennium Challenge Corporation sent a clear response: It suspended Yemen's pending grant, citing its low marks on human rights, corruption-fighting and other reforms. A month later, the World Bank cut a third of its aid to Yemen, citing similar problems.

The Millenium Challenge goes hand in hand with the Bush approach to the War on Terror.

It's a sustained, consistent support for the development of democracy as our best defense.