Some claim that we are only in Iraq for oil. Has this really been the pattern? What has the US given the world since WWII? Bold acts of restoration like the Marshall Plan prove otherwise. The numbers below demonstrate the commitment, at all levels, that the US is mostly benevolent, as world powers go.
Key Facts
The United States is the world leader in humanitarian assistance and food aid, providing over $3 billion combined in 2000.
The United States is spending $1 billion per month for the war on terrorism. In addition, the United States contributed $976 million to international peacekeeping in 2001.
The United States is the top importer of goods from developing countries, importing $450 billion in 2000, eight times greater than all Official Development Assistance (ODA) to developing countries from all donors.
The United States is the top source of private capital to developing countries, averaging $36 billion annually between 1997 and 2000.
The United States leads the world in charitable donations to developing countries -- $4 billion in 2000.
The U.S. is one of the top two providers of Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2000, the United States provided $10 billion in ODA. This ODA is expected to increase substantially from 2001 to 2003 in key sectors:
HIV/AIDS - 54%
Basic Education - 50%
Trade and Investment - 38%
Agriculture - 38%
USAID's core "Development Assistance" account is expected to increase 22 percent overall from 2001 to 2003, with significant increases in key regions:
Africa - 30%
Asia and the Near East - 39%
Latin America and the Caribbean - 29