As a matter of law, there could not be a blanket suspension.

Well, would you specify what is not under your control so that the subcommittee can make an evaluation of that?

Your Department nor this oversight committee is in a position to make that kind of an intensive investigation.

this subcommittee is prepared to do it if you do not and we are prepared to get into the changes of law if you do not come up with something which is adequate.

But these allegations will give fuel to people who want to cut back on your funding.

I am not talking about many cases. I am talking about a blanket suspension of consulting arrangements until there can be an inquiry as to all the pending matters to see if there is an actual conflict of interest.

Would not at minimum those individuals fit into the category of the kind of responsibilities which would warrant public disclosures?

I think that Senator Clinton has put her finger on the critical point about the Palestinian Authority repudiating suicide bombing.

Any television? Curricula is very passive. Television is very active.

To combat that kind of inciting video of the suicide bombers and what you have plans to do to come to hand-to-hand combat with that kind of trash, garbage, and incitement.

$20 million was given to the Palestinian Authority to help Abu Masen in his effort to become the Prime Minister.

Anything that, head-on, hits the inducement to these young Palestinians to commit suicide with a bombing?

Do the current textbooks being given to--in Palestinian schools to fourth-graders, fifth-graders, sixth-graders, seventh-graders contain hateful information about Israel and Jews?

Where they refused to sign the pledge, do you advance U.S. aid to them?

Well, okay, that's good news.

Well, we'd like to have it, because every year we take a look at your request for money, and the budget is extremely tight, and we'd like to know what value is being received by the U.S. Government for the $17 million a year.

Let us know what is being done at the present time----

Well, it's a subtle matter as to how you combat it.

I found these videos to be absolutely shocking--absolutely shocking that teenagers... desired goal in life is to be a suicide bomber.

The characterization at the end about child abusers is a vast understatement. They're civilization abusers.

Well, are you essentially saying that the way things are today, with former Prime Minister Abu Masen having departed, that there will be no further payments by the U.S. Government to the Palestinian Authority?

That's the first time I've heard any hearing doing any good, but----

The subcommittee would like an answer to the question specifically.

there are a number of calls from both Democrats and some key Republicans, including Arlen Specter, for someone to come out and say something and clarify all this.

Attorney General John Ashcroft might consider recusing himself from the leak investigation because of his ties to presidential aide Karl Rove.