US told: Aid is not charity, it’s security

WASHINGTON: U2 frontman Bono brought his star power to Capitol Hill as he called on members of Congress to take swift action to deal with the global refugee crisis and violent extremism.
The US should not see the aid money it spends abroad as charity but as a vital national security tool, Irish rock star Bono told US lawmakers.
Addressing a Senate sub-committee that oversees funding for campaigns against violent extremism, Bono said he had recently met with refugees in Africa and the Middle East.
“The fact is that aid can no longer be seen as charity, as a nice thing to do when we can afford it,” said Bono, U2 frontman and founder of the anti-poverty campaign One.
“If there’s one thing I would like you to take away from this testimony, it is that aid in 2016 is not charity. It is national security,” he told lawmakers.
“And when it’s structured properly with a hard focus on fighting corruption and improving governance to qualify for that aid, it could be the best bulwark we have against violent extremism gaining traction.”