Full Page Ad in the Wall Street Journal Said American Taxpayer Aid Should Not Fund Mongolia's Assault on Western Interests and Ideals

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 24 /CNW/ -- The Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) yesterday published a full page ad in the Wall Street Journal calling on President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to "Send a Clear Message to Mongolia: Eliminate Corruption and Protect Private Property -- Or Risk Losing U.S. Foreign Aid."

The ad was published as the U.S. Commerce Department hosted a delegation of Mongolian officials at the 3rd U.S.-Mongolia Business Forum in Washington, DC.

In the ad, CFIF highlighted disturbing trends that have arisen since Mongolia received a nearly $300 million grant from the U.S. taxpayer-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The ad read, "Mongolia has begun a full-scale assault on the rule of law, disregarding legal contracts, shaking down private companies through confiscatory taxes on mining interests, and intimidating Western businesses into relinquishing ownership to the State."

CFIF also emphasized that MCC grants must be used for countries that demonstrate a commitment to upholding western values, "Millennium Challenge grants are intended to encourage countries to eliminate corruption, uphold the rule of law, and protect property rights -- all Western ideals and interests. MCC grants should not be used to subsidize countries headed in the wrong direction."

The ad closed by noting that recent developments will prevent Mongolians from achieving a higher quality of life: "Mongolia has made a courageous turn toward freedom and democracy, even standing with the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it should not be permitted to backslide. Such reversals not only harm Western interests, the rule of law, democracy and the regional power balance, but also a better quality of life for Mongolians."

Founded in 1998, the Center for Individual Freedom (www.cfif.org) is a Constitutional and free-market advocacy organization with more than 250,000 supporters and activist nationwide.

For further information: Timothy H. Lee of Center for Individual Freedom, +1-703-535-5836; Web Site: http://www.cfif.org