Assad clearly wants an economic assistance package from the U.S., but he can get economic aid without U.S. troops.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: A US force for the Golan Heights? A roundtable discussion

But a further assistance package will be fiercely debated in Germany.

BBC: Smoke and mirrors and the euro crisis

Moreover, given the fact that Israel may indeed be best served by simply ending its military assistance package, the risk involved in such discussions would not be particularly earth shattering.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Avoiding an American ambush

Rev Blount said while he welcomed the Scottish Government's Energy Assistance Package designed to help reduce fuel poverty, it would not deliver the government's target of eradicating fuel poverty by 2016.

BBC: Local Government and Communities Committee

Anticipated Soviet cuts in assistance to Nicaragua (possibly on the order of fifty-percent or more) will likely be fully offset by a major financial assistance package from Italy to be announced shortly, coupled with a similar package being actively reviewed in Bonn.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy

Bush also is facing increased pressure to address the layoffs in the airline and other industries with a package of federal assistance.

CNN: Bush to propose aviation security measures Thursday

And in return they'd get some sort of package, including energy assistance and some security guarantees that North Korea is looking for.

NPR: 'Sticking Points' Remain in North Korean Talks

"We are making our federal aid package simple and understandable and tailoring assistance to the specific needs of the families and businesses most impacted by Sandy, " Bloomberg said at a City Hall news conference.

WSJ: NYC mayor announces new effort on Sandy repairs

However in a subsequent statement Theresa Villiers portrayed what she'd said as more of a carrot dangled in front of Stormont noses, arguing the economic package she was talking about was extra cash, not assistance already agreed.

BBC: Optimism among children of the Good Friday Agreement

It would also add money for some of the Democrats' domestic priorities, including unemployment assistance, a new GI bill to fund education benefits for military veterans and a package of tax credits for renewable energy sources.

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It was the first legislative action of the new Congress, which picked up the Sandy package after the previous session on Tuesday shelved a vote on a much larger assistance plan for storm victims, infuriating New York and New Jersey politicians.

CNN: Congress approves scaled-back Sandy aid bill