@ 351
I'm not sure what the monkeys are supposed to symbolize. That I am unable to acknowledge the alleged compatibility between saying that US military aid is harmful for people(ie. the ICH view of American military aid), and saying that the US could use WITHDRAWAL of military aid as a threat(ie. the NYT article's view of American military aid)? It seems to me those viewpoints are pretty much mutually exclusive.
I suspect the NYT writer subscribes to some sort of view of the US military as a benevolent force in the world, hence people fear the possibility of it withdrawing from their nations. That doesn't really match usual IHR view of the US military as something that nobody wants in their country. Hence, it seems strange to me that they would publish that particular article, at least without commenting on the writer's presumably erroneous viewpoint.