foreign aid for hurricane relief

[Albin]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 8:19am

According to CNN, the following countries have offered aid:

Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

CNN also said that as of Friday, none of the offers had been accepted by the White house.

WHY?!!?!!??!!!!?????????
Updated On: 9/4/05 at 08:19 AM

[WindyCityActor]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 8:26am

Because they were submitted in written form, rather than a videotape that Bush could watch?

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:02am

Or maybe because the idiot in the White House, showing once again his arrogance and contempt for the rest of the world, thinks that everything is going fine in New Orleans and that his government is on top of the situation !
What angers me the most as a U.S. supporter, is that because of this moron, the headlines across the world will be in the line of "America says it doesn't need our help", alienating once again the U.S from the rest of the world and infuriating all the people who rushed to offer help out of human love and compassion !

[Mythus]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:35am

Dear Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela,

I'm really, really sorry that our President is an idiot but I'm confident I speak for everyone else in America when I say thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:47am

"Because they were submitted in written form, rather than a videotape that Bush could watch?"

Priceless.

[cserannie]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:48am

we (Hungarians) also got the message that Bust didn't want our money, therefore our doctors (10) who went to New Orleans yesterday bought medicines from the money...

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:50am

It's for the same reason Bush was laying in the sun in San Diego when people were dying in New Orleans.

[pab]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 9:53am

Qatar offers $100m to relief fund

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:00am

"As of Friday, the White House had not accepted any offers (for aid)."

This proves that the Presdident is the dumbest kind of straight man. He's lost and refuses to pull over and ask for directions.

In every day and every way, he's showing himself to be the complete idiot we have all expected.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:11am

For all those who have been rebuffed by our incompetent commande-in-chief and his play mates in the Administration, please know that most of us want any help that can be provided. Whether it is medical, financial, moral, logistics. . . If the feds don't want the help, I am sure the states do.

This man needs to be removed from Office. It is almost fitting that one of the men who originally put him there dies at the very time his incompetence is on display for the world to see.

Gov. Perry in Texas, who until a few days ago I did not like at all, has stepped up and led. I respect him now enormously for everything he is trying to do for those in need. All I can say is thank you to those in Texas.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 10:15am

This is ridiculous. Is the administration so worried about their pride that they won't admit that we need help from other countries? Maybe they should realize that this makes them look even worse.

[CostumeMistress]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 11:43am

Because the current administration has SUCH a firm grip on reality.

[Plum]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 12:04pm

We mock Texas a whole lot here, but let it be said that their hospitality and charity in response to Katrina have been admirable.

As for foreign aid...I'm not sure what the situation is here, because usually we think about the logistics of sending aid abroad, not the opposite situation. When the U.S. sends aid, it has to worry about how it does so, because direct cash transfers to third-world governments often end up in the wrong hands. More info in the link below.
Slate

[The Grovers Corners Yenta]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 12:06pm

Fidel Castro has offered to send teams of doctors and medical supplies. A Communist dictator wants to help us. Go figure.

[Plum]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 12:08pm

And we offer to send aid to countries we're not exactly friendly with when they have disasters, as well. Doesn't mean they'll accept.

[StickToPriest]

Posted: 9/4/05 at 1:51pm

It is not often that I can say that I'm proud to be a Texan.

But after what my fellow Texans have done this week in terms of aid and relief, I can say it and truly mean it.

[amasis]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 7:58am

In belated recognition of the depth of the crisis, Washington swallowed its pride and asked for blankets, food and water trucks from the EU and Nato, and beds and medical supplies from Canada.


Empty, ruined and desperate

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 10:39am

So instead of accepting any of the aide that has been offered, the US government begs for help from only a short list of pre-approved allies.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:27am

What about Poland? Where's Poland? Did somebody forget to mention Poland, AGAIN?

[amasis]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:10pm

So FINALLY, all the aid offers are being processed...

"Germany and the UK have already flown in more than 500,000 food rations.

France is flying tents, generators and water purifying plants from Martinique, and a Dutch frigate is taking medicine and helicopters to New Orleans.

Greece has offered two cruise ships to help house thousands of homeless people for several months"
More Here

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:14pm

Frankly I am surprised we would accept tents from France. They're FRENCH for gods sake. Perhaps we can call the Freedom Tents.

Has anybody heard from Poland yet? What about Poland? Don't forget Poland.

[amasis]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:19pm

But Poland has already made a huge -- and I mean HUGE -- contribution to the war against terrorism. As have Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, and Romania. Come on, what more do you want from them?
Updated On: 9/5/05 at 11:19 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 9/5/05 at 11:20pm

I don't usually post about such things, though I read all of the political threads.

This is sickening. It's such a slap to all the people that Washington is 'too good' to take help from. I really hope there's more to it that I don't know about, because if this is what it looks like.... I don't even know.

[amasis]

Posted: 9/6/05 at 7:50am

Ah! Too bad, I spoke to soon...

--
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Transport and other logistics problems are holding up some of the mass of humanitarian aid European countries have offered to the victims of hurricane Katrina, an EU official said on Tuesday.

"There appear to be some transportation problems," Barbara Helfferich, a spokeswoman for the European Union's executive Commission, told a news briefing.

She said a Swedish plane laden with aid was waiting to take off but had not got U.S. approval to enter the United States.
--

Reuters Updated On: 9/6/05 at 07:50 AM