International Relief?

Oh, but the Bush administration thinks they are handling it just fine since it is a "temporary event" you know....

I don't think those poor "inconvenienced" people see it quite that way.

What are you smoking these days!!!!?? I'm still waiting on news of our "friends" sending help? Anyone?

I happily stand corrected....just read on the news that many countries are offering help and Ms. Rice says no offer of help will be turned down! IMHO, this is a great thing not only for the help, but for the world to see we are a humbler nation than might have been perceived.

I happily stand corrected....just read on the news that many countries are offering help and Ms. Rice says no offer of help will be turned down! IMHO, this is a great thing not only for the help, but for the world to see we are a humbler nation than might have been perceived.

What countries?

What countries?

"Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States, the spokesman said."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9161198/

"Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States, the spokesman said."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9161198/

Wow.

Some I remember...S. Korea, Greece, Columbia, the Netherlands, China, Mexico, Indonesia, Israel....many more.

EDIT: thanks pgurney...as my son says...mom, you are such a newbie!!!!

I am still perplexed that we can pilot bombers through places with missles shooting at the pilots, but we can handle a hoard of thugs with pistols, rifles, or shotguns to get needed survival supplies to our own citizens?

Tactical nightmare - baddies interspersed with non-baddies in an urban environment [and one relatively impassible with conventional ground conveyances - well, at least in terms of getting from point A to point B rapidly] - minus the flood water - pretty much just like Iraq, if you think about it.

Fortunately (one could maybe argue not so, in this particular case) in this country there are still some pretty strigent constraints on turning loose the sort of primary [fed] military assets that could deal efficiently and surgically with "roving bands or gangs of armed men" - SEAL or ranger teams. I imagine that even given the latitude, there's scarse few polys with 'nads enough to weather the fallout from that sort of an excursion appearing on "prime time video"...

Tactical nightmare - baddies interspersed with non-baddies in an urban environment [and one relatively impassible with conventional ground conveyances - well, at least in terms of getting from point A to point B rapidly] - minus the flood water - pretty much just like Iraq, if you think about it.

Fortunately (one could maybe argue not so, in this particular case) in this country there are still some pretty strigent constraints on turning loose the sort of primary [fed] military assets that could deal efficiently and surgically with "roving bands or gangs of armed men" - SEAL or ranger teams. I imagine that even given the latitude, there's scarse few polys with 'nads enough to weather the fallout from that sort of an excursion appearing on "prime time video"...

Yes, but Bush is not up for another term, and just think of the book deals he would get.

Yes, but Bush is not up for another term, and just think of the book deals he would get.

I occasionally become nervous considering that he's not constrained with thoughts of cobbing another term...

"Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States, the spokesman said."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9161198/

Yes, of course we will be offered assistance by many countries around the world. Just as we would offer the assistance to others.

I'm not sure who started the nasty rumor that no countries were offering assistance. These countries need to hear from us regarding what our needs are before they can do anything. I hope we (W) haven't embarrassed ourselves further by saying we don't need them - we absolutely do!

"Offers have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States, the spokesman said."

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9161198/

Add Sri Lanka to the list. That's pretty awesome.

Yes, of course we will be offered assistance by many countries around the world. Just as we would offer the assistance to others.

I'm not sure who started the nasty rumor that no countries were offering assistance. These countries need to hear from us regarding what our needs are before they can do anything. I hope we (W) haven't embarrassed ourselves further by saying we don't need them - we absolutely do!

Yesterday, the White House Chief of Staff was stating that we have not asked for help from other countries. I hope this is not like the Mayor of NOLA not asking for help, until it is too late to be effective.

Yesterday, the White House Chief of Staff was stating that we have not asked for help from other countries. I hope this is not like the Mayor of NOLA not asking for help, until it is too late to be effective.

very good point.

it takes a lot of strategic planning to know what resources to ask for from our friends around the world. I think this disaster is so unlike anything we've experienced before that the strategy (local and national) is the main bottleneck. no matter, we should have had massive national guard, troops, whoever in the field no later than Monday evening, or Tue morning at the very latest. Just the presence of someone in charge would have helped to alleviate a lot of fear, frustration and unrest (a logistical nightmare, I realize, but that's exactly what our guard/troops and emergency responders at all levels do best).

anway, we need the whole world in our corner. and I have no doubt that we shall have it.

I was very touched when I saw the countries that were offering help, especially Sri Lanka. I didn't expect that we would get so much support and am very glad I was wrong.

BTW, add Russia to the list.

Edit: Whoops, Russia was already on the list.

I'm not sure who started the nasty rumor that no countries were offering assistance.

It was RO. :nono1:

I was very touched when I saw the countries that were offering help, especially Sri Lanka. I didn't expect that we would get so much support and am very glad I was wrong.

BTW, add Russia to the list.

Edit: Whoops, Russia was already on the list.

I wasn't surprised at all. People and countries rarely forget who helped them before. History shows that even countries that have very little will offer money and resources to countries in need (and sacrifice their own needs), especially if they have been the recipients of help in the past.

It was RO. :nono1:

And I guess ::cough cough:: RO (and others) missed post #17, from last night.

I never doubted that we would be offered help.

I also read that countries that were devastated by the tsunami are also sending relief to the U.S.

I also read that countries that were devastated by the tsunami are also sending relief to the U.S.

I just heard that we have received offers of assistance from Cuba. :shock: How cool is that!

It was RO. :nono1:

Hey.... at the time I posted that nobody had stepped up. Obviously they read my post and felt the pressure

Hey.... at the time I posted that nobody had stepped up. Obviously they read my post and felt the pressure

I must defend RO...seeing as I was the FIRST person to respond to his query. At the time of my response, I was very frustrated and cycnical. The U.N. has hardly been able to step up to the plate over the years. I was glad to see so many of you felt that the world would come to our aid. I remain happily surprised at the amount of outpouring from the world community. As I have stated, this is the best outcome for all involved and luckily our government has decided to open it's arms and accept the aid of others.

RO, et.al...please keep asking the questions. I, for one, learn a lot from everyone and would be the first to retract an opinion once I learn more about the facts.

One question...Did anyone hear that Japan was offering $500,000 in aid? Your thoughts?

... luckily our government has decided to open it's arms and accept the aid of others.
...

Are you saying that the US has accepted other's offers to assist? I have heard no reports of that as of yet. I am not saying we(the Fed Gov't) has not done so, only that I have not heard of any reports of such.

One question...Did anyone hear that Japan was offering $500,000 in aid? Your thoughts?

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=347992

The Japanese government will provide $200,000 in cash to the American Red Cross and offer up to $300,000 worth of tents, blankets and other supplies for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Friday.
Japanese automakers have also announced emergency aid packages, with Toyota Motor Corp pledging a total of $5 million to support activities of the Red Cross and the Friedkin Disaster Relief Fund. Nissan Motor Co said it and its employees will offer a total of $750,000 and 50 pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles for Red Cross workers. The Japanese Red Cross Society decided to provide $200,000 to its U.S. counterpart.

Are you saying that the US has accepted other's offers to assist? I have heard no reports of that as of yet. I am not saying we(the Fed Gov't) has not done so, only that I have not heard of any reports of such.

Yes I am...Ms. Rice made a statement yesterday that no offer of assistance would be turned down. This was apparently a clean up job from the day before when Bush was saying we would take care of this ourselves.