President responded quickly to Hurricane Katrina

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S

Sat, 2 Sep 2005 02:20:47 -0400

President responded quickly to Hurricane Katrina

 

 

 

http://www.alternet.org/bloggers/evan/24995

 

 

 

President responded quickly to Hurricane Katrina

 

Not President Bush...

 

Unfortunately it wasn't the president of the United States, it was our

neighbor to the South. Eli Stephens writes:

 

" Speaking on Cuban television tonight, Castro revealed that on

Tuesday, while George Bush was still on vacation playing with his

spiffy new guitar, and a day or two before the Secretary of State went

shopping for shoes, Cuba contacted the State Department and offered no

less than 1,100 doctors to assist in dealing with the crisis. Doctors

who, unlike the hospital ship which has yet to leave its berth in

Baltimore and isn't scheduled to be in New Orleans until next Saturday

(!), could have been on site by Wednesday if the Cuban offer had been

accepted. "

 

" It wasn't. "

 

 

M

Friday, September 02, 2005 10:11 PM

Presidents Chavez and Castro Offer Aid for Hurricane Relief.

 

 

 

Dear Editor,

 

 

 

I would like to address Robert L. Sass's letter to the editor where he wonders

who will come to our aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. As a columnist

for VHeadline.com which is a Venezuelan news site, President Hugo Chavez has

already offered aid to these disaster victims. He has offered Governor Kathleen

Babineaux Blanco of Louisiana aid in the immediate form of $1 million (US) cash

and 120 specialists in First Aid and search & rescue from the 'Simon Bolivar'

Humanitarian Response Team coordinated via Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) US

subsidiary CITGO.

 

 

 

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs further assistance to this region

will contain, " two mobile hospitals with a capacity of 150 people each at a

time; ten water purification stations; eight electric generators, each with a

capacity of 850 kilowatts; 20 tons of drinking water; 50 tons of canned food;

and 5,000 blankets. The offer will be made available in immediate fashion,

should the Government of the United States choose to accept it, through the

CITGO Corporation. "

 

 

 

In light of Pat Robertson's calling for his demise, I find this act by President

Hugo Chavez one that is truly compassionate. In my opinion no matter what the

relationship between our two governments is, it is incumbent for our government

to accept this humanitarian relief. It has also come to my attention that

President Fidel Castro has offered to send 1,100 doctors to also aid in disaster

relief. Even with the Cuban Embargo in place, I find his aid package truly

remarkable and our government should and must accept his help because our people

do need it.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Mary MacElveen

 

 

 

Columnist for VHeadline.com

 

 

 

" The FEMA director is doing a heckova job. " --George W.

What-the-f*ck-planet-are-you-on, speaking in Mobile, AL

 

 

 

 

 

S

Sat, 3 Sep 2005 16:37:04 -0700 (PDT)

Chicago offered help as early as last SUNDAY...Bush says " No Thanks "

 

 

 

Chicago offered help as early as last SUNDAY...Bush

says " No Thanks "

 

Daley 'shocked' as feds reject aid

September 3, 2005

 

BY STEPHANIE ZIMMERMANN AND SCOTT FORNEK Staff

Reporters

 

 

 

 

 

A visibly angry Mayor Daley said the city had offered

emergency, medical and technical help to the federal

government as early as Sunday to assist people in the

areas stricken by Hurricane Katrina, but as of Friday,

the only things the feds said they wanted was a single

tank truck.

 

That truck, which the Federal Emergency Management

Agency requested to support an Illinois-based medical

team, was en route Friday.

 

" We are ready to provide more help than they have

requested. We are just waiting for their call, " said

Daley, adding that he was " shocked " that no one seemed

to want the help.

 

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said he

would call for congressional hearings into the federal

government's preparations and response.

 

" The response was achingly slow, and that, I think, is

a view shared by Democrats, Republicans, wealthy and

poor, black and white, " the freshman senator said. " I

have not met anybody who has watched this crisis

evolve over the last several days who is not just

furious at how poorly prepared we appeared to be. "

 

Response 'baffling'

 

 

 

The South Side Democrat called FEMA's slow response

" baffling. "

 

" I don't understand how you could have a situation

where you've got several days' notice of an enormous

hurricane building in the Gulf Coast, you know that

New Orleans is 6 feet below sea level. ... The notion

that you don't have good plans in place just does not

make sense, " Obama said.

 

Obama said he expects his counterparts in Louisiana,

Mississippi or Alabama will call for congressional

hearings, but he is ready if they do not. " It's

heartbreaking and infuriating and, I think, is

embarrassing to the American people.''

 

Daley said the city offered 36 members of the

firefighters' technical rescue teams, eight emergency

medical technicians, search-and-rescue equipment, more

than 100 police officers as well as police vehicles

and two boats, 29 clinical and 117 non-clinical health

workers, a mobile clinic and eight trained personnel,

140 Streets and Sanitation workers and 29 trucks, plus

other supplies. City personnel are willing to operate

self-sufficiently and would not depend on local

authorities for food, water, shelter and other

supplies, he said.

 

 

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5249635,00.html

 

*Aid Offers Will Be Accepted From Countries*

 

 

*Friday September 2, 2005 12:16 AM*

 

*By BARRY SCHWEID*

 

*AP Diplomatic Writer*

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a turnabout, the United States is now on the

receiving end of help from around the world as some two dozen countries

offer post-hurricane assistance.

 

Venezuela, a target of frequent criticism by the Bush administration,

offered humanitarian aid and fuel. Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp.

pledged a $1 million donation for hurricane aid.

 

The United Nations informed U.S. Ambassador John R. Bolton it was

prepared to support the relief effort ``in any way possible.'' Under

Secretary-General Jan Egeland said his office had offered the services

of the U.N.'s disaster assistance and coordination teams to the U.S.

Agency for International Development.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon sent a letter to President Bush

offering hundreds of doctors, nurses, technicians and other experts in

trauma, natural disasters and public health.

 

``We also offer field hospitals, medical kits and equipment for

temporary housing, reinforcement for hospitals, or any assistance that

you may require,'' Sharon wrote.

 

He said the teams and equipment could be ready in 24 hours.

 

With offers from the four corners of the globe pouring in, Secretary of

State Condoleezza Rice has decided ``no offer that can help alleviate

the suffering of the people in the afflicted area will be refused,''

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Thursday.

 

However, in Moscow, a Russian official said the U.S. Federal Emergency

Management Agency had rejected a Russian offer to dispatch rescue teams

and other aid.

 

On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to Bush and said

Russia was prepared to help if asked.

 

Boats, aircraft, tents, blankets, generators, cash assistance and

medical teams have been offered to the U.S. government in Washington or

in embassies overseas.

 

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.

 

Also, the Singapore embassy said the Southeast Asian country was sending

three Chinook helicopters with 38 air force personnel from military

exercises in Texas, to Louisiana to support relief efforts by the Texas

National Guard.

 

President Chandrika Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka, in China on a state

visit, sent messages of sympathy to Washington while her government

contributed $25,000 through the American Red Cross.

 

Still, Bush told ABC-TV: ``I'm not expecting much from foreign nations

because we hadn't asked for it. I do expect a lot of sympathy and

perhaps some will send cash dollars. But this country's going to rise up

and take care of it.''

 

``You know,'' he said, ``we would love help, but we're going to take

care of our own business as well, and there's no doubt in my mind we'll

succeed. And there's no doubt in my mind, as I sit here talking to you,

that New Orleans is going to rise up again as a great city.''

 

Historically, the United States provides assistance to other countries

experiencing earthquakes, floods and other disasters.

 

Germany, which was rebuilt after World War II largely by the U.S.

Marshall Plan, offered its help in a telephone call to Rice.

 

``The German Government is prepared to do all that is humanly

possible,'' the German embassy said. In his call, German Foreign

Minister Joschka Fischer assured Rice of Germany's solidarity with its

American friends in a difficult time, the embassy said.

 

Israeli Ambassador Daniel Ayalon called Wednesday at the State

Department to offer condolences and assistance. Israel is the largest

recipient of U.S. aid, about $2.2 billion a year.

 

``The hearts and prayers of Israel's people are with the people of the

United States and the many millions who are suffering in the regional

devastation resulting from hurricane Katrina,'' the Israeli embassy said

in a statement.

 

 

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