Bush is off script again.

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Sun, 4 Sep 2005 13:03:04 -0700 (PDT)

Lying About Foreign Aid Offers

 

 

Lying About Foreign Aid Offers

by Scott Shields

 

Republicans have crowed that, for all of the foreign aid the

United States has offered other nations in times of crisis, no other

nation was returning the favor. But the charge, such as is made in a

column from Neil Cavuto, is a lie. Here are the actual facts from

Reuters AlertNet:

 

The United Nations offered to help coordinate international relief

efforts for the United States.

 

" The sheer size of this emergency makes it possible that we can

supplement the American response with supplies from other countries,

or with experience we have gained in other relief operations, " U.N.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a statement.

.. . .

The State Department said offers so far had come from Belgium, Canada,

Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Britain, China, Australia, Jamaica,

Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organization of American States,

NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El

Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

 

Assistance ranged from medical teams, boats, aircraft, tents,

blankets, generators and cash donations.

 

Yesterday morning, President Bush arrogantly claimed that this was

unnecessary:

 

" 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, "

Bush told ABC's " Good Morning America. "

 

Later yesterday, the State Department reversed the President's position:

 

" Anything that can be of help to alleviate the tragic situation of the

area affected by Hurricane Katrina will be accepted, " said State

Department spokesman Sean McCormack.

 

The President himself has asked the International Energy Agency to

release gasoline reserves. Our European allies, who had already

offered aid, readily agreed.

 

The Paris-based IEA may decide soon to release up to two million

barrels per day (bpd) of fuel from Europe.

 

European allies sprang to the rescue. Germany and Spain said they

would back the IEA, coordinator of emergency reserves for 26 OECD

countries, if it asked them to dip into stocks.

 

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said a release of two million bpd

for 30 days was under consideration.

 

It would take at least 10 days for European gasoline to reach the

United States once a decision is taken. Europe has already booked up

to 30 cargoes of petrol to move to the United States, prompting

brokers to warn of an impending shortage.

 

Not only is Europe offering aid, they are doing so at a great cost to

themselves. Cavuto and his ilk should be ashamed of themselves for

propagating such false crap at a time when Americans need help the

most. http://www.mydd.com/