NATO Preparing to Deliver Katrina Aid

[tocqueville]

By MATT MOORE, Associated Press Writer
51 minutes ago

FRANKFURT, Germany - The United States turned Thursday to its allies in NATO, which sent AWACs planes to patrol U.S. skies after the Sept. 11 attacks, to help bring in desperately needed food and supplies for the hundreds of thousands of Americans left homeless by Hurricane Katrina.

Military experts began drawing up plans for an expanded role, including the possible use of ships from the elite NATO Response Force to ferry the aid. The extraordinary request comes at a time when many nations offering aid are complaining that they have received no answer from U.S. authorities.
....................
The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity because as a civil servant he is not allowed to give his name, added that another 75 tons of such food packets are on "on standby" should the United States request them. He said the U.S. declined Germany's offer to send a Medivac air ambulance and a hospital ship.

Marek Gieorgica, a spokesman for Poland's Interior Ministry, said his country offered 26 sniffer dogs, along with three DNA experts, but has yet to hear back.

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despite the required aid there are plenty of examples of the aid being turned down. With a few exceptions the foreign aid has been placed OUTSIDE the devastated regions. The French team of experts has been reduced to package delivery and been sent to Arkansas...

meanwhile people who could still be rescued are still dying or suffering. Not to talk about what an early intervention could have saved...

I think that the requests for foreign help are a red herring. Bush's administration DOESN'T WANT THEM ON US SOIL. They prefer to let people die. Besides the MSM coverage is nearly zero.

I hope there are people in the US that can express their outrage...

[tocqueville]

1. oops link

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050908/ap_on_re_eu/katrina_world

[wtbymark]

2. France and Germany said they could be there last Wednesday

on the runway ready to take off

[tocqueville]

3. specially the French

because they have bases in the Caribbeans on the oversea departments of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Since those islands are into the hurricane zone there is always a stand-by there and plenty of civilian and military relief resources. Besides there 5000 troops in the area, ships, planes, helicopters participating in the war against the drug traffic from Columbia (and relieving the US that way of a lot of surveillance and normally in very good cooperation with the US forces in the region).

They could have flown in emergency relief last week within 6 hours.
I know that the first offer came LAST TUESDAY.

[neweurope]

4. Germany has sent a hell of a lot of stuff. None of it is being used.

Specialistas with modern water pumps have for DAYS been nose picking outside of New Orleans because they are not allowed into the city.


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