US congressmen visit aid projects, ruins in Gaza

[bemildred]

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Two U.S. congressmen made a rare visit to the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, meeting with aid workers and touring scenes of destruction left by Israel's military offensive.

Reps. Bob Inglis and Stephen F. Lynch pointedly avoided contact with the Hamas militant group, which rules Gaza and which the United States, European Union and Israel consider a terrorist organization.

Lynch, a Democrat from Massachusetts, said the world must find a way to address a "legitimate humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.

"We need to act with some urgency here. There is a humanitarian crisis going on and we can't dawdle," Lynch told the Associated Press.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_PALESTINIANS_GAZA_US?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2009-04-07-10-09-15

[Jefferson23]

1. From the article: "It is problematic having the checkpoints closed," Lynch said.

I would contribute $1000.00 to any US elected representative that would change his/her language from, "problematic", to UNCONSCIONABLE in that sentence. With that said, I'm glad they went and I hope something good comes out of it for the Palestinians.

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. ITA.

[oberliner]

3. All the checkpoints have been open BTW

Though they are about to be temporarily closed due to Passover. Hopefully they will be re-opened after the holiday which will hopefully pass without incident.

[Jefferson23]

7. True, yet it is infuriating to me that it takes pleas to make that happen.

[bemildred]

4. Then again, it's nice they brought it up. nt

[Jefferson23]

6. Yep, I'm grateful for whatever attention is brought to this disgrace,

sorry if I came off otherwise.

[LeftishBrit]

5. Glad to hear that American politicians are concerned and are actually visiting

Though to be mildly flippant, I would have thought that the Gazans have enough problems without a visit from a South Carolina Republican.

But I hope that Lynch has some influence.

"We need to act with some urgency here. There is a humanitarian crisis going on and we can't dawdle"

AGREED - and glad to hear someone actually say it!