Posted on 12/29/2004 8:58:21 AM PST by My Favorite Headache
Sri Lanka accepts Israel's offer to send medical supplies, but not IDF delegation
By Haaretz Staff and Agencies
A 150-member Israeli aid delegation canceled its mission to Sri Lanka yesterday after the government in Colombo refused to accept the Israeli team, Israel Defense Forces officials said.
The plane was due to touch down in Colombo for a few hours and return directly to Israel. The Sri Lankan government, however, declined the offer, saying it only needed humanitarian supplies at this time.
The Sri Lankan president's military secretary sent a notice to his foreign and defense ministries yesterday expressing support for the arrival of a smaller 50-member Israeli delegation. "We are not opposed to a plane loaded with medical supplies, food and blankets that will be accompanied by a medical team comprised of 50 IDF people, as the Israeli Foreign Ministry requested in a letter," the military secretary said.
Israel is sending supplies at Sri Lanka's request, including 10,000 blankets contributed by the IDF, tents, nylon sheeting and water containers. The IDF Home Front Command is organizing aid preparations.
The Israeli humanitarian organization Latet ("To Give") sent a separate aid package yesterday, filling a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies worth $50,000, at Sri Lanka's request. The group is considering sending additional aid shortly.
The aid delegation that had been set to depart for Sri Lanka yesterday included medical teams and representatives of the IDF and Defense Ministry, who were planning to provide humanitarian assistance and participate in search-and-rescue operations.
The delegation was planning to assemble a medical facility comprised of specialist doctors, and set up emergency, internal medicine and pediatric departments, as well as laboratory and X-ray facilities in the southern part of Sri Lanka.
A far smaller team landed in Sri Lanka on Monday night, headed by four doctors from Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem in Jerusalem. The team was carrying medicine and baby food.
The doctors - who specialize in rescue operations, trauma and pediatrics - were also checking the viability of setting up a field hospital in the area, and advised Israel to send a larger team, such as the one Sri Lanka rejected.
"We will advise Israel and the Foreign Ministry... to send something more massive," said Dr. Avi Rivkind, director of Hadassah's trauma unit. "We will try to use our... broad experience in dealing with terror attacks and rescuing masses to help in this disaster as well."
Israel is considering sending similar delegations to Thailand, where more than 1,400 people have died, and to India, where more than 9,500 people have died or are feared dead, but has yet to make a final decision on the matter.
A Health Ministry contingent left for Thailand late Monday night to aid in the rescue efforts there after around 1,000 people, including tourists, were killed on the islands of Phuket and Phi Phi. The contingent includes doctors, nurses and four members of the IDF, Israel Radio reported.
Israel has also offered its assistance to India, passing on the offer to Indian authorities through Israel's military attache, Colonel Moshe Krawitz. The IDF offered aid of two kinds - a search-and-rescue team from the Home Front Command, as well as consignments of food and medicine.
A ZAKA rescue-and-recovery team left for the disaster areas Monday night. In addition, the police sent a team of forensic experts to Phuket.
Yes, but Sri Lanka is not very far from Indonesia.
I also think that the Sri Lankan government feared problems with the Tamil terrorists, if Israel soldiers were present. The Tamil hate the IDF because they helped the Sri Lankan military. Problems with the Tamil are not something the Sri Lankans need right now, and I'll bet the IDF agreed.
Big difference--we did not need their help, we have our own resources. I would guess Sri Lanka doesn't.
Yeah, like when 70,000 + people die and the first thing people think about is politics.
Yes, and like others, they are under close control, unarmed, in a training scenario...not out among the populace in a disaster area.
Though I do think they may have reasons for refusing the IDF team in,in the overall sense it was a idiotic decision.I don't think the LTTE would mind(or can really afford to) given that IDF needn't go to rebel held areas & can stick around Galle & Trincomalee.There are plenty of Indian troops & airmen there too-wonder how the LTTE feels about them??Anyway the rebel movement has had a hard time of late,with lots of factionalism & subsequent violence & India signing a defense treaty with SL govt,thereby making it clear that it won't ever allow an ethnic partition of the island.
That, and other reasons.
Sri Lanka has the right to choose who it allows to enter its territory. We don't know the entire picture behind the making of this decision.
A large chunk of Sri Lanka's navy consists of Israeli built fast attack craft & 2 Indian built offshore patrol vessels.It's wholly inadequate & they are taking help from the Indian navy & Coastguard & civil agencies.Indonesia's navy is woefully equipped,though they have started rebuilding with contracts awarded to Russia,the Dutch & South Korea for various systems.They would need plenty of help from Australia,New Zealand,China or Singapore.Their problem is compounded because they are the world's largest archipilego.
I'd say they are less worried about an organized navy than they are about solitary suicide bombers.
I suppose you'd have to talk with a Sri Lankan representative to get your answers.
I agree it was probably a bad decision, but the Sri Lankan government makes quite a few of those. But I really believe it wasn't anti-Semitic. Just a government overwhelmed by disaster trying to coordinate efforts. I read that it wasn't a snap decision and there were discussions with the Israelis.
Do you really think they'd come to a rescue mission armed? Don't you think we'd notice that, and remedy the situation? Pul-leeze. There is actually more likelihood that trainees would be armed--since we're training them to use those arms. But I doubt either category would show up at a disaster scene armed to the teeth. Makes no sense.
I think the test of that missile was with Indian approval.India & Israel have been having a strong strategic relationship since the early 90s(Covertly since the 60s) & India is Israel's largest arms buyer.With the Indian navy being the most powerful in the region,nothing happens in the Indian ocean without it knowing.Moreover,Sri Lanka coordinates it's relationship with Israel through the Israeli mission in India & infact it was India which arranged for Israeli arms sales to the island in 2000,when the LTTE were going berserk.Ive read a few internet articles about India planning to equip it's future nuclear attack subs with the Popeye Turbo missile(mentioned in the article).
Umm,the Saudis,Qataris,Kuwaitis & the UAE have all pledged aid to the affected countries,including Sri Lanka.Those folks are on a PR drive to show the nice face of Islam!!!
Well, its their choice of course. I have my own reasons for not wanting to help Indonesia (it's a terrorist haven), but it seems to me that the people hurting the most are not the terrorists or those giving them haven. I figure I'll take up that bone of contention after we've done the best we can for those in need.
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