Bush Says America Will Lead Global Relief Effort

The Washington Post ^ | December 30, 2004 | Jim VandeHei and Robin Wright

[neverdem]

CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 29 -- President Bush said Wednesday that the United States will spearhead a worldwide effort to provide financial, military and humanitarian assistance to the Asian nations devastated by one of the world's deadliest natural disasters.

Speaking publicly for the first time since Sunday's Indian Ocean tsunami, Bush told reporters that the United States, India, Japan and Australia are forming an international coalition to provide immediate relief and rescue assistance, as well as longer-term help with rebuilding.

Bush said the initial U.S. pledge of $35 million in direct financial aid is "only the beginning of our help."

Administration officials say Bush will pledge substantially more as damage assessments are completed. In the meantime, the administration has dispatched military personnel and equipment, including seven water-producing ships and one hospital vessel, as well as health experts to help stem the spread of deadly diseases in the flooded areas.

"These past few days have brought loss and grief to the world that is beyond comprehension," Bush said from his Texas ranch. "And together the world will cope with their loss. We will prevail over the destruction."

Bush's remarks followed several days of criticism that the United States has not been as swift or as generous as other countries in its response. Although administration officials said they had to assess the destruction before making specific commitments, there has been an outpouring of contributions from Americans to private and international aid groups.

A partial tally of two days of donations to CARE, one of the largest humanitarian groups, indicated about $7 million has been raised, CARE officials said. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF reported unprecedented contributions of almost $7 million as of mid-afternoon Wednesday, said Jeffrey Towers, a vice president of the fund. Web site donations on a typical day at this time...

[SkyPilot]

The Aussies are always reliable--thank God for them. I don't doubt the Indians and other nations fortitude and will to help with the assets they have.

The United Nations, however, has nothing to offer to the fold except rhetoric, criticism, and an open palm.

[sukhoi-30mki]

To be frank,does the UN have any provision for emergency relief transportation??Like all their activities,I think they have to rely on the members.Anyway the decision to form a coregroup has saved much time & in the longterm lives as well.

[Capt. Tom]

Yes we will give until it hurts and then the world will love us even more...right? (sarcasm)

No good deed goes unpunished. Clare Boothe Luce

We have to help, but don't expect any gratitude. If we get some, consider it a bonus. - tom

[fish hawk]

No bonus in 2004, maybe 2005 will be better.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

RWR8189 wrote: "Seeing that picture of the man with the bin Laden shirt makes me much less enthusiastic about the money being spent."


Wrong, very, very wrong. The less we do, the more likely even more young men will be lured to buy shirts like that.

If you have ever been to that part of the world, you know that more kids where shirts with numbers or pictures of sport stars.

I never want the number of Osama portraits outnumbering those. If that happens we have lost big time. Leaving them to suffer for lack of support is not an option.

[SkyPilot]

To be frank,does the UN have any provision for emergency relief transportation??

Correct. The UN does own aircraft, but they are Executive Transports (Gulfstreams, LearJets, etc). They have not spent their gold on airlift and logistics that would benefit the Great Unwashed.