[cake_crumb]

The president raised the initial pledge to $350 million yesterday. He took the iniative because they were sitting on their thumbs at the UN, got hold of a bunch of world leaders and organized the core group. That was when we were stingy and "only" promised an initial $35 million (for immediate needs ONLY, but the propaganda machine ignores that) This miffed Kofi and Co., so the president later gave the UN permission t be PART of the core group.

That's another lie the UN and media are perpetrating : the core group does not exist to compliment the non-existant UN relief effort, as has been implied. The UN relief effort, when they get it off the ground, will simply be one of many parts of the core group.

[kitkat]

***That's another lie the UN and media are perpetrating : the core group does not exist to compliment the non-existant UN relief effort, as has been implied. The UN relief effort, when they get it off the ground, will simply be one of many parts of the core group.***

Thanks, cake_crumb. Also, I found the following on the White House site:

>>>Secretary Powell has already spoken with many of his counterparts in the region, and with officials from the United Nations, and other governments that are helping with the response. Together, we are leading an international coalition to help with immediate humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and long-term construction efforts. India, Japan and Australia have already pledged to help us coordinate these relief efforts, and I'm confident many more nations will join this core group in short order. >>>

My take is that our Prez is indeed acting without the U.N., but is being very tactful about it. His repeated mention of a "core group" would seem to bear this out.