The Berlin
Posted on 01/03/2005 3:25:38 PM PST by longjack
The headline itself is a pretty major bash on the German's efforts in the rescue efforts.
"Spiegel-Online' put our boys in the spotlight they deserve.
The German guy's comment is pretty typical, too. Twiddle your thumbs, but criticize everything everyone else is doing.
"Spiegel'" generally has good picture galleries, too. Click on a picture in the middle of the page, then follow the arrows.
longjack
Regardless of what the media says about the US contribution, the people in the region will remember that the US military was there first.
Hey, the most important thing is that gunga Dan is there now.
From the article: "The German hospital ship "Berlin", which has been stationed on the Horn of Africa until now, is on the way to the island of Sumatra. The undersecretary in the foreign ministry, Klaus Scharioth, said in Berlin today that the ship was expected to arrive by the middle of next week"
ESG5 Had just made Guam harbor when they were reassigned, and they are already on site.
It takes two weeks to come from the Horn of Africa?
Maybe it is this week, if the author wrote the story Saturday, for example. It is sometimes hard for me to get the translation of that correct. They would usually say 'this' week or 'next' week, like in English.
I generally would think of "kommende Woche' as what someone would say at the end of one week, referring to the week that starts in a few days.
HTH
longjack
The Berlin
Now this one does:
010912-N-4868G-001 Baltimore, Md. (Sept. 12, 2001) -- The hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) leaves Baltimore harbor in route to Earle, N.J., where it will embark Navy medical personnel before setting sail for the coast of New York. The Comfort has a crew of more than 750 Navy and civilian medical and support personnel. She also contains 12 fully-equipped operating rooms, a 1,000-bed hospital facility, radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CAT scan and two oxygen-producing plants. The ship also has a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters, as well as side ports to take on patients at sea. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer's Mate Philomena Gorenflo. (RELEASED)
Judging from the deck equipment and layout, the Berlin is probably a general purpose logistics ship (part cargo ship, part tanker, etc.); fairly typical ship type for a small navy.
Impressive, almost a Cub Scout-size expedition.
I was reading Wretchard's latest post over at Belmont Club after I posted this. The 'fully uncoordnated' comment sounds like it came from UN talking points. You know, it won't be done right until the Germans and the rest of the UN show it to set it straight.
If so, "Spiegel" threw a monkey wrench into the UN's rhetoric war with this article.
longjack
The BonHomme Richard Amphibious Strike Group including
over 2,000 Marines and choppers from San Diego has reached
the area. Also the choppers off the Lincoln from San Diego
and Wed. the Hospital Ship USNS Mercy will leave from
San Diego to The disaster area.
I am rather surprised at this criticism of the Germans and praise for the American efforts. It's totally uncharacteristic of this publication, best I can tell.
Thanks - as always - for the translation. The American approach to this sort of thing is wasteful, ad hoc, and disorganized, and succeeds in saving lives. The UN approach is planned, efficient, and will provide precisely the food and resources these people need...after they've been dead for three days. There's a good deal to be said for inefficiency...
The Germans are pathetic, get out of the way and let the Americans do it.
"Spiegel" at times will run pro-US articles. I find them to be the 'firstest with the mostest' on current events, and they have an RSS feed, so I usually end up translating a lot of their articles.
In this case, an estimated 3200 Germans are still missing in Asia. It's an important matter to that country. Although the Germans are not missing in Indonesia, the fact that US GI's are carrying supplies where it's needed non-stop, while all a measley contingent of 9 Germans can do is b*tch about 'coordination ' problems and 'confer' with aid organizations doesn't cut the mustard.
Additionally, older Germans remember the helpfulness of the GI's after WW II and during the Berlin airlift. These shots bring back those memories, and banish the Abu Ghraib stories to where they belong, as the stupid acts of non-representative soldiers.
We're doing the heavy lifting and they're trying to talk a good game. Normal Germans see through that BS just like we do.
When the sh*t hits the fan, count on the US to be there. No talk, just action.
longjack
You're welcome.
I agree with you completely about having the rescue plan perfected and ready to be implemented three days after the last survivor has died from starvation.
Consensus building, isn't that what they call it?
longjack
Still, it's painful to watch such impotence from one of the great powers of the last century.
Hey Killjoy, what does your friend in Thailand say about this?
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