Posted on 09/04/2005 9:00:37 AM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Kuwait Pledges $500M for Hurricane Relief Updated: Sunday, Sep. 4, 2005 - 11:26 AM
KUWAIT CITY (AP) - The oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait said Sunday it will donate $500 million in aid to U.S. relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.
The offer is the largest known put forward since the hurricane ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and follows a $100 million aid donation from the emir of a Mideast neighbor, Qatar.
Kuwait's energy minister said his country would provide "oil products that the disaster-stricken states need in addition to other humanitarian aid."
"It's our duty as Kuwaitis to stand by our friends to lighten the humanitarian misery and as a payback for the many situations during which Washington helped us through the significant relations between the two friendly countries," Sheik Ahmed Fahd Al Ahmed Al Sabah said in a statement carried by Kuwait's official news agency, KUNA.
Kuwait is one of America's closest Mideast allies and owes its 1991 liberation from Iraqi occupation forces to a U.S.-led coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's army out.
Kuwait and Qatar's donations came as the Egypt-based 22-member Arab League called on Arab nations to provide relief to the U.S.
The Arab League said that its secretary-general, Amr Moussa, sent a cable of "deep condolences and regret to the U.S. administration over the effect of Hurricane Katrina ... and called on all Arab countries to extend aid to the United States to face the exceptional humane circumstances."
Shukrun. Thanks.
For all you Wal Mart bashers out there, Wal Mart gave 17 million dollars, not counting what was looted out of their New Orleans stores.
****
Plus, setting up mini-walmarts near the shelters and giving diaster relief to their employees in the affected areas.
Klassy Kuwait bump.
"...Oil rebate. Nice...."
How 'bout some oil to go with that $500 mill? That would help a couple of problems. We saved their a$$es in 1991. Let them save ous in 2005.
To our brothers and sisters in Kuwait, we humbly accept your generosity..Thank you.
Thank you, Kuwait!
Not sure of the specifics;
Considering that 1) when we sent them a bill after the first war, they paid it in *cash*, and 2) they continued to give the US military in the area all the fuel, oil, and petrochemicals they needed for *free* until they couldn't afford to do it any more, I'd say you're full of it. Yes, from 1991 until just a few months ago, Kuwait was fuelling EVERY piece of equipment in theatre, for FREE. Gratis. No charge.
How much is that worth, hm?
Little Qatar tossed in 100 Million a few days ago. Still looking for the french donation..........((crickets))
Bravo Kuwait, and well done.
Thank you Kuwait... the MSM tried to push that story from the "Kuwaiti official" saying it was Allah's will do hurt us, thank you for blowing that out of the water.
Kuwait was in '91, today is 2005.... perhaps by 2014 Iraq will be also be such an ally.
Whew, and we thought that Qatar's $100 million was pretty impressive.
It is strange, in giving America help in a time of need, the Muslims are putting the Euroweenies to shame.
I suspect that if Iraq had it within their power today they would already be sending us assistance.
Now is the time for us to just gratefully accept from these Muslim countries their offers of assistance -- it is times like this that do more to build relations between countries than anything else will.
I suspect that any "Kuwaiti official" that said that is currently either looking for another job now, on his way out of the country permanently, or dead.
Take a look at the distribution of oil wealth in Kuwait - the government and royals take 5% or so (iirc, it's a small number) and the rest is equally distributed among the citizens of Kuwait. What a contrast with the Saudis, where the House of Saud takes 95% of the oil revenues and *sometimes* distributes the remaining 5% or so to the people.
In Kuwait, nobody becomes a terrorist because it means giving up literally everything - I think the average income of a Kuwaiti is something like $350K USD. They are happy and prosperous - no reason to join Islamic Jihad or whatever. What a contrast to Saudi Arabia!
FRANCE OFFERS HUMANITARIAN, MILITARY AID TO HURRICANE-HIT US
Received Thursday, 1 September 2005 15:31:00 GMT
PARIS, Sept 1 (AFP) - France is prepared to send humanitarian and military aid to the United States to help the country cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating storms in that country's history.
"Our operational humanitarian aid group is going to meet to study the civilian and military means that France could make available from French regions and the French West Indes," said a foreign ministry spokesman, Denis Simmoneau.
September 2, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The offers of foreign aid keep pouring in: helicopters from Canada, cash from Japan, tents and military aircraft from France -- even oil from Venezuela, a political foe. At least 25 countries have offered humanitarian assistance to the United States to recover from Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in US history.
03 September 2005
French offer of ships and aircraft
The French foreign ministry offered eight aircraft and two ships, with 600 tents and 1,000 camp beds also available at the United States' request.
PARIS, Sept 2 (AFP) - France's foreign ministry released details on Friday of its offer if humanitarian aid to the southeastern United States hit by a devastating hurricane, including air and naval assistance.
"We are naturally ready to provide help for the Americans and that is what we have told them," Villepin told the private TF1 television channel during an interview.
"We have civil rescue facilities based in the West Indies," Villepin said, referring notably to France's overseas possessions of Martinique and Guadeloupe.
The foreign ministry said it was expecting to hear "fairly soon" whether Washington intended to accept its offer of assistance.
The French statement came as the
White House in Washington announced that the US would accept offers of aid from abroad.
Satisfied?
Thank you Kuwait!
What a sweetheart you are! See, sometime optimism pays off . . . ;)
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