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?
The French foreign ministry offered eight aircraft and two ships, with 600 tents and 1,000 camp beds...
600 tents and 1,000 cots. LOL!
"Our operational humanitarian aid group is going to meet to study the civilian and military means that France could (NOT WILL) make available from French regions and the French West Indes," said a foreign ministry spokesman, Denis Simmoneau.