State Dept. drops Israel from Hurricane relief credits

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/05/front2453622.1159722223.html ^

[velocityguy]

State Dept. drops Israel from Hurricane relief credits

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM Friday, September 9, 2005

The United States has avoided any mention of Israeli participation in the international aid effort for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In a briefing on Sept. 6, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack focused on Arab offers of assistance to the United States.

"We also have received several large, very large, donations from Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates," McCormack said. "We have also seen donations made to the Red Cross from Australia, China, India, Ireland, Japan, Maldives, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen."

Officials said more than 90 countries and organizations have offered nearly $1 billion in assistance to Katrina victims. They cited helicopters from Canada, Russia and Singapore as well as ready-to-eat meals from Britain, Germany, Italy and Mexico. Bahrain has offered $5 million, a decision that sparked a storm in parliament.

Earlier, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also thanked donors for the Katrina relief effort. Ms. Rice cited offers of assistance from numerous countries, including China and France. She did not mention Israel.

Officials acknowledged that Israel was one of the first countries to offer to send military and civilian teams to New Orleans. But they said the administration, which has highlighted offers of aid from Islamic governments as well as American Arab and Muslim groups, asked Israel to postpone sending aid until a later stage.

The new Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes has been tasked with the presenting an image of a benign America sensitive to the Arab and Muslim world, U.S. officials said.

"She's been an active participant in policy discussions here at the department," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Sept. 1. "The secretary has made very clear that she wants Karen to be deeply involved in policy matters in order to provide an integration with communications and public diplomacy."

In three briefings over the last four days, senior State Department officials made no mention of Israel's offer to help Katrina victims. The last briefing was on Wednesday by State Department executive secretary Harry Thomas, who reported offers from Britain, Germany and Russia.

But on late Wednesday, the State Department issued a report that cited Israeli aid to Katrina victims. The report said Israel has sent tents, first aid kits and baby formula to the United States.

"Russia, China, Spain and Israel sent planes loaded with MREs [meals-ready-to-eat], relief supplies, tents, water purification units, kitchen units and medical supplies," the report said.

The administration's response was said to have alarmed Israeli diplomats, concerned that their country was being marginalized in U.S. foreign policy. Officials said the Bush administration, preoccupied by Katrina, has delayed meetings to discuss Israel's request for $2.2 billion in military and civilian assistance in connection with the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. The administration has asked Congress for another $51.8 billion for recovery efforts.

"The Secretary [of State Condoleezza Rice] has instructed ambassadors and chiefs of mission to speak to the foreign governments at the highest level," Thomas said, "to go back in to them, thank them for their offers, tell them yes, we want your offer today or [b] we're still evaluating your offer and [c] yes, we may take your offer later as these needs become greater but we want other things."

An Israeli military delegation has postponed its departure to the United States until Thursday. A military statement said the delegation, carrying humanitarian and medical aid from Israel to New Orleans, would also include Foreign Ministry and Health Ministry.

"The delegation will transport aid equipment including 80 tons of food, disposable diapers, beds, blankets, generators and additional equipment which were donated from different governmental institutions, civilian institutions and the IDF," the statement said. "The contents of the shipment were chosen in accordance with the U.S. government."

Officials said the Bush administration delayed accepting Israel's immediate offer to help the hurricane victims. They said the administration was concerned that such a move would deter Arab and Islamic countries from offering assistance.

"At one point, the administration signaled that it would accept Israeli help, but preferred that it be as part of a mission organized by the American Jewish community," an official said. "There appeared to a problem with having the Israeli flag in a foreign rescue mission in the United States."

[Cinnamon Girl]

Even the movie "Independence Day" wasn't afraid to show the Israeli military helping out.

[Alexander Rubin]

Good for you, and well said.

[Iscool]

You seem to have chosen sides, and it is the wrong one.

Thes so-called Christians clearly don't spend much time in the Bible...If there was no oil involved, and no money involved, do you think the Bush team would still chose sides with the A-rabs at the expense of Israel??? I do...

[Iscool]

Probably would have saved a lot of lives and avoided permanent injuries and suffering in the Superdome and other places hsd the offer been accepted.

People are getting lost on this issue...How many people would NOT have died if Bush would have allowed the Israeli teams in the country??? We'll never know...(Well, we will someday)

[rang1995]

on today 9/11--i am just sick of the world cow-towing to this scum (muslims,islam,whatever they want to be called)the west is killing themselves off with this attitude

[bvw]

I have a possible read on this, just based on parallels to Katrina.

Hurricane Katrina's damage was done in two stages. Two seperate stages. First was the storm, it's rains and sea surge and the great winds of its eye hitting and running right up the border between conservative, Republican Mississippi and liberal, democratic Louisiana. This stage was bad -- it completely wiped out the coastal communities in Mississippi and Louisiana.

New Orleans was left damaged but whole by the first stage. Spared.

The second stage was the levee breaks and the flooding, followed by confusion, lawlessness, looting, violence and fear. New Orleans was destroyed by this stage.

Now the parallels. There are two. Parallel One. The US's great might is like a storm that runs up the border between Arab and Jew. Unpredictable. But impossible for Jew or Arab to ignore or to hide from -- all Jews and Arabs are subject to powerful overwhelming impacts from Hurricane US.

Where Katrina hit the Gulf Coast hardest in its first stage, Hurricane US has hit Gush Katif in its first stage. The Gaza Strip has been obliterated of Jews and nearly all once-Jewish structures.

So now, to come after some brief pause -- will there be some massive flooding as some sort of levees break? Will that effect the Arabs in ways of like a flooding: inter-necine violence, looting and self-ruination?

Not by Katrina's direct hit was New Orlean's ruined, but by circumstance still unknown cause of the levee break that exploited New Orleans own moral weaknesses -- those weaknesses that prevented the people of NO from dealing with their problems, from preparing the levees to an appropirate strength, from developing official response, that trembled their police and authority and made them run, cower, hide.

So too, are the Arabs who seek Isreal's demise morally weak, with potent self-destroying forces already prepared, internalized within them. It is not unlikely -- and by hypothetic parallel likely -- that some chance event and a flood-like circumstance brought on by that event will unlock those self-destroying forces already within them, and that by riot, general violence, cowering and fears that they bring upon themselves -- Palestine will wipe itself out. Gaza and Arab-held areas of the West Bank will be abbondoned, a ruin, a desolation. That the self-destructive forces unleashed within the Arab community itself will be like those in New Orleans, so awful theat most will never wish to return, but those that remain will happily take up live in other Arab lands -- refugees.

Parallel Two: For the Bush Administration. The Hurricane hit and did some immediate damage to the poll numbers. The Bush Administration's response was good and timely too -- I have no complaint for the one day of pause, it pales before New Orleans and Louisiana's YEARS of unpreparedness.

The Bush Administrations response to Katrina is GREAT. It has saved many lives.

Yet they have taken some damage. That damage will pale before a flood of damage that may yet be done, if the Bush Administration continues to diminish or mock Israel, and to support Israel's enemies. The smallest of events -- equivalent to a a few yards break in miles of levees will bring it down. No power, no nation -- no matter how mighty can stand before such a powerful flood.

[montag813]

The new Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes has been tasked with the presenting an image of a benign America sensitive to the Arab and Muslim world, U.S. officials said.

A disgraceful waste of her ample talents. They might as well rename her "Secretary of Appeasement". Frank Gaffney was on WABC talking about how Hughes is meeting now with "Islamic" groups who have links to "charities" which fund terror. Have they learned nothing?

[montag813]

Let's subtract $2.2 billion from NO giveaway schemes and give that to Israel.

Let's deduct $20 billion from N.O. junkie relief and give it to Israel, to be earmarked for "Iranian Reactor Demolition".

[montag813]

They said the administration was concerned that such a move would deter Arab and Islamic countries from offering assistance.

It is exactly the opposite which makes sense. Only if they still offer assistance after Israel does should we consider such an offer genuine. And btw, I thought things were supposed to be different after Israel withdrew from Gaza. I guess this gesture is meaningless to Condi Reich, who called for "more Israeli sacrifices". The only people who never have to sacrifice anything is her Arab buddies.

[montag813]

Well, the gov't did refuse the immediate Israeli offer of field hospitals. Their quality is well-respected and I believe they could have had them set up in the US in something like 24 hours.

The U.S. Government refused Israel's offer to treat American Marines injured in the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing which killed 241 men. They were instead flown to Germany, leading to at least 7 additional Marine fatalities--all to keep from "offending" our so-called Arab "allies". Whoever in the Reagan Administration who ordered that diversion of wounded Marines, should have been fired, prosecuted and sent to prison. Instead, most Americans have no idea it ever happened. I wonder if the families of those Marines who died for Dhimmitude even know it. We have learned NOTHING.

[Itzlzha]

This I find interesting...considering THIS GARBAGE from the Foggy Bottom crowd of pro-Arab Quislings!

Gee, whatever would the pro-Camel Humpers at Foggy Bottom say about THESE pics of Israel coming to the aid of Katrina's victims???

So, I have now given Jorge Arbusto his last chance...his pro-Illegal Infiltrator crap was at the point of breaking the Camel's back...this is beyond tolerable!

I will not BOHICA for those left-hand A$$WIPERS anymore! Time to clean house of ALL the anti-American quislings, and all their pro-Arab quisling brethren!

If Israel came and helped the victims of Katrina...why should THEY be given short shrift in favor of the 12th Century Camel Humpers in their dirty nightshirts?!?!

On THIS day, of all days, we should NOT be PC toward the throat-slitting sect!

Our State Department..."BOHICA-ing for the Arabs the way Americans don't want to!"

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

..........................................

Experienced trauma teams offered the Tuesday after the breach, which could have been on the ground within 24 hours, were it not for Arab sensibilities. A disgusting state of affairs. I'd like to think the "official" is wrong. As I noted on a couple other threads, some personnel have been "reflagged" and sent here by Israeli charities. "At one point, the administration signaled that it would accept Israeli help, but preferred that it be as part of a mission organized by the American Jewish community, "an official said. "There appeared to a problem with having the Israeli flag in a foreign rescue mission in the United States."

[SJackson]

Seems to me that a 2.2 billion demand and the wailing of being ignored by the State Department and or President Bush being anti-Israel on a liberal website is well beyond peculiar.

Seems to whining about a $2.2 billion demand, actually a request, WHICH WAS WITHDRAWN A WEEK AGO, is well beyond peculiar.

[SJackson]

People are getting lost on this issue...How many people would NOT have died if Bush would have allowed the Israeli teams in the country??? We'll never know...(Well, we will someday)

Considering the death toll will be well below original speculation, and that the Israeli contingent would have only been a hundred or so, probably not that many. It's worth a dozen dead not to offend our Arab allies.

[SJackson]

You might find the article interesting.

Officials said the Bush administration delayed accepting Israel's immediate offer to help the hurricane victims. They said the administration was concerned that such a move would deter Arab and Islamic countries from offering assistance.

"At one point, the administration signaled that it would accept Israeli help, but preferred that it be as part of a mission organized by the American Jewish community," an official said. "There appeared to a problem with having the Israeli flag in a foreign rescue mission in the United States."

[SJackson]

How did I know?

Common sense?

[ZULU]

Dhimmi dummies mesmerised by the "Religion of Peace" idiocy.

Rice was my golden girl. Now she is in the same category as McCain, Giuliani and those other RINOS.

This is despicable and indefensible and these people had better stop siding with the enemies of Christ's People and of Western Civlization.

[dervish]

"Now she is in the same category as McCain, Giuliani and those other RINOS."

Giuliani knew had to say no to Arab money given with immoral conditions.

"Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Thursday the city would not accept a $10 million donation for disaster relief from Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal after the prince suggested U.S. policies in the Middle East contributed to the September 11 attacks."

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/10/11/rec.giuliani.prince/

[Pearls Before Swine]

"There appeared to a problem with having the Israeli flag in a foreign rescue mission in the United States."

Very sick. Was it Arab sensibilities, or racial (Jackson/Sharpton) sensibilities?