U.S. Government Quake Aid Arrives in Iran

Reuters / ABC ^

[RCW2001]

— TEHRAN (Reuters) - A plane carrying U.S. government aid for earthquake victims landed in Iran on Tuesday in an unprecedented gesture by Washington to a country it has branded a member of the "axis of evil."

President Bush's offer of aid and Iran's decision to accept it have raised hope of an easing of tensions between two arch-foes.

The quake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale killed 235 people and left thousands homeless when it struck northern Iran on June 22.

Despite the goodwill surrounding the flight, every effort was made to address political sensitivities between two countries that have not had diplomatic relations for more than two decades.

"The U.S. registered commercial civilian cargo plane...has no U.S. marking because of the sensitivity of the issue," UNICEF Tehran spokesman Luc Chauvin told Reuters.

"UNICEF has been charged with delivering $300,000 worth of aid and the crew of the plane are Ugandan -- there is no American on board," he said.

Washington cut ties with Iran after radical students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and held dozens of diplomats hostage for 444 days after the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the U.S.-backed shah.

Tension escalated in January when Bush said Iran was part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea for allegedly sponsoring terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction.

UNICEF said the flight was carrying six 10,000-liter (2,200 gallons) water bladders, two mobile water purification systems that can serve 10,000 people per day, 5,000 blankets and hygiene kits.

The supplies were to be handed over to the Interior Ministry to be taken to the disaster zone, Chauvin said.

[SteamshipTime]

Did you pay $20,000 in income taxes last year? If so, you and fifteen other people paid for a planeload of aid supplies to a country your President has said remains complicit in terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens.

On the other hand, if you as a private citizen do business with Cuba, a nation which allows U.S. troops on its soil, you can be imprisoned and fined.

Why isn't Bush prosecuting himself for trading with the enemy?

[ppaul]

More coerced dollars from the grocery bills of hard-working Amercan families given away to cutthroats and ingrates who hate America and seek to destroy us.
Madness!

[AmericanInTokyo]

Put this post up next to this headline:

"IRAN GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES ARRIVE IN NEW YORK TO SPY AND PLOT TERRORISM ACTIVITIES"

[AmericanInTokyo]

America, a great land no-doubt, is nevertheless a Land with some of the most odd inconsistencies and contradictions. You have splendidly just named one of them.

[aShepard]

The U.S. registered commercial civilian cargo plane...has no U.S. marking because of the sensitivity of the issue," ...... and the crew of the plane are Ugandan -- there is no American on board," he said.

I just don't understand it.

The US donates to relief of the beleagured, and probably good citizens of Iran, led by corrupt nutcases: And we can't get any recognition of our generosity as a nation.

Now the leadership in Iran can continue to spin the evilness of the US, and probably tell the masses that China gave them the supplies.

Hey, Bush, please, no more of this crap!

[Live free or die]

On the other hand, if you as a private citizen do business with Cuba, a nation which allows U.S. troops on its soil, you can be imprisoned and fined.

I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where they 'allowed' us to do anything. We only have a base in Guantanamo because

a) they're too gutless to take it from us and

b) even if they tried, they'd get their clocks cleaned.

[Zeroisanumber]

The best way to destroy and enemy is to turn him into a friend. Politics in Iran are in flux and if we support the right people we might gain an ally from an unlikely source.