Bush: U.S. Ready to Help Iran After Quake

Yahoo! News ^ | Fri, Dec 26, 2003 | Caren Bohan

[F14 Pilot]

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush expressed sympathy for Iran on Friday after an earthquake there killed more than 20,000 people and offered support for a country he has deemed part of an "axis of evil."

Laura and I heard this morning of the earthquake centered in the city of Bam, Iran," Bush said in a statement from his ranch, where he will spend the New Year's holiday with his wife, Laura, and other family members.

"We are greatly saddened by the loss of life, injuries and widespread damage to this ancient city," he said. "I extend my condolences to all those touched by this tragedy."

"The thoughts of all Americans are with the victims and their families at this time, and we stand ready to help the people of Iran," Bush added.

In addition to the 20,000 believed to be dead, tens of thousands of people were injured in the quake, which destroyed much of city of Bam. The historic city is a popular tourist spot some 600 miles southeast of the capital, Tehran.

A Bush spokesman said Washington would be offering humanitarian aid to Iran but it was unclear how that offer would be extended since the United States has no official ties with Tehran.

A U.S. official said the State Department would be spelling out an aid package soon.

The United States has had tense relations with Iran for more than two decades. Washington broke diplomatic relations with Iran in 1979 after militant students stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.

In January 2002, Bush said Iran, pre-war Iraq and North Korea (news - web sites) made up an "axis of evil." Washington has accused Iran's government of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The United States joins the United Nations, the European Union and other countries such as Russia which are also promising help to the Iranian quake victims.

"This is a terrible tragedy and we all come together behind the Iranian people at a time like this to assist those who have been injured and those families who have been impacted," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

[McGavin999]

If the enemy of your enemy is your friend, then the people of Iran should be your friend. They have been protesting in the streets for the past year. Students have been jailed, beaten, and murdered, but still the go out onto the streets to protest. There have been many pictures posted right here on the site to prove it, some of them from the major wire companies.

[Capitalist Eric]

BTW, the proposition you made was that all Muslims believe the same thing. I want to know if you can prove this contention.

The proposition I make is that the Islamic faith is all about converting non-believers, or killing them. And, for Muslims to believe in their faith, they must believe in this. Ergo, their actions demonstrate their beliefs and intentions. And this I can utilize, to demonstrate the validity of my point...

Therefore, the answer is, "yes, I can prove it."

[Capitalist Eric]

Careful... pretty soon you'll be accused of being a DU lurker, or a liberal, or given some other equally inane lable.

They don't like it, when someone contradicts preconceived opinions with a dose of reality.

[McGavin999]

Oh now Eric, we don't have problems with people who disagree. Just those who spew hatred in 7 point fonts. It does sort of give things away.

[F14 Pilot]

Bootstick, do you know that more than 75% of regular Iranian backed the coalition's attack on Saddam?
Did you hear the same thing even in Britain? Did 75% of them back us?
Do you know that Modern-Iranians dislike French and their policies?
How much do you know about Iran?

[djf]

This BS bickering will not help or hurt anybody over there.


Grow up, folks.

[Capitalist Eric]

If you really have an argument, present a case for it. All you have been doing is making declarations that are supposedly self evident truths.

For someone who claims to have read the Koran, you seem particularly uneducated about it... Or you would already understand what I've told you. They are self-evident truths, to someone who has studied.

For the multiple regression analyses, I'll do the number-crunching tomorrow... I'm tired.

[tkathy]

If 25% want to kill us, that is a lot. The dissenting Brits are not trying to murder us in our sleep.

[McGavin999]

Let him back out gracefully DrZIn, he needs to salvage some pride.

[F14 Pilot]

US Jewish group raising funds for Iran victims

Dec. 27, 2003
Jerusalem Post -- Israel

An American Jewish group is raising money for victims of Friday's devastating earthquake in Iran.

According to the Jewish Telegraph Agency, the American Jewish World Service said it hopes to raise money for humanitarian aid in response to the 6.3-magnitude quake.

The quake devastated the historic city of Bam in southeastern Iran, killing an estimated 5,000 people and leaving thousands homeless, Iranian officials said.

More details can be obtained by calling visiting the group's Web site at www.ajws.org.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1072420674007&p=1008596981749

[BOOTSTICK]

Err maybe when they apologize for their act of War in 1978. oh and here's another interesting tidbit for the pro Iran naive. "The official IRNA news agency quoted Iran's Interior Ministry as saying assistance would be welcome from every corner of the globe other than Israel." WAKE UP!

[serurier]

No ,U.S.A. for freedom,is Great country.

[Capitalist Eric]

Let him back out gracefully DrZIn, he needs to salvage some pride.

PISS OFF.

[McGavin999]

That's wonderful. Between that and the radio call in the other day it looks like some major walls are breaking down.

[BOOTSTICK]

Get out!, really most Iranians are the enemy of Iraq????? golly;lol

[F14 Pilot]

B.S
I didnt say the 75% or 25% of them want attack or not.
The 75% of them backed our attack on Iraq. The remaining 25% disagreed.

[DoctorZIn]

Don't change topics on me. I took issue with your statement:

"I have read the Koran, and I believe that at their core, Islam is the same- regardless of whether they're terrorists or simply devouts Muslims."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1047179/posts?page=80#80

This is what I have asking you to prove. That all Muslims (terrorists and devout) are the same.

You still haven't made your case, you just declare it like it is a personal "belief" of yours. Why should we believe you?

[McGavin999]

The Mad Mullahs took advantage of the situation and hijacked the revolution. The Iranian people ended up going from the frying pan into the fire. The population of Iran that managed to survive the war with Iraq wasn't even born during the 1979 revolution. They want no part of it.

[F14 Pilot]

Yeah, because Saddam imposed an 8 year war on them.
To have more details look at this webpage please,
http://www.iiaf.net

[BOOTSTICK]

Islam promotes murder and terrorism, it's 100% pure evil.