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

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.

I guess that's your "Christian Charity" showing...

Am I spose to feel guilty for not supporting a cult that kills Christians? I think not, I show my Christian charity to babies,children, grandmothers, mothers and fathers who were unfortunate enough to sit on the wrong bus....drink in the wrong coffee house...eat pizza...go to the mall.

If I support those who fund the homocide bombers then I suppport the homocide bombers. I will never give money to those who fund the murder helpless Jews. I doubt God will condemn me even tho you would.

U.S. Airlifting Disaster Aid into Iran:
First flights since failed hostage-rescue raid in 1980

December 27, 2003
CNN
CNN.com

WASHINGTON -- To offer assistance to Iranian earthquake victims, the United States will send its first military flights into the country since an elite force tried to rescue U.S. hostages in April 1980.

Operation Desert One was a failed, top-secret mission designed to rescue 66 hostages held in the capital, Tehran.

Mechanical problems in Iran's Great Salt Desert caused the mission to be aborted. As one of six helicopters departed, it crashed into a C-130 cargo plane, causing an explosion that killed eight servicemen.

The U.S. did not try a second rescue attempt, and the hostages were eventually released. The United States has no diplomatic ties with Iran, a nation that President Bush has labeled part of the "axis of evil."

The new mission will include more than 200 personnel and more than 150,000 pounds of medical supplies, including blood, to provide emergency assistance for the victims of Friday's earthquake in Bam, Iran, the White House said Saturday.

The earthquake -- with a magnitude of 6.6 -- hit the ancient city before dawn, killing between 5,000 and 20,000 people. As many as 30,000 people are believed to have been injured, the Interior Ministry said.

The flights carrying personnel to assist victims of the earthquake were scheduled to depart three U.S. Air Force bases -- Dover, March and Westover -- on Saturday, a Bush administration official said.

The medical supplies would be sent from U.S. bases in Kuwait, the White House said.

The plans were made after extensive discussions between the U.S. and Iranian governments, the Bush administration official said.

In a statement, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the United States is working with "Iranian authorities, the United Nations, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent to rapidly deploy humanitarian assistance.

"The United States will deploy civilian teams composed of more than 200 experts in urban search and rescue, emergency surgery, and disaster response coordination," including medical response teams from Boston, Massachusetts, and local disaster response teams from Los Angeles, California, and Fairfax County, Virginia, the statement said.

Disaster response experts will be sent from the United States Agency for International Development and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

At least one U.S. citizen was killed in the earthquake and another was injured, a State Department official said.

The two Americans -- whose names were not released -- were in Bam to visit the city's 2,000-year-old citadel, the State Department official said.

The injured American has been hospitalized and is receiving medical care for injuries that are serious but not life-threatening, the department official said.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/12/27/iran.us.aid/index.html

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