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Up to 5,000 Americans unaccounted for in tsunami disaster: Powell
Yahoo,com ^ | January 3 2005 | Yahoo

Posted on 01/03/2005 11:00:52 AM PST by tbird5

As many as 5,000 Americans are still unaccounted for a week after the world's deadliest tsunami pounded a dozen countries across the Indian Ocean, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said.

Powell told reporters aboard his plane en route to Bangkok that the confirmed toll of Americans still stood at 15 with a defense department worker listed as missing.

"The number of private citizens or citizens unaccounted for still lingers around 4-5,000," he said, adding the figure was based on phone calls from relatives or friends inquiring about their whereabouts.

Powell said this did not mean they were necessarily casualties in the catastrophe.

But he added: "We can't ignore the very distinct possibility that there are Americans within this number who have lost their lives. We just don't know that."


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americans; tsunami
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To: Howlin; Happy2BMe; PhilDragoo; devolve; potlatch
Bump!

61 posted on 01/03/2005 2:30:13 PM PST by MeekOneGOP ("Go thru life w/a Bible in one hand, and your right hand on the mouse connected to FR!--Grampa Dave")
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To: NautiNurse
Just wanted to compliment you on the most elegantly written and literate put down it has been my pleasure to be on the "receiving end" of in a long time..

For the record..I did NOT state it as a given that was the case. I surmised it might be so, because Thailand is the center of that trade, and it is unusual to have a 5000 or so discrepancy on missing Americans more than a week after the event.. Assume there was a huge avalanche in the French Alps..Tens of thousands buried alive as snows erase mountain resorts.. we'd have hundreds of reports already from the hometowns of those missing Americans. Peopel KNOW where familya nd friends are... Again..my supposition was caused ONLY by Powell's comment about 5000 missing Americans..It's very odd..

62 posted on 01/03/2005 2:32:14 PM PST by ken5050 (Ann Coulter needs to have children ASAP to propagate her gene pool. Any volunteers?)
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To: ken5050
The people affected by the tsunami were sun and fun tourists at the resorts on Thailand's coasts and islands. Generally these folks don't partake in the sex drug trades, which Thailand is also famous for. Those enterprises are located in the inland parts of Thailand, where regular tourists usually don't go.

A friend of mine has been living outside Bangkok for over a decade and told me some time ago that the tourist parts of Bangkok and the resort parts of the coast are relatively free of the seedier parts of the Thailand economy.

Now I'm sure that they run bus trips of certain tourists out to the brothels, but they do that in Las Vegas as well.
63 posted on 01/03/2005 2:35:41 PM PST by anymouse
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To: anymouse

I'm so impressed with your post. Lately, when someone disagrees with a poster, they've been coming out with both barrels blazing and screaming for the lynch mob at the same time.

It's so nice to see someone who can disagree in a civil, noninsulting manner.

I salute you, anymouse.


64 posted on 01/03/2005 2:49:40 PM PST by tuffydoodle
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To: tuffydoodle

Sorry, I wasn't in a more disagreeable mood. ;)

Netiquette is a lost art.

I rarely blast posters that don't obviously show by their words that they deserve it. Given that it is difficult to convey exactly what you mean to say in text, to a bunch of anonymous people, it is common sense to practice a little diplomacy* first.

* Diplomacy - the art of saying "nice doggy" until you can reach a stick or rock. :)

Of course once you realize that it is a rabid dog (i.e. an unreasonable poster), you should just avoid them. Never argue with a crazy person, as you only become their enabler.


65 posted on 01/03/2005 2:59:51 PM PST by anymouse
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To: 1L

Why would someone vacation there? I recommend you rent the movie "The Beach" and you'll see some marvelous scenery around Phi Phi Island, which is near Phuket.

I originally went to Thailand on free air miles to visit a Filipina working in International Finance in Bangkok. I've now made three trips over there and we are engaged to be married this year. In the mean time, I have fallen in love with Thailand and the Thai people. You should see for yourself.

Yes, there is sex tourism and rampant prostitution in concentrated areas--but no child prostitution (except in Campbodia). The Thai government has jailed many westerners for trying to have sex with minors. However that is NOT all there is to Thailand.

Number one, the dollar is very strong in Thailand compared to its weakness in Europe. I stayed next to the beach in Phuket for $50 a night and stayed in a corporate apartment in Bangkok for $35 a night. Hard to do that in Hawaii. I had several Thai massages (Real massages) for about $6 each. It would cost me at least $60 here for an hour-long massage. A meal costs about $2 to $3 and if you like spicy food like me--you're in culinary heaven. You will feel rich over there with the strength of the dollar. Now that the Euro is even stronger---the Europeans are flocking in droves because they REALLY feel rich as they escape those socialist Scandinavian countries that tax them to death.

The people are VERY nice. Thailand is known as the Land of Smiles and the people are friendly. They are primarily Buddhist and violent crime against tourists is rare. I feel much safer at night in Bangkok then in big cities here. Women are safe to walk alone as well.

Phuket and the surrounding islands have some of the most beautiful beaches and waters anywhere. I have lived in Northern California for 11 years and I never go swimming here in the rough, cold waters around here. I did lots of swimming and snorkelling in Phuket and I loved it.

There are lots of other reasons including custom-made shirts and suits and beautiful Thai silk scarves and ties. President Bush even bought some suits there when he stayed in Bangkok for the ASEAN conference. Bangkok is a favorite place for the Secret Service to have their suits made (at very good prices), especially since they need extra room for their sidearms. The Secret Service lobbied to keep President Bush from spending more than 8 hours in the Philippines (a predominately Catholic/Christian) country, but had no problem with him staying in Thailand for a week, because it is much easier to secure.

Prime Minister Shinawatra has been an ally in the war on terror and has helped us break up several potential terrorist attacks. The extremists have been hoping to stage a Bali-style attack in Thailand where there are so many westerners but they have failed to succeed even once, because Shinawatra is ruthless and not a marshmallow like President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the Philippines.

You should see for yourself. I had the best vacation I ever had in Phuket with my fiancee...and I hope to go again after they rebuild. By the way, my ticket was only $599 on Cathay Pacific...I had a much nicer vacation for the money in Thailand than I could have in Hawaii...without a doubt!


66 posted on 01/03/2005 3:03:26 PM PST by Conservative Vet
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To: anymouse

Truer words were never spoken.

You are indeed wise.

I'll look forward to seeing you on other threads.


67 posted on 01/03/2005 3:10:04 PM PST by tuffydoodle
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To: Peach

One of the reports today said that some of the bodies have been spotted as far as 20 miles from shore! Amazing, if true.


68 posted on 01/03/2005 3:14:54 PM PST by BunnySlippers (Happy Festivus ...)
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To: ken5050
Assume there was a huge avalanche in the French Alps..Tens of thousands buried alive as snows erase mountain resorts.. we'd have hundreds of reports already from the hometowns of those missing Americans

Unless they had sneaked away to consume the unfashionable French wines and cheeses...

Seriously, the infrastructure of the devastated countries has been severely affected. This is truly a disaster of epic proportions. Heard a story the other day about some tourists who were running inland, only to find themselves surrounded by a bunch of hungry crocodiles.

69 posted on 01/03/2005 3:54:56 PM PST by NautiNurse (Osama bin Laden has more tapes than Steely Dan)
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To: Pharmboy

"There is a wonderful young woman from my office who traveled to Thailand and Nepal this Christmas...she's not back here yet, but we're hoping everything is fine, as we have no reason to believe otherwise."

I've done the same trip before. I'm guessing she's gone trekking in Nepal and that takes a while. You've got to fly into Bangkok then on to Kathmandhu. Our trip took 15 days but it was worth it.


70 posted on 01/03/2005 7:14:01 PM PST by dljordan
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To: MeekOneGOP

Thanks for the ping Meek.


71 posted on 01/03/2005 7:51:29 PM PST by potlatch (Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.)
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To: just too late
If someone went to Thailand for sex, why would they be near the beach?

Wouldn't they be in Bangkok, near the nightclubs?

Then again, there might be thousands of US citizens in Bangkok, gone there for sex, and can't get out because of the disaster.

72 posted on 01/03/2005 8:39:30 PM PST by japaneseghost
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To: ken5050

I guess all those folks who were in denial about the pedophelia industry in Thailand are going to have to re-consider. Maybe you'll get some apologies. LOL.


73 posted on 01/05/2005 8:11:31 PM PST by ladyjane
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