Afghanistan pledges $100k to Katrina efforts

Rediff ^ | 9/4/05 | Staff

[jriemer]

Afghanistan's government has pledged to give $100,000 to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, The United States embassy said on Sunday.

President Hamid Karzai made the pledge in a letter sent to US Ambassador Ronald Neumann. 'On behalf of the US embassy, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the people of Afghanistan,' Neumann said in a statement.

'Their compassion and generosity bears testimony to the strength of the ties between our two peoples.'

Afghanistan's cash-strapped government relies heavily on financial aid from the United States and elsewhere. Most of the country is impoverished and there is little infrastructure outside of a handful of cities.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

I wish with the 100K they would have sent a note to Al Sheehan, "this should buy you plenty of rolling pins!!!"ha. ha.

[stocksthatgoup]

Tis alot for this cash starved country but the act is most most generous.

[jriemer]

To all of the media and the left:
Please explain to me how the war in Afghanistan was a failure.

Bears repeating in light of Afghanistan's donation / sacrifice

[stocksthatgoup]

We should accept this gift in the spirit in which it has been given. "Give as if receiving, Receive as if giving. In this way both giver and receiver are honored."

[stocksthatgoup]

We should accept this gift in the spirit in which it has been given. "Give as if receiving, Receive as if giving. In this way both giver and receiver are honored."

[WhiteGuy]

$100K?

After all the money our government let's them make on the heroin trade?

Please..............................

[Texasforever]

Another part of me says that we should accept it because to do otherwise would be an insult to them

That is exactly right. To refuse this money would mean shame for them.

[Ruth C]

Yes, 500 million in oil and humanitarian aid.

[Ruth C]

Thank you, Afghanistan.

[propertius]

No -- this was all pledged some time ago. But flooding aid in in too hasty a way would have been counter productive. The US and other countries too round about the same time to work out their response to the tsunami.

[Criminal Number 18F]

Karzai is a good man. He is one of the very few senior Afghan politicians that has no blood on his hands, even though he was a senior politician in the mujahedin fight against first, the Russians, and then, the Soviet sponsored Najib government.

Most of the other major figures in Afghan politics -- on all sides -- have unflattering references in Human Rights Watch documents.

I personally found Afghans in general to be the most generous, hospitable people I have ever encountered. An Afghan will give you the food he was keeping for his kids if you let him.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[elcid1970]

Amen! The government of Afghanistan has given from the heart. In that part of the world, when someone offers a gift, you reach out with both hands to accept with gratitude. I was in Uzbekistan and heard tales of Afghan hospitality to Americans.

Let us accept with thanks this gift from our new ally.

Thank you, Afghanistan!

[GretchenM]

Like the woman who contributed her copper coins in the temple, they have given from their poverty, while others fail to give from their wealth.

I have been thinking of that Scripture constantly since reading that Sri Lanka is giving $25,000 to the Red Cross, with their president saying they know the ravages of natural disaster.

God never expects the poor not to give, although they certainly have that choice. In fact, as in your example, and others, He blesses and rewards those who "give out of their poverty."

[John78]

Nepal donates $25000, which is a lot for that country.

[tet68]

We thankfully accept this gracious gift of the
Afghan people, our hearts are touched by this.

[Mustng959]

Very nice similiarity. A big American thank-you to the impoverished and struggling democracy of Afghanistan. Your gift means as much if not more than many.

[BuglerTex]

Recently a newsclip showed an Afghani official giving the check to none other than Ronald Reagan's Comptroller of the Currency, accepting on behalf of the US, in Afghanistan, I bet at his own expense.

[BuglerTex]

Our statesmen, now and former, did in fact respond with a representative of high rank, now retired from official public service, in the right field, that of banking regulation and sustenance in a free market. Thank you to the new neighbor on the block. It is like having a visit from Nancy Reagan to the new president's wife on her own front porch, saying "Laura is a little busy at the moment so I thought I would help out, please take these cookies, welcome to the free world, this is what we are really like, and come over for coffee anytime".