international aid being refused

feel free to skip my ranting and just read the list of aid being turned away. It really doesn't need comment.

A week later, and there are still trapped people dying because they still haven't gotten help. It isn't for lack of resources, we live in the wealthiest nation on the planet and even if we didn't, international help is being offered like crazy...and being turned away. But then so is help being offered by rescue teams from within the country.

FEMA (like most other important agencies under this administration) is being run by political hires with no emergency response experience, so they have no idea how to manage the crisis and their incompetence is killing people. The American public has stepped to the plate to offer assistance and expertise, and the feds are tying their hands and making us sit back and watch while people die. Make no mistake: this isn't a failure of government in general; this is a failure because of political hires instead of merit-based hiring. There are experts prepared to handle and organize on this scale, but they are not the people appointed by this admin. Their appointments are strictly political and they don't care one bit about expertise and punish those whose expertise goes against their political desires. They sidelined the recommendations of generals and career military leaders and made messes of our military endevours in Iraq and Afganistan. I didn't think we should have invaded Iraq, but it could have been done properly and should have been. The failure isn't because we didn't have people with the expertise to do it right, they just weren't the ones running the show.

Now they want to put through john roberts, with 2 (count them, 2) years experience as a judge to lead the supreme court! Not just be a justice, but to be CHIEF JUSTICE! I haven't screamed about him even though I think he is an awful pick (brief career, questionable stances on racial and gender issues, federalist membership/lying about it, but mostly because he is a coroporate stooge. We don't need another creep who thinks companies are more important than people) but to lead the court? This isn't about ideology, this is about expertise and this administration hiring one inexperienced dupe after another and us paying for it in blood.

anyway, this is a list of what resources and help we have been offered. Part of this backlog is because the secretary of state stayed on vacation til she was run out of NYC last thursday instead of coordinating international aid, but also FEMA being run by people who dont' know what to do so they are just telling everyone to hold their horses.

and their incompetence is killing people.


(this can be seen in its original form at: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/9/5/03413/61586 )

The Feds are STILL refusing assistance!!!!!!

by Ptolemy

Sun Sep 4th, 2005 at 21:34:13 PDT

NGOs are still being held at the borders of NOLA and other affected areas. Refugees are often being bused directly past these staging zones to the processing centers in TX.

Physicians are going by the thousands to the Gulf of Mexico, but they are being turned away in many cases or told to wait at the periphery.

And International Aid? The inmates are still running the State Department.

CNN is reporting that the White House and the State Dept. refuse to say whether they've refused or accepted most of the aid pledged.

International aid listed below the fold ... appreciate the enormity of the Federal callousness. And the good will of the world to Americans.

Ptolemy's diary :: ::

The US has only officially accepted first aid kits, blankets, water trucks and 500,000 MREs from the EU and another set of MREs from NATO. That's it. The EU and NATO want to give more, but that's all that's been taken in so far.

All help from the UN still awaits the green light from the White House. They have offered medical teams, cash grants, and tents. None of it has been accepted.

The UN has also offered to take the burden off of the US State Department and organize the aid effort, but State has refused that offer.

The OAS stands ready to offer anything we ask for. We've asked for nothing.

WHO has offered the same. Our response has been the same.

The UN Commission for Refugees ... same offer, same response.

Nigeria wants to give 1 million dollars.

China has offered 5 million, divisions of its armed forces, and physicians.

Japan has offered 200,000 dollars, tents, blankets, and power generators.

India is offering 5 million, as well as any requested medicines.

Singapore offered helicopters. The Feds said no, and TX took them. TX National Guard is deploying the helicopters directly to NOLA.

South Korea will give us whatever we ask for. We've asked for nothing.

Afghanistan wants to give us 100,000.

Sri Lanka wants to give us 25,000

Taiwan wants to give us 3 million.

Canada's Navy is still on hold. That's rescue workers and supplies just being held at bay by mild threats of being attacked if they go against the Federal level refusal.

Cuba has offered 26 tons of medicine and 1,100 physicians. He has offered to send it to NOLA. Then he offered to send it to Houston. No acceptance.

Mexico is taking the "Canada route." They have 15 truckloads of water waiting at the border, with food and medical supplies. The Mexican navy has offered to send two ships, two helicopters and 15 amphibious vehicles. All waiting. No answer. 1 million dollars as well.

Venezuela is offering as much cheap fuel as we ask for. AS MUCH AS WE NEED TO FIX THIS MESS. No answer. Chavez also wants to send relief workers with supplies.

Australia's 10 million hasn't been accepted either.

The French are offering rescue teams, civil defense forces, tents, camp beds, generators, motor pumps, water treatment units and emergency kits, two CASA cargo aircraft, a ship (Batral Francis Garnier), the frigate Ventose with its Panther helicopter, and a hurricane disaster unit. France also has offered several aircraft. In addition, the NGO Telecoms Sans Frontieres, which specializes in restoring phone lines and Internet service in disasters, is ready to send a team of experts and equipment. Veolia Environment, which has facilities in Louisiana, has offered to make its local water management resources available. Nothing. Not a one of these has been given the green light.

Germany has offered a range of assistance, including medical and transportation services, water treatment capabilities and aid in searching for victims and supplies. Germany also has said it is ready and willing to "dip into its own emergency oil reserves" to release some 2 million barrels a day for 30 days. Someone try to convince me that Bush isn't trying to drive up the price of oil.

Italy has offered to send aid and evacuation specialists immediately, Italy's civil protection unit said. Authorities have prepared two military transport planes to fly amphibious vessels, pumps, generators, tents and personnel to New Orleans, Louisiana, and other areas. They were awaiting word from U.S. officials, the unit said.

The Netherlands will provide teams for inspecting dikes and for identifying victims if there is a formal request from the United States. It also will send a frigate from Curacao in the Netherlands Antilles to New Orleans shortly to provide emergency assistance, the Dutch government said.

Russia has offered to help with rescue efforts but is awaiting a reply from Washington.

Spain expects to receive a formal request to release gasoline stocks to the United States and is prepared to grant it, an Industry Ministry spokesman said.

Sweden's Rescue Authority said it was on standby to supply water purifying equipment, health care supplies and emergency shelters if needed.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said his country stands ready to help the United States in whatever way it can.

Qatar has offered the United States $100 million to assist in the humanitarian crisis triggered by Hurricane Katrina.

Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, will donate $5 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for hurricane victims.

Iran has offered to send humanitarian aid to hurricane victims.