One Of The Most Underreported Stories About Katrina
How the US ignored offers of assistance from foreign countries
"A new report reveals the US government turned down offers of help from across the globe in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, telling one diplomat "human assistance of any kind is not on our priorities list."
The report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington relies on a review of 25,000 documents obtained from the State Department. The report reveals the US was interested mostly in cash assistance and materials, rather than direct aid from foreign relief workers and doctors, after Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005.
"A review of the State Department documents reveals distressing ineptitude," CREW's executive director Melanie Sloan said in a prepared statement. "Countries were trying to donate desperately needed goods and services, but as a result of bureaucratic bungling and indifference, those most in need of these generous offers and of aid never received it."
Offers to help came from 145 countries and 12 international organizations. The US did accept help from its top allies around the globe, but CREW's report shows it left unclaimed hundreds of thousands of prepared meals, water pumps, doctors and medicine."
Katrina was the catalyst that prompted me to start doing this. The government's response to our human tragedy was off the scale; it was the most disgusting display of consummate ineptitude and indifference I'd ever seen. Words can't describe how putrid they acted. The entire government should have been removed at that point.
The scumbags refused direct humanitarian assistance for the suffering people of the Gulf while demanding things and money instead. They felt that pictures of foreign aid workers helping the victims were worse than allowing them to die.
I'll say that again - they felt that pictures of foreign aid workers helping the victims were worse than allowing them to die.
Just one example - Bush Fails to Act on Offer of 1,100 Cuban Doctors
"Hurricane victims from New Orleans desperately need medical attention, and there are not enough doctors available to meet all of their needs. However, the federal government has not yet accepted Cuba's offer to send 1,100 doctors with more than 20 tons of medicine.
The front page of the Saturday New York Times features a grim photo of elderly patients — some in critical condition — lying on conveyer belts and stretchers at the New Orleans airport. There is not a nurse, doctor, or hospital bed in sight. A Times article explains that more than 2,000 patients were evacuated there from hospitals, and many died while awaiting evacuation to another hospital. As a Saturday headline on WLBT-TV, Jackson read: “Many dying at airport for lack of medical care.”
"A new report reveals the US government turned down offers of help from across the globe in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, telling one diplomat "human assistance of any kind is not on our priorities list."
The report from Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington relies on a review of 25,000 documents obtained from the State Department. The report reveals the US was interested mostly in cash assistance and materials, rather than direct aid from foreign relief workers and doctors, after Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005.
"A review of the State Department documents reveals distressing ineptitude," CREW's executive director Melanie Sloan said in a prepared statement. "Countries were trying to donate desperately needed goods and services, but as a result of bureaucratic bungling and indifference, those most in need of these generous offers and of aid never received it."
Offers to help came from 145 countries and 12 international organizations. The US did accept help from its top allies around the globe, but CREW's report shows it left unclaimed hundreds of thousands of prepared meals, water pumps, doctors and medicine."
Katrina was the catalyst that prompted me to start doing this. The government's response to our human tragedy was off the scale; it was the most disgusting display of consummate ineptitude and indifference I'd ever seen. Words can't describe how putrid they acted. The entire government should have been removed at that point.
The scumbags refused direct humanitarian assistance for the suffering people of the Gulf while demanding things and money instead. They felt that pictures of foreign aid workers helping the victims were worse than allowing them to die.
I'll say that again - they felt that pictures of foreign aid workers helping the victims were worse than allowing them to die.
Just one example - Bush Fails to Act on Offer of 1,100 Cuban Doctors
"Hurricane victims from New Orleans desperately need medical attention, and there are not enough doctors available to meet all of their needs. However, the federal government has not yet accepted Cuba's offer to send 1,100 doctors with more than 20 tons of medicine.
The front page of the Saturday New York Times features a grim photo of elderly patients — some in critical condition — lying on conveyer belts and stretchers at the New Orleans airport. There is not a nurse, doctor, or hospital bed in sight. A Times article explains that more than 2,000 patients were evacuated there from hospitals, and many died while awaiting evacuation to another hospital. As a Saturday headline on WLBT-TV, Jackson read: “Many dying at airport for lack of medical care.”
posted by nolocontendere at 5:22 PM
3 Comments:
The Katrina response (or lack of) by the feds is a perfect example of how little they actually care about the American people and how much more they care about their own fat families. It is also obvious proof that the wrong people (war-party fascists) have taken control of all the most important federal executive offices.
Nick Z.
You're right, it exposed them for exactly what they are and it was a disgusting sight.
Wow your "stories" and grand amounts of wisdom are such a light in this dark time. Stop touching yourself behind your computer screen and do something about it.
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