Africa Ebola Cuba has sent over 500 medical the US sent troops.

[Ichingcarpenter]

On Thursday, 165 health professionals from the country arrived in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to join the fight against Ebola – the largest medical team of any single foreign nation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). And after being trained to deal with Ebola, a further 296 Cuban doctors and nurses will go to Liberia and Guinea, the other two countries worst hit by the crisis.

Cuba is, by any measure, not a wealthy country. It had a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of slightly more than $68 billion in 2011, according to the World

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/10/04/in-the-medical-response-to-ebola-cuba-

is-punching-far-above-its-weight/

[valerief]

1. Cuba will help. The U.S. will shoot. nt

[cali]

38. no, they won't be shooting.

The U.S. is building hospitals and other facilities.

<snip>


■Multiple headquarters elements and units from the 36th Engineer Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas, and Fort Carson, Colorado.

■An element from the 1st Armored Division Aviation Brigade from Fort Bliss, Texas.

■An element from the 1st Medical Brigade of Fort Hood.

■A small element from the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, also of Fort Hood.

The U.S. military mission will include building 17 100-bed hospital facilities and a health care facility for infected physicians and health care workers.

<snip>

http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140930/NEWS08/309300063/U-S-troops-head-Africa-Ebola-mission

[Marrah_G]

2. Both are needed

The troops being sent are the ones that are experts in engineering, building and logistics. We aren't sending in the infantry for goodness sake. The military is more then just a war machine.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Yet the `US signed the 50 yrs trade embargo again

Both are needed yes, yet the US won't have a communication with the Cubans to coordinate resources for WORLD SAFETY.

[Marrah_G]

6. Our treatment of Cuba is ridiculous

It should have stopped decades ago. The fact that they extended it again is just absurd.

[whistler162]

29. And the Dodgers haven't moved

back to Brooklyn!

[pnwmom]

3. Give me a break. The US troops include medical and other essential personnel.

Why are engineers needed? Because one of the huge problems is biowaste, and how to transport contagious bodies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/10/03/u-s-military-force-fighting-ebola-virus-could-grow-to-4000-troops/

The soldiers from Fort Hood include 500 soldiers from the 1st Medical Brigade, the 36th Engineer Brigade and the 85th Civil Affairs Brigade, officials said. Fort Carson will send about 160 soldiers from the 4th Engineer Battalion, and Fort Bragg will deploy 120 soldiers for engineering and public affairs. The 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Command at Aberdeen will send 10 soldiers for laboratory work, and about 100 soldiers from Fort Benning, Fort Stewart and Fort Eustis will round out the force.

[CAG]

5. +1000

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. This isn't about USA's ego or Cuba's

but humanity

So go ahead a poo, poo Cuba's action.

[geek tragedy]

11. Only one country's actions re: ebola are being poo-poo'd and it's not Cuba's--see your headline nt

[CAG]

15. This is more about the unclear "the US sent troops" inference in the OP title

(what was the point of that if your just pointing out Cuba's humanity) and the first poster's reply about US troops are there to "shoot".

[pinboy3niner]

12. And their mission incudes building a hospital and other health facilities

Some 195 Defense Department personnel are already on the ground in West Africa, and over the weekend, the equipment for a 25-bed hospital and two mobile labs arrived in Monrovia, (Pentagon spokesman Navy Rear Adm. John) Kirby said.

“We expect the hospital to be operational by the middle of October,” he said.

http://www.fortcampbellcourier.com/news/article_68d50d32-4a7a-11e4-9137-b3c8c53a732d.html

[pnwmom]

13. Yes -- thanks. n/t

[geek tragedy]

7. not this stupid talking point again.

The US is sending field hospitals and logistics chains and supplies.

What Cuba is doing is praiseworthy.

The need to turn ebola into a Cold War pissing contest is rather pathetic.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. So you agree with the cold war embargo?

Obama just signed?

[geek tragedy]

10. No, and nothing I wrote supports that unfounded inference.

the embargo is a relic of the cold war and should disappear pronto, but due to domestic political reasons it persists.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. Obama's Cuban/American Political Necessity?

to appease who republicans?

Oh, that's right.... he might not get elected again.

Yet we have no diplomatic relations with people trying to help on the same goal.

[geek tragedy]

27. rw Cubans in Florida and New Jersey.

and political considerations influence the president even when he's not up for election.

it's systemic

[cali]

39. this is about humanity, remember? Not about U.S. policy vis a vis Cuba

suck as it does, it's not the topic. but what the fuck ever.

[pnwmom]

14. That has ZERO to do with your OP. Why not make an OP about that instead of this ridiculous one? n/t

[SickOfTheOnePct]

20. Thank you

I thought I must be missing something.

Both countries, the U.S. and Cuba, have something to offer, and both are offering it. Neither contribution should be denigrated.

[Ichingcarpenter]

21. USA..USA...USA

Listen... I think Obama is doing a good job now with the crisis and considering the shit he has to deal within his own cabinet.


African command is another matter.they are not Africa's friends

My African friends don't trust them either.

[pinboy3niner]

17. You should delete this, as that comparison is seriously distorted. nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

22. Alert me then... I won't

Its worth the debate and comparison on national priorities for the world.

[pinboy3niner]

28. It's a question of honesty and fairness

Characterizing Cuba's humanitarian aid as "medical" and U.S. military humanitarian aid as "troops" is misleading and intentionally deceptive. You're better than that, and this one is really beneath you.

[Ichingcarpenter]

31. I welcome your hate.

and welcome your defense of our economic and diplomatic priorities.

[pinboy3niner]

33. What, you couldn't think of a more inappropriate response?

[cali]

40. you are seriously embarrassing yourself.

You are blatantly putting words in the others mouths. You're twisting what folks are saying. It's a whole heap of ugly- and it's coming from you.

[Ichingcarpenter]

42. Just pointing out

the world out of balance
I have no shame..
and I'm ''ugly'........ .
.

[msanthrope]

25. It's astonding, isn't it? nt

[Skidmore]

18. There was a person on MHP this morning

who was talking about how she was charged with the task of getting volunteer medical staff to go to Africa to help with care and was only able to get commitments from in the area of 40 people here in this nation willing to go.

[pnwmom]

23. The US troops being sent include medical personnel. I'm not surprised that there weren't many

private volunteers, unfortunately.

And I doubt that most of the Cubans could be considered volunteers either.

[malaise]

19. Never forget that Cuban doctors reached Haiti after the big earthquake

long before the rest. Indeed I don't know what we'd do without Cuban medics across our region.

Thanks Cuba.

[msanthrope]

24. Holy Shit...do you not know military basics? The 3k we sent over

included our doctors, all medical personnel assisting, our public health personnel, our troops, and support units.

[cwydro]

26. Cuba has a great health care system.

Everyone is always bragging about ours. But I think our infant mortality rate is horrendous compared to many other countries.

Plus, Cuba takes care of their elderly.

[NuclearDem]

30. ...to build hospitals and facilities to help contain Ebola.

JFC.

[Cali_Democrat]

32. Can't we just be happy that various countries are helping?

Why make this out to be some kind of contest?

[Ichingcarpenter]

36. We need to break the old paradigms

to solve the world's critical problems .... Be it global climate change or the over use of military solutions vs a civilian corp to solve our planet's obvious dilemmas on economic and medical injustice.


I'm not seeing it yet with this country that spends mega billions on war.

[seveneyes]

34. Infantile metric

Not surprised it's an ignorant blog entry.

[Rex]

35. I didn't know Cuba was still a political dog whistle. What year is this again?

Seriously, this is not a game! We sent help, Cuba sent help...can't we just be happy that Cold War foes are working together? Some of the best medical professionals in the world are in the military.

Let's keep this in perspective and not make it political, please.

[Ichingcarpenter]

37. Cold War foes are working together?

You have proof of that statement? When the US refuses diplomatic relations. with Cuba?

All communications have to come through a third entity. How can that work together for a common goal in a crisis time stressed situation to allocate help when a house is burning down.?

[flamingdem]

41. Kudos to Cuba for stepping up so much

They have again and again done this for the world and especially for the poor.