Damage Looks Worse Than War, Powell Says

[Moloch]

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - Fresh dangers stalked efforts to help millions of tsunami victims on Wednesday as Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) voiced his shock at the devastation he saw touring the worst-hit areas in Indonesia.

"I have been in war and I have been through a number of hurricanes, tornadoes and other relief operations, but I have never seen anything like this," the former U.S. military chief said after flying down the ravaged northwest coast of Sumatra.

"I cannot begin to imagine the horror that went through families and all of the people who heard this noise coming and then had their lives snuffed out by this wave."

After his helicopter tour Powell left for Indonesia's capital Jakarta where U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) and other world leaders were arriving for a global relief summit on Thursday.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20050105/ts_nm/quake_dc

[leftchick]

1. Colin when is the last time you flew over Fallujah?

:eyes:

[dutchdoctor]

2. Fallujah no lnger exists

[bowens43]

3. Tell that to the families of the 100,000 dead Iraqis.....

Powell is a fucking idiot, every bit as evil and vile as bush.

[complain jane]

4. Rather glib (and always opportunistic) thing to say

[nine23]

5. Can't he just keep his mouth shut?

"I cannot begin to imagine the horror that went through families and all of the people who heard this noise coming and then had their lives snuffed out by this wave."

Sort of like the "wave" of helicopter gunships heard approaching "Anytown, Iraq" over the last two years?

[GoldenOldie]

6. And Where is Jeb? Anyone check Chang Mai?

[Florida_Geek]

7. neil gave him some phone numbers to try

and neil told him, if he was good a 12yo would show up for sex and not ask for any money.... :mad:

[ET Awful]

8. He's supervising a bake sale, after all, he did say that

bake sales like his granddaughters would pay for the damage.

[heidiho]

10. He probably stayed in Patpong

that's the biggest red light district in the world!

[damntexdem]

9. Maybe it does, but ...

the invasion of Iraq was a choice, whereas the tsunami was not. "It looks worse" doesn't get the Bushistas and their lap-dog, Powell, off the hook.

[GOPBasher]

15. Good point. nt

[The Stranger]

11. That's funny, the press is blacked out from showing the war.

Why not let the people decide which is worse. We know which one is billions of dollars of tax dollars cheaper, now don't we?

[murray hill farm]

13. That is for sure!!

Where i live, in Mexico, the only english news i can get here is CNN world...but it feels like a world news block here..it is 24/7 tsunami...well, maybe an hour of sports...and that is it...and it is repeat and repeat of the same footage of the tsunami. i know this is important coverage..for the world to know and see this damage, but isnt there a rest of the world out there?

[BonjourUSA]

12. This tsunami didn't do so many casualties than American wars in Iraq

It just was quicker

[leesa]

14. I'll bet he's jealous that the tsunami caused more death and

destruction than BushCo did in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Xipe Totec]

16. What a Vacuous, Self-Serving Thing To Say

He compares the devastation wrought by an earthquake, whose power was estimated to be greater than a thousand nuclear detonations, and says:

"Gee, this is worse than the damage done by the war in Iraq."

What does that mean? Does it mean that we didn't try hard enough? Should we go back and pound the rubble again?

:wtf:

[0007]

17. Those words were given to Powell by Jeb Bush who is very savvy.

[daleo]

18. I am sure the military is paying close attention to the damage

This is a great natural experiment for developers of weapons of mass destruction, and I have no doubt that it is being examined in great detail. And I don't mean some earthquake machine or other exotic weaponry - there is probably plenty there for developers of good old nuclear weapons to study.