U.S. Asks European Union and NATO for Emergency Aid

[cal04]

U.S. Asks European Union and NATO for Emergency Aid of Blankets, Food, Water Trucks

The United States has asked the European Union and NATO for emergency assistance, requesting blankets, first aid kits, water trucks and food for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the two organizations said Sunday. EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the 25-nation bloc was "ready to contribute to the U.S. efforts aimed at alleviating the humanitarian crisis" in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama - the states hardest hit by Katrina.

The 26-nation NATO alliance said it too had received a request for aid from Washington. The United States has asked for NATO relief support in the form of food rations for the thousands of people evacuated from New Orleans and other areas, the alliance said in a statement. It added that a liaison officer was being dispatched to Washington to work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "NATO stands ready to continue to support the United States as it recovers from this natural disaster," the alliance said.

NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center was coordinating the alliance's pledges to the American request. The European Commission said its aid coordination office would manage the aid from European countries and already has drafted a preliminary list of materials, team and equipment being pledged by EU member states.

It said U.S. authorities had requested 500,000 prepared meals, thousands of blankets, first aid kits and several water trucks to provide clean drinking water.
So far, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia Sweden, Spain and The Netherlands have pledged aid. "Specialist teams from several member states are on standby and ready for immediate deployment," the Commission said in a statement.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB3UK6B7DE.html

[Lindsay]

1. Yikes.

Who finally found a sliver of humanity in their soul?

[MADem]

31. Yikes, indeed--the Superpower with her hand out begging

Paper tiger, is what we look like. A big paper puppet tiger, and the puppeteer is a damn brain damaged monkey in a cowboy costume.

In the richest nation in the history of the world, we can't seem to manage to take care of our own with anything approaching competence.

I'm grateful for any help we can get, because clearly our government cannot do it on their miserable own, but I am also humiliated at having to ask.

The rich keep getting richer, the poor, poorer...and we are not taking care of our people.

[FourStarDemocrat]

40. I never thought I would see the day....

But at least they finally have the sense to ask. Something has to be done for the victims of this devastation. Clearly Bush's Homeland Insecurity and Fema are not up to this task.

[Imagevision]

43. who would you think, "they" is?? Cheney, Bush Sr.??

[President Kerry]

2. thank you Europe..

from a proud European expat

[bemildred]

3. Send plenty of French cheese. And wine. nt

[MADem]

32. With those key products, to the best of their abilities

those evacuated from NOLA can, if not laissez les bon temps roulez, at least look back fondly on those bon temps....

[bemildred]

39. True. The citizens of the Big Easy will know what to do with them. nt

[Imagevision]

42. betcha Bush hasn't been notofied of Cheney's move to ask for help

[bullimiami]

4. explain to me why the federal govt and fema doesnt have the resources

in place to take care of 1 hurricane?

1 fucking disaster and they are overwhelmed and they need help?
What did they do with the billions and billions?
The whole bush govt is a ponzi scheme.

[PJK]

7. Not just a hurricane

This is more than a hurricane or a didaster. This is the worst natural disaster to the hit the US, ever.

[salinen]

10. I don't understand how that can be

determined. Explain it to me.

[MADem]

36. Funny, I thought that was 911

When 911 happened, I didn't see a friken TV commercial for A WEEK. It was all 911, all the time...with appropriate sad music and video montages, and waving flags, so many flags they choked the screen, the streets, and were displayed on every lapel, car, truck, SUV, home...to the point that I thought it was Independence Day on steroids there, for awhile.

Here thousands are dead, an entire city looks like Atlantis, gas has gone up a buck or more in a nanosecond, and they are still breaking every ten minutes to try to sell me a Seal A Meal, a blow up bed, a hot tub, a car, You Bet Your Sweet Asspercreme, Nausea, Heartburn, Indigestion, Upset-Stomach, Diahrreah...you name it.

If this is the worst disaster ever, someone oughta alert the goddamn media...because the President sure isn't acting like it is. And with the exception of the cable newsers, who are starting to lose interest in round-the-clock coverage as they disperse the evacuees and start going into the Rhenquist death and Roberts nom, regular programming has not been substantially preempted.

And the chimp still hasn't gone to NOLA--the closest he got on the ground is Baton Rouge.

Too afraid, I guess.

[Lindacooks]

38. Partly natural disaster, partly Repuke caused disaster.

Remember, President Clinton 7 years ago started a program to strengthen the levees in New Orleans. Bush came in and stopped it. It would have been completed this last summer.

Fully 80% of the 'disaster' in this case was Bush's making.

[PSPS]

8. Rhetorical question?

The treasury has been emptied into the pockets of bush's cronies. The national guard has been absconded, turned into bush's private army of foreign conquest. The government and its agencies have either been dismantled or had their funding removed.

[barb162]

29. one hurricane with category 5 wave height

[yvr girl]

5. It's about fucking time

Canada is part of NATO too, and we're already on the ground. It took days for Bush to accept our offer of help - Bush's pride in America is more important than peoples' lives.

[Pirate Smile]

6. Countries offered rescue teams that could have been on the ground

within 24-48 hours - long before Bush/FEMA got any help there in significant numbers.

[Gregorian]

9. Sell the goddamned Crawford ranch!

If there is a sliver of justice left, he won't be needing it.

Between 9/11, the patriot act, and the nonresponse to New Orleans, this country is in ruins.

[Judi Lynn]

11. It's embarrassing that he has been such an asshole toward other countries.

He's been completely UNPRESIDENTIAL, crude, stupid, thoughtless, ignorant throughout his pResidency. He's fostered such hostility in his party toward furriners he got them all doing stupid things like renaming French Fries, and shaking their fists at Germany when they didn't lie down and roll over for them.

Wish we had someone with a little dignity to accept these helpful contributions to repairing and healing the battered storm victems and their town.

[IndianaGreen]

12. Cuba has offered 1,100 physicians and 26 tons of medical supplies

while Venezuela has offered gasoline to help the poor weather the high prices at the pump, yet Bush remains unmoved by these offers. What is wrong with this guy?

[FourStarDemocrat]

41. You'd think he's be thankful for an opportunity to make peace w/ Venezuela

After all, we're up to our necks with these oil prices. But unfortunately Bushco doesn't know a thing about diplomacy.

[peacetalksforall]

13. DU advisory team. In the days before Katrina hit, many DUers

were describing the horror that would be unleashed if NO flooded out. I remember reading Duers who supported their words to my satisfaction. These people sounded all warnings with sound logic.

It was the same in the months before the Invasion of Iraq by the United Corporations of America.

I think there are enough people on DU that the advice and knowledge sorted out from the statements made in jest, satire, cynicism, and fear could be weeded out and used for the good of the citizenry.

We certainly could have warned our Legislataors and Senators about the truth invoving Iraq. Duers knew what they (claim they) didn't know. If organized, perhaps the knowledge spread throughout DU could be used and acknowledged by right action.

I think someone from DU should serve on the Katrina Commission which this country must convene because we messed up big time.

It's time for right wing corporate media to really start pimping for their bosses partners.

[Moderator]

14. kick

[ECH1969]

15. Beleagued Bush forced to admit US is unable to cope

THE United States has asked the European Union and NATO for emergency assistance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina as salvage efforts in New Orleans and other cities begin to move from rescuing the living to recovering the dead.

Britain will send 500,000 military ration packs, the Ministry of Defence said yesterday, as Germany and Italy announced military shipments of their own. The 4,000-calorie British armed forces meal packs are designed to last one person one day, with foods ranging from Lancashire hotpot and chicken curry to fruit dumplings with custard and Yorkie bars.

The US requests for blankets, first-aid kits, water trucks and food underlined the continuing struggle by the world's richest nation to cope with the biggest natural disaster in its history.

The European response geared up rapidly yesterday. Both the European Commission and NATO, the 26-member military alliance, said they were co-ordinating European aid efforts after US requests to help the "humanitarian crisis" in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1891072005

[Lindacooks]

16. This is what happens when you gut the federal government.

Hope all you Bush lovers are happy!

BTW, did you learn this kind of behavior in church, you creepy right wingnuts?

[MADem]

33. Yeah, where is the crowing, simpering Grover Norquist?

He wanted to shrink the federal government down so it was small enough to drown in a bathtub (his metaphor). Well, it looks like it fucking drowned in "Lake George" which used to be called New Orleans...

[Nimrod]

17. I shouldn't laugh, but I can't help it

Here's a few billion free dollars for the robber barons to add to their piles... A few hundred billion for war... my mansion, my ranch, a new fleet of presidential helicopters and the most expensive inagural ball in history...

Oh crap. Hey, brother, could you spare a blanket? I seem to be temporarily light.

[melody]

27. it's not going to help the government, it's going to help the people

Louisiana was among the top donors in the south after the Asian tsunami. Surely her people deserve some consideration, no matter the nature of the monster we have in office.

[Gloria]

18. I posted this morning in LBN the AFP story that we will accept U.N.

aid...still meeting, but it looks almost certain. The same U.N. that Bolton wants to trash...

[kbm8795]

19. And here I thought he just told the American public

on Friday that we can cope with both the war in Iraq and a swift response to a domestic catastrophe.

[CoffeeCat]

20. Wow, this really spells out how devastating...

this hurricane was to our country.

It really puts a fine point on it.

I have to say--although I detest Junior with the seething, white-hot passion of a thousand burning suns--I am glad that he is accepting help from other nations.

It would be typical of him to be too proud and too cocky to accept help--while the people suffer. At least he's doing the right thing.

I think the man realizes that his ass his grass right now, and he can't afford any highly public stupid moves.

[TrogL]

21. What about Canada

Is the DART still sitting on the runway?

[caligirl]

22. America can't feed its own people now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Titanic mistake!

The President of Idaho and Utah now, George has no place left to seek a friendly crowd, accept maybe those in 1ST class.

[fooj]

23. Why is he asking for aid from EU and refusing it from others?

Why meal packs? They are cutting communication lines- refusing water and refusing thousands of volunteers...

Why the EU?

peace

[Buns_of_Fire]

24. Thank you, Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Estonia,...

...France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Finland, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, The Netherlands, EU, NATO, and many others. The PEOPLE of the United States humbly appreciate your kind generosity.

Now, if you'll only quarantine boosh* next time his comes for one of his visits...

[Stockholm]

25. Why do you always forget

Poland.

[melody]

28. I like this idea

Next time he's on a European visit, maybe you guys could do a trap door thing - give him miles of endless tunnels - lots of pretzels to eat. As dim as he is, he'll never find his way out.

Thanks, everyone - including Poland. And Canada. And all the other places we forget.

[leesa]

26. But, wait...isn't the UN obsolete??

And aren't those "old Europe" donors??

[MADem]

34. Is the UN onboard yet?

All of the original NATO partners are old Europe, but it has expanded, starting in the Clinton years, to add on eastern European partners.

I saw Kofi on the tube, but did not know if the UN was coming along for the adventure...

[barb162]

30. Shoulda asked last week, but what's new

[nookiemonster]

35. Thank you world. I guess the shoe's on the other foot.

We had it comin', complacency will do that.

As for Mr. Bush, your legacy will be one of shame and disgrace. God bless this union because of your reckless irresponsibility and disdain for your countrymen.

Mr. Bush, Hell has a special place reserved for you, be assured. History will show you as the corrupt motherfucker you are.

[NorthernSpy]

37. we're officially a charity case now -- Bush made us one!

Much as I am sincerely grateful to all those countries who care about our fate, I can't help but remember: once upon a time, America would have had the will to assemble the resources needed to cope with ANY catastrophe.

Nowadays, the rich must have their precious tax cuts, and so the supposed "superpower" goes around bumming aid money from others.

Farewell, pride!

[tom_paine]

44. Imperial Amerika is just another bankrupt, corrupt Third-World Nation

Sickening, but we have only ourselves to blame.

Did we really think we could give up our Free World System of Checks and Balances without the Third-World-ness trickling down on us?

New Orleans, I am sorry to say, is the wave of the future for Imperial Amerika.

When I think about Imperial Amerika, bankrupt in almsot every conceivable way, I think about something I heard a Used Car Salesman tell a bankrupt customer.

"You're so stiff, you couldn't finance a Hershey Bar."

[NNN0LHI]

45. We really are in deep shit ain't we? n/t