Bush's political appointees don't know what to do with aid
- From: "Florida" <demeter547opine@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 9 Sep 2005 23:13:26 -0700
Offers Pour In, But the US Is Unprepared
By Joel Brinkley and Craig S. Smith
The New York Times
Thursday 08 September 2005
Washington - Generous offers of aid for Hurricane Katrina victims
are pouring in from scores of nations, but in many cases the United
States is unprepared to receive the goods.
As a result, the State Department is pressing countries that are
offering the use of helicopters, water purification equipment and
telecommunications gear, among other items, to provide cash or
ready-to-eat meals instead.
"The worst thing we could do, the worst thing, is to take things"
and "have them sit on the ground and not be utilized, to have something
rot," said Harry K. Thomas, the State Department's executive secretary,
who is coordinating with other governments. Many countries are being
told that the most useful donation is money, and some European
countries are bemused - or frustrated.
"There is a lot of stuff offered, but we are having a problem
getting it over," said Claes Thorson, a spokesman at the Swedish
Embassy in Washington.
Even with the difficulties, foreign aid is beginning to arrive at
or near the Gulf Coast, including ready-to-eat meals from Britain,
tents from France, first-aid kits and baby formula from Italy. All
told, the State Department said Wednesday, donations from 49 nations or
international organizations have been accepted - including $428 million
in cash.
The bulk of the cash came from three oil-rich Arab nations. Kuwait,
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates each offered $100 million.
The State Department says 95 countries, half of the world's
nations, have promised aid in one form or another. But the department
says the government is still evaluating many of the proposals to see if
they can actually be used. Among the nations that have pledged
assistance are several that receive significant American aid, including
Israel, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The United States is more accustomed to giving aid than receiving
it, and the Bush administration seemed to have trouble accepting the
role reversal, at least at first. Early last week, President Bush said
the United States could take care of itself.
"I do expect a lot of sympathy, and perhaps some will send cash
dollars," he said. "But this country is going to rise up and take care
of it."
As the size of the crisis became apparent, the view changed. But
the preparations to receive anything but the simplest forms of aid have
not caught up.
Mr. Thomas explained that the United States has no experience with
situations like this. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said
several times, "This is unprecedented."
Last weekend, the State Department sent urgent requests for
international aid through the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the
United Nations and the European Union. At the top of the list was cash.
Most of the other items requested were basic goods like food, water,
medical supplies and diapers.
When Sweden received the American request, it loaded a Hercules
C-130 transport plane with water purification equipment, emergency
power generators and components for a temporary cell-phone network. The
plane has been ready to take off since noon Saturday, but has not been
given clearance by Washington.
"We are still waiting for the green light," Victoria Forslund said
at the Foreign Ministry in Stockholm. Sean McCormack, the State
Department spokesman, said, "If there are any miscommunications on this
matter, we want to make it very clear we value their offer of
assistance."
Sweden is not the only country that has encountered a problem.
France, Germany, India and Taiwan, among others, are awaiting answers
to offers. The slow acceptance after the urgent request has only
increased the puzzlement of many countries. Mr. Thomas said embassy
officers in each country have tried to explain why the aid requests are
being handled as they are and insisted "every country has heard back
from us."
On Monday, only one plane bearing foreign aid arrived in Little
Rock, Ark., a staging area. On Tuesday, 11 planes arrived. Wednesday
and Thursday, more planes - from Britain, China, France, Russia, Spain
and Israel - are due.
As Europe prepares more supplies, officials say they are beginning
to wonder whether the aid is really needed or will ever be used.
"That's our preoccupation right now," said Barbara Helfferich, a
spokeswoman for the executive branch of the European Union.
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