Posted on 12/31/2004 1:07:02 AM PST by advance_copy
WASHINGTON, Dec. 30, 2004 The U.S. Joint Task Force set up to provide assistance to the nations affected by last weekends Indian Ocean tsunami is up and running, and Marine assessment teams have started to report their findings.
More than 115,000 people are estimated to have died in the tsunamis that struck on Christmas. U.S. forces are in the region to help the affected nations in whatever needs to be done.
The United States will deliver as much help as soon as we can, as long as were needed, said Navy Capt. Roger Welch, chief of U.S. Pacific Commands Joint Interagency Coordination Group in Hawaii.
U.S. ships and personnel are converging on the affected areas. Nine P-3 Orions are helping with aerial reconnaissance, 10 C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft are in the area and already have started delivering supplies, and three teams - in Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka - are helping local authorities with disaster assessments.
Eight pre-positioning systems are coming from Guam and Diego Garcia to deliver supplies to the hardest-hit areas. These ships contain 450,000 gallons of water and the capability of making 90,000 gallons of fresh water each day.
The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battle Group is transiting through the Straits of Malacca now and will take up a position off the coast of Sumatra. The group will be well placed to provide support to the Indonesian province of Aceh. The Lincoln group will be there Dec. 31, said Navy officials.
The USS Bonhomme Richard Marine Strike Group left Guam and is sailing for a position off Sri Lanka. That group should arrive in a week, officials said.
The scope of the disaster is almost beyond comprehension, officials said. A 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia destroyed buildings in nearby Aceh and also loosed tsunamis that struck Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, India, Malaysia, the Maldives and Somalia. The coastal areas of these nations have been wiped out, and water and aid are necessary to prevent more deaths.
Welch said getting an accurate assessment is key. Some of these areas are remote, Welch said during a teleconference call. We have to go out and surveille - thats what the P-3s are doing, as well as some of the helicopters (off the Abraham Lincoln Battle Group).
The U.S. effort is in support of the local authorities. These are sovereign nations, Pentagon officials said. The United States is not there to take over the rescue or relief effort, an official said. We are there to provide whatever help they decide they need.
Joint Task Force 536, formed specifically for the relief effort, is running at Utapao, Thailand.
Welch said fresh water seems to be the first need in the affected regions. People are drinking contaminated water, he said. The countries also need food, medical supplies, heavy equipment, trucks and building supplies. Much of this will be available from the pre-positioned ships, officials said.
This is classic Bush; the press and the UN dogged him about not doing anything, so he came out with a plan that runs the entire thing.
Remember when they ragged him about going to the UN to get permission about Iraq? Remember how he laid the UN low and practically waved a red flag in their faces??
Well, they certainly can't say he didn't warn them, can they?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1311424/posts
Tsunami must be fault of the US
The Australian ^ | 31st December 2004 | Gerard Baker
It just goes on and on.
But that's not Bush or Powell's style. Do the right thing, and it will show that they don't do the right thing.
Powell and Jeb will be in the Indian Ocean before Kofi decides the shape of the table for his meeting next week.
I am VERY proud of that reporter who asked Kofi about why he didn't cut short his ski vacation. HA!
George Bush was the FIRST person to call the heads of these involved states; on Sunday; but, of course, since he didn't drag himself in front of THEIR microphones, the press doesn't count that.
Typical vilificaion of positive actions by the bureaucrats.
They were pontificating about Jeb being sent as grooming for the Bush dynasty and tut tutting on Fox..
.No one seemed to recall he has experience and just dealt with horrific hurricane damage to Florida!
I would never have had that information without FR. I am SO grateful to Jim Robinson for this site!
I am quite tired of certain commentators seeing everything through the prism of politics.
Aren't we all!
As usual, we will contribute the most and likely be hated the most for it....
I have come to expect it...Sometimes I hoot at it, sometimes it angers me...most times it doesn't bother me a great deal..
The wrong facts and bias against this nation by our own media and our own citizens does disturb me.
Has anyone read a single article detailing ANYTHING the UN has done to date to actually help the victims?
As far as I can tell, they've held meetings while we are actually doing all the work.
If all they do is hold meetings, rather than fleecing the victims blind, I'll be happy.
I think this is why the president formed the coalition - to keep the UN away from the $$.
If they are allowed to touch one dime of the relief money, I'll be very ticked off because, as you said, they'll be stealing left and right.
Rummy is bad and we are "stingy". This don't fit in the CNN/CNNi/foreign media agenda so it won't be sold to the global public which wants to hear about "imperialism", "Blood for oil", and American "stingyness".
Truth is, before all is said we'll have done more than anyone else. The libs will spin it as if we wanted to do nothing and the NYT will make it seem like it was thier doing that the government acted. "All that negative press you know? It forced Bush's hand to help these people"
Red6
Yeah...
When the heat is external, I am happy...when it comes from the inside, it makes me worry....
#33 takes the UN to task.
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