More on foreign response to the disaster in New Orleans:

[theweaselking]

As soon as he heard that Katrina was going to strike New Orleans, the head of state of the country in the Carribean *most* familiar with hurricane relief efforts sent a message to the US State department offering food, water, three full field hospitals and 1100 trained English-speaking doctors, to be delivered to the site of the US's choice as soon as the storm cleared. They would have been flown in and set up at the expense of this country, the closest foreign country to New Orleans. The offer was made on Monday, August 29th and arrived in Washington, hand-delivered, on the 30th. It was repeated two days later on the 1st with a promise of all this on the ground by noon on the 3rd if it was accepted.

It appears that nobody ever got around to answering Cuba's offer of help - and they were specifically NOT mentioned by the US when thanking people who offered help.

Comments

[sivi-volk.livejournal.com]

Cuba's got a rep in Africa and South & Central America for providing quality and timely medical assistance. They apparently do a good job of things.

But if the States won't accept help from it's own cities, let alone Canada or other allies, or even Venezuela, it's inconcievable that they'd accept help from Cuba.

It doesn't matter if people die - the government needs to save face.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Yeah. It's extra-bad, though, given their thanks for the offers excluding Cuba, AND given that Cuba said "Holy shit, you're going to need this. Where should we put it?" before anyone else did.

(And for those of you joining us from the peanut gallery, yes, I *do* consider Castro to be a far more credible source than the US State department, and will, in the absence of contradictory evidence, happily take his word over theirs about what he offered and when.)

re: Peanut gallery

[sivi-volk.livejournal.com]

It's funny that a communist dictatorship can be counted on to tell the truth over the State Dept., but that's the way things are these days.

Re: Peanut gallery

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

It's not that I particularly trust Castro. It's that I wouldn't believe the US State Department if they told me they were on fire right after I'd doused them in gasoline and shoved a road flare up their asses.

Re: Peanut gallery

[corruptedjasper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, like Castro didn't know it wasn't even going to be acknowledged. It still sounds like pure political posturing from his side to me, probably mostly for his domestic consumption.

Re: Peanut gallery

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

#1: Cuba's got a *great* rep for quality relief efforts

#2: The only way to find out if he was serious is to have accepted, and they didn't.

#3: Wouldn't just acknowledging the offer have *totally* ripped Castro's plan to shreds, then?

Re: Peanut gallery

[corruptedjasper.livejournal.com]

Does the US even recognise Castro as Cuba's head of state?

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

Like the US has admitted Cuba even exists since Castro took over. Personally, I'm more than in favor of recognizing Castro's govt. and initiating relations with Cuba, but for some reason, our wonderful govt. can't seem to get over something that happened 45 years ago.

[anton-p-nym.livejournal.com]

You can blame all the Batista relatives in Miami, if you like. I do. That one district can hold the foreign relations policy of an entire nation hostage is one reason I don't like the US electoral college system.

I find it ironic that Dubya, by his very inclinations, must now give Castro a slam-dunk propaganda victory both internationally and on the Cuban street. If he accepts, it gives Castro legitimacy. If he declines, he grants Castro's anti-American statements that much more credence. Which, of course, makes it harder, not easier, to displace Castro. Castro may be a S.O.B., but he's not stupid.

-- Steve thinks that the US State Dept. can make nice with Cuba if it can make nice with China and it's greater record for human rights abuse.

[dolston.livejournal.com]

I'd say I'm surprised but I'm not. The US will not accept help from people they consider the "Enemy". It just doesn't fit into the current administrations paradigm.

[jl-williams.livejournal.com]

True, though there were countless others that the US has publicly claimed 'friendly relations' with, whose offers for help were ignored, also. What about them?

I can understand not wanting to be seen taking help from a perceived enemy, but a friend?