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Message |
    
emmie
Supporter
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 403
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 10:19 pm: | 
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I have been observing the countries donating to the tragic Tsunami victims, however, it is interesting that I have not seen or read about other very wealthy countries and their donations. What exactly is Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, etc. donating to the relief efforts, if anything?
It seems like there is a lot bashing the U.S. for not contributing enough assistance, but I have seen no reference to the above countries.
Maybe I missed something? |
argon_smythe
Citizen
Username: Argon_smythe
Post Number: 481
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 10:48 pm: |
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This is old already (Dec 29) but gives a snapshot view of initial response from various governments.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L28593949.htm
Some of the countries you mention are in there, some are not.
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emmie
Supporter
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 404
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 10:58 pm: |
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Sorry to post something so old, I was at Cape Cod until New Years, and have not had the chance to "examine" MOL and its' postings. Too late to delite this insignifanct post. |
Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 1489
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:03 pm: |
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Emmie - I think he's just saying the link is old. Your post is certainly not insignificant.
As far as the middle east is concerned - I know Israel has sent disaster relief crews, army engineering crews and search and rescue groups. Unfortunately, they have a lot of experience excavating disaster areas and recovering bodies. |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12885
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:04 pm: |
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And just as unfortunately, Sri Lanka demanded that the Israelis change the makeup of their team before they'd accept the help.
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Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 1490
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:09 pm: |
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Really? Any details? |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12886
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:13 pm: |
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http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=11032&cid=1&cname=Media |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12887
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:18 pm: |
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And while we're at it, here is a rather interesting point of view on aid to the region.
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/article4060.html
(BTW, I don't know anything about the author or the organization, it just popped up when I did a google search on the Sri Lanka story)
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emmie
Supporter
Username: Emmie
Post Number: 405
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:21 pm: |
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Last I heard, Sri Lanka was not going to accept any help from Israel. Israel has absolutly been involved in the donating process.
What demands are being made?
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Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4884
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:29 pm: |
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Telling desperate people they should agree to a set of rules before you help them isn't really very helpful. Who has time for diplomacy when corpses are rotting in your streets and people are homeless. |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12888
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:33 pm: |
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It wasn't the Israelis who set the rules Dave. |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4885
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:36 pm: |
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Actually, no one really knows who set the rules, according to this story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4130599.stm
Obviously whenever Israel involves itself with nations that have Muslim populations there are going to be sensitivities. |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12889
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:40 pm: |
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Sri Lanka set the rules.
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Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4887
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:48 pm: |
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Perhaps. Sri Lanka is covered in corpses. They get to set the rules. Keeping Buddhists and Hindus at peace is enough work, so Sri Lanka certainly didn't need to irk their minority Muslim population with gun toting Israeli soldiers.
My guess is that Bush got on the horn and informed Israel they would be sending help in other ways. |
sbenois
Citizen
Username: Sbenois
Post Number: 12890
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:53 pm: |
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I'm glad that you've decided that they were (undoubtedly) "gun-toting" Israeli soldiers.
Why I wouldn't be surprised if those Israeli fiends were secretly preparing an invasion while everyone else was looking for dead bodies.
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Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4889
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2005 - 11:56 pm: |
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Do you seriously believe that's why Sri Lankan leaders don't want it?
(Note: I'm asking because I don't know) |
Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 1492
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 8:02 am: |
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Dave - I'm kind of at a loss here...help me out.
1) I read the BBC link you provided in its entirety. It seemed you were presenting evidence of Israeli pre-conditions and "rules", yet the linked article contained absolutely none. All it said was that diplomatic ties were relatively new, and that the Sri Lankan government objected to the military composition of the delegation.
2) What makes you think 'gun-toting Israeli soldiers'? It's not a military operation. |
Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7141
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 8:12 am: |
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I am pretty sure that our Marines are armed when they go boots to the ground in Sri-Lanka and Indonesia, both of which have really nasty insurgencies going on. The Israeli's are good at search and rescue and would have been very useful.
One way or another militaries have the manpower and the discipline to get things done in this type of disaster.
Sbenois' article is a little out of date. Hollywood is coming through. Karen Bullock is donating $1,000,000 personally to the Red Cross and Leonardo Di Capria (sp) has made a "substantial" donation.
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ashear
Supporter
Username: Ashear
Post Number: 1618
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 10:01 am: |
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There is an article in todays Times about donations from gulf states. They seem to have had a similar internal debate that happened here, with an initial small contribution jacked up after the public said it was too small, though for the money these countries have it still seems small.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/international/worldspecial4/04arab.html
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Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 1607
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 10:19 am: |
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This situation regarding Israel is just plain sad. It looks like they are bending over backwards to try and help and politics and predjudice are getting in the way. It's like that old saying:
"No good deed goes unpunished". |
Ukealalio
Citizen
Username: Ukealalio
Post Number: 1608
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 10:23 am: |
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We should all remember that when Turkey had their earthquakes, Israel offered an incredible ammount of help. Turkey is also a Muslim country, it doesn't have to be like this. |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4892
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 10:37 am: |
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Debby,
My point was to point out the uncertainty in where the rules came from. From that story:
quote:Neither side has officially explained the change of plan, although some reports say the objection came from Sri Lanka's military.
It all appears to be rather overplayed at this point. 150 troops were initially planned and 50 ended up going. If the "reports" are correct, my gut feeling is that this is about (misplaced) pride on the part of the Sri Lankan military and sensitivities that come with being a post-colonial nation, perhaps. |
Cubeless
Citizen
Username: Cubey
Post Number: 114
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 11:23 am: |
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This listing was published on CNN this morning:
Following is a list of monetary contributions pledged by governments and the World Bank to help Indian Ocean nations hit by the December 26 earthquake and tsunami, compiled from reports by Reuters bureaus and U.N. agencies:
(Million dollars)
African Union 0.10
Algeria 2.00
Australia 46.48
Austria 2.72
Bahrain 2.00
Britain 96.00
Bulgaria 0.14
Canada 33.00
China 60.42
Denmark 54.88
EU 40.81
Finland 6.12
France 56.18
Germany 27.21
Hungary 0.27
Ireland 13.62
Italy 95.00
Japan 500.00
Kuwait 10.00
Libya 2.00
Netherlands 34.00
New Zealand 3.60
Norway 180.00
Poland 1.00
Portugal 10.88
Qatar 25.00
Saudi Arabia 10.00
Singapore 3.10
Slovakia 0.23
Slovenia 0.11
South Korea 5.00
Spain 68.02
Sweden 80.00
Switzerland 23.81
Taiwan 5.25
Turkey 1.25
UAE 2.00
USA 350.00
Venezuela 2.00
World Bank 250.00
TOTAL: 1,940.73
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Chris Prenovost
Citizen
Username: Chris_prenovost
Post Number: 213
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 11:45 am: |
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Wow. . . those oil rich, cash soaked Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Libya were really generous. |
Mustt_mustt
Citizen
Username: Mustt_mustt
Post Number: 186
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 12:07 pm: |
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Sri Lanka did not refuse aid from Israel. What they objected to was the presence of military personnel in the Israeli delegation. I am not sure whether that got sorted out.
On another note, Kuwait whose economy is so much dependent on labor from South Asian and SE Asian nations, was lambasted by its own press for its stinginess.Apparently, the maids, servants,nannies and cooks who raise Kuwaiti children are being given a chance to call their loved ones at home. Thank you very much, Kuwait, for that very generous gesture. |
Dave
Moderator
Username: Dave
Post Number: 4893
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 12:22 pm: |
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Amazing how much dough the Japanese can afford to give to help (especially in their decade-long recession). Apparently there's a lot of money in not building bombs. |
Debby
Citizen
Username: Debby
Post Number: 1493
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 2:01 pm: |
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Saudi Arabia gave LESS than Portugal?! |
Earlster
Supporter
Username: Earlster
Post Number: 820
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 2:11 pm: |
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Germany just upped their contribution to $500 million. |
Phenixrising
Citizen
Username: Phenixrising
Post Number: 267
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 2:26 pm: |
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Seems Germany has upped the ante!
Tsunami Relief Donations Top $3 Billion
World - AP Asia
By MICHAEL CASEY, Associated Press Writer
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Australia committed $764 million Wednesday to help Indonesia recover from the tsunami disaster, becoming the largest relief donor hours after Germany increased its aid to $674 million as the second-biggest contributor.
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Bobkat
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 7146
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 2:34 pm: |
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This looks like one of those high stake poker games on ESPN. "OK, I will call your $300,000,000 and raise you another $150,000,000. 
In the end I wonder how much actually will be donated. |
gozerbrown
Citizen
Username: Gozerbrown
Post Number: 587
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 3:18 pm: |
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I will probably take a lot of flak for saying this, but I'm getting kind of tired of the competition going on between people/celebrities/countries, etc. about so-so should have given more and so on. I was thinking before it's like the Jerry Lewis telethon tote board, but Bobk hit it on the head when he said it's like the poker games. |
Mustt_mustt
Citizen
Username: Mustt_mustt
Post Number: 188
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 - 4:37 pm: |
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A lot of this giving also has to do with geopolitics.....
The Times of India
WASHINGTON: India's geo-strategic ambition and importance may have been recognized in one epiphanic instant that occurred in front of a map spread out before three American presidents at the Indian Embassy in Washington on Monday.
India's ambassador Ronen Sen was explaining to George Bush, Bush Sr and Bill Clinton how the tsunami raced towards India when there was a pause and a raised eyebrow. The Indian island territory of Andaman and Nicobar was closer to Indonesia than India?
Indeed, Sen explained, the southern most tip of Nicobar Island called Indira Point was almost 1000 miles from the Indian coast and a mere 60 nautical miles from the epicenter of the earthquake just off the Indonesian coast.
In that pivotal instant, New Delhi may have driven home its strategic range, reach and ambition that for most part has escaped major powers and leaders of the world, including a geographically accomplished president like Bill Clinton.
As major powers of the world summon their financial and military might to help the victims, New Delhi has put its own imprint on the region in the wake of the tragedy.
While some may find talk of geo-strategy repugnant in the face of the disaster, western analysts are following every move by the US and Asian powers in the region. Several commentaries have spoken of which country is outmaneuvering the other.
For instance, it has been noted that Japan, with a $ 500 million aid package, has outshone both the United States ($ 350 million), and China, which committed only $ 63 million despite its higher military stakes in the region. India has always been sniffy about Chinese presence in the area.
India's aid of $ 23 million rushed to Sri Lanka within hours of the disaster has also been noticed, along with the deployment of what is now being seen as the most potent navy in the Indian Ocean. New Delhi has dispatched three survey ships converted to hospitals-at-sea – one to Nicobar, one to Sri Lanka, and one to Bandar Aceh in Indonesia |
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