Another U.S. embarassment: most of $850 million in foreign aid for Katrina went nowhere
Former presidential confidante Karen Hughes sends a cable msg from her State Department office to U.S. ambassadors worldwide.
Titled "Echo-Chamber Message" -- a public relations term for talking points designed to be repeated again and again -- the Sept. 7, 2005, directive was unmistakable: Assure the scores of countries that had pledged or donated aid at the height of the disaster that their largesse had provided Americans "practical help and moral support" and "highlight the concrete benefits hurricane victims are receiving."
However, most of the U.S. diplomats knew the truth. The government was actually turning down many allies' offers of manpower, supplies, and expertise worth untold millions of dollars. Over $854 million was offered in cash and in oil, but only $40 MILLION has been used so far.
Most of aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. Some offers were withdrawn or redirected to the Red Cross. The rest have been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent.
Wow, so much "confidence" in our federal government to respond to a national disaster.
One example included telling Italy that their shipments of medicine, gauze, and other medical supplies were spoiled.
Greece offered to send two cruise ships to act as free hotels or hospitals, but U.S. rescinded the offer, and instead paid $249 million to use Carnival Cruise Lines vessels.
Overall, the great and almighty powerful United States of America declined 54 of 77 recorded aid offers from three of its most strongest allies: Canada, Britain, and Israel.
If this keeps up, I would expect an aid check about 3-4 years later, and who knows, my destroyed home would have been gone, moved somewhere else, and I will be sitting somewhere in Ohio, and suddenly, a postal carrier would drop off a letter with a government check dated 3-4 years ago. Ha Ha, not impressed at all.
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