It has come to our attention that the tiny state of Israel is doing yeoman’s work in the tsunami disaster effort. Unfortunately, very few people would have heard this, for you have not reported it! You and your colleagues received a press release (Dec 27) to this effect. Where are your reports? This is not looking good.
Ms Guerin, since you are a lover of truth, please note the following points from a website you are sure to love.
* The Israeli organization Latet (‘To Give’) filled a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies.
* A medical team headed by four doctors from Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday night (Dec. 27), carrying medicine and baby food. The doctors specialize in rescue operations, trauma and pediatrics.
* An IDF rescue team is now on its way to Sri Lanka with 80 tons of aid material, including 10,000 blankets, tents, nylon sheeting and water containers, all contributed by the IDF.
* A ZAKA rescue-and-recovery team arrived in the disaster areas Monday night, armed with its specialized equipment for identifying bodies.
* A Health Ministry contingent left for Thailand on Monday night to aid in rescue efforts. The group includes doctors, nurses and four members of the IDF.
* Israel has also offered its assistance to India — a search-and-rescue team from the Home Front Command, as well as consignments of food and medicine.
Since the BBC website features an article which gives an incomplete picture [Tsunami Aid:Who’s giving what], maybe you or Barbara could try and get with it and simply report the news,…even if it goes against the grain. Oh, and one more thing, with your colleagues carping about the slow US response, wouldn’t it be a refreshing contrast to mention how quick off the block the Israelis have been in response to this disaster.
UPDATE: In fairness to the Beeb, on 28 December they did report the cancellation of the IDF team offered to Sri Lanka, apparently refused by the Sri Lankan government. Thanks to “Anon” in comments.
Hat tip: FrontPageMag.com
Slightly OT, but over the weekend some papers, though not the BBC, reported that Indonesia was refusing to allow IDF personnel entry.
Some mistake surely …
I actually heard a BBC radio report this morning that noted how the US was leading the aid effort in one part of the region.
Heads will roll for that one!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4130599.stm
Israel’s aid effort, although magnificent, doesn’t really put it amongst the ‘headline donors’ – understandably as it is a comparatively small country with a comparatively small amount of it’s citizens directly affected. Hence the lack of media coverage.
Whilst the perpetual mudslinging from all sides on this one is pretty nauseating it has the benefit of pushing people into various feats of one-upmanship and keeping the cash rolling. Long may it continue!
cockney unfortunatly it is all politcal grandstanding from politicians being more “generous” with other poeples money.
To be truly generous, you have to allow people the opportunity to give and that means having spare cash and that means tax cuts.
Rob:
They also need to believe in the limitations of government to be compelled to do something. When one is convinced of the absolute benevolence and trustworthyness of the nanny state, then one ends up believing that ones’ actions don’t matter.
Hey,
Here is a tidbit about the UN that you might want to read over and comment on.
This is my post
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
BBC’s Newsnight e-mail for January 5
contains this unbelievable tidbit:
And is America a power for good or ill in the world? Following the
tsunami conspiracy, rumours have been circulating on the internet of how
the US base at Diego Garcia managed to avoid casualties while those on
neighbouring islands suffered huge losses.
Was there a malign hand at work, or has America’s role in the crisis in
fact been a model of humanitarian leadership.
Perhaps the US base at Diego Garcia actually received and heeded the pre-tsunami warnings from NOAA and took appropriate measures, and assumed that others were doing the same?
So now we are to be damned on the basis of Internet rumors?
Jeez, they have zero journalistic standards. The Beeb is unreal.
The Beeb, in fact, is no different from Soviet-era media in its willingness to foment anti-American fervor. This is the kind of “story” that Tass would have picked up and “reported.”
When they suggested that stuff about diego garcia on talking point, i managed to google the information and e-mail it to them while the question was still pregnant.
Everything one needed to know about it came up on the 1st set of returned hits. In fact I did it on a Smartphone while driving.
From the official US Navy homepage for Diego Garcia:
“Favorable ocean topography minimized the tsunami’s impact on the atoll. Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago, situated on the southernmost part of the Chagos-Laccadive Ridge. To the east lies the Chagos Trench, a 400 mile long, underwater canyon that ranges in depth from less than 1,00 meters below the surface to depths that plunge to over 5,000 meters. It is one of the deepest regions of the Indian Ocean.
Diego Garcia is located to the west of Chagos Trench, which runs north and south. The depth of the Chagos Trench and grade to the shores does not allow for tsunamis to build before passing the atoll. The result of the earthquake was seen as a tidal surge estimated at six feet.”
Sounds reasonable to me.
Whoops forgot the link:
http://www.dg.navy.mil/
Did the Beeb-reported “rumors” mention that Diego Garcia is also a British military installation as well? Were the Brits in on the secret conspiracy to hide the tsunami from the hapless brown Third Worlders?
Inquiring minds want to know.
Susan, David Sells’ piece on Newsnight rubbished the conspiracy theories and concluded with a scathing dig at Chirac.
Sells’ report was a refreshing critique of Anti-Americanism. It’s a shame it was not on the Beebs main news.
Clearly, the BBC staffer who wrote the email put his/her own spin on Sells’ report.
The report was followed by a discussion with David Aaronovich and George Monbiot.
Whenever Monbiot was pressed to acknowledge American generosity, he had the sudden urge to mention other countries that had helped.
I wonder, how much have the “Muslim brothers” (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, etc) given?
Trust the BBC to give a platform to a moonbat like Monbiot.
Saudi has now committed $30 million. Big deal.
Clearly, Michael Schumacher’s $10 million forced Saudi Arabia to dig deep.
One racing car driver managed to equal one of the richest nations on Earth!
Oh give the Saudis a break, Zev. They’ve got suicide bombers’ survivors to support, you know!!!
Interestingly according to Christian Science Monitor India and some of the other affected countries are turning down foreign aid – probably for much the same reasons Teddy Roosevelt did roughly a century ago. They’re tired of being regarded as international basket cases – more power to them!
Speaking of India, if you’d like to donate to a worthy Indian institution doing frontline relief work visit the following sites for the Christian Medical College at Vellore, India.
http://cmch-vellore.edu/
http://www.vellorecmc.org
The second link has a secure link for online credit card donations. I don’t think they would be able to put funds to immediate use. Everyone, regardless of political or religious persuasion, is welcome to contribute!
Correction: I know they would be able to put funds to immediate use!
Three cheers for Kerry Buttram on facts about Israeli aid.
“Crybaby” Plett et al should take note also before they slag off the US. Let them ask who is the first off the mark when disasters strike world-wide. Who was scoffing food from the US in the UK and the rest of Europe after the horrors of WW2? Which countries were excused most of their war debts to the US? Oh yeah, one other thing — who rushed to the aid of Floridians after the hurricanes, or to San Franciscans after the earthquakes, or to Midwesterners after floods and tornados?
And where is the wealth of the Arab world in the wake of the earthquake wave? I rest my case.
BK
I don’t notice any left-wing terrorist huggers with the courage to refute my last blurb, above. Where is the beeb when the truth slaps it in the face?
Burt
i suggest you do your research a bit better. it was widely reported on News 24 and see this. i thought you were supposed to be journalists? this was posted before the new year and took me all of 10 seconds to find.