God Bless the People of Qatar (and more)

[Drbio]

(CNN) -- The oil-rich nation of Qatar has offered the United States $100 million to assist in the humanitarian crisis triggered by Hurricane Katrina.

The state-run Qatar News Agency said Saturday that Qatar's emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, decided to contribute that amount for relief "and humanitarian supplies for the victims of this disaster."

The U.S. government has received offers of support from dozens of nations across the globe.

As of Friday, the White House had not accepted any offers, but Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the State Department was "working very closely with the Department of Homeland Security to match up what is available with what is needed."

There was no immediate word whether the United States would take Qatar up on its offer.

Other offers of aid and assistance have come in from countries around the world -- including from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, the four countries hardest-hit by the December 26 Asian tsunami.

The State Department said offers of help had been received from more than 50 countries, including:

Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

International organizations also offered help ranging from medical teams to tents to cash donations. They include NATO, the Organization of American States, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and the World Health Organization.

The United Nations has offered to help coordinate international relief.

State Department officials have not yet said if any of these offers -- beyond specific offers of cash to humanitarian organization -- have been accepted.

Following is a list of some of the aid offered by governments.

-- Sri Lanka has offered what it called a "token contribution" of $25,000 through the American Red Cross.

-- Mexico has offered $1 million and is sending 15 truckloads of water, food and medical supplies via Texas. The Mexican navy has offered to send two ships, two helicopters and 15 amphibious vehicles.

-- Australia is giving A$10 million ($7.6 million), most of it to the American Red Cross.

-- China has offered $5 million.

-- -- Germany has offered a wide range of assistance including evacuation by air, medical services, transportation services, water treatment capabilities, assistance in searching for victims, vaccination teams and supplies, and emergency shelter. Germany has also said it is ready and willing to "dip into its own emergency oil reserves" to release some 2 million barrels a day for 30 days.

-- France has offered mobile help from the French Antilles, which is relatively close to the affected regions, including a civil defense detachment of 35 people, tents, camp beds, generators, motor pumps, water treatment units and emergency kits, two CASA cargo aircraft, a ship (Batral Francis Garnier) and the frigate Ventose with its Panther helicopter, and a hurricane disaster unit (20 soldiers and 900 kg of specialized supplies and medical support).

-- France has also offered assistance from the French mainland including: one or two C-135 planes, one A-310 aircraft , and four C-160 Transalls, an airborne emergency unit. In addition, the NGO Telecoms Sans Frontieres, which specializes in restoring phone lines and Internet service in disasters, is ready to send a team of experts and equipment. Veolia Environment, which has facilities in Louisiana, has offered to make its local water management resources available to the American authorities or the Red Cross. It can also quickly send in a team of hydraulic experts.

-- Japan has offered to provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross. The government of Japan will identify needs in the affected regions through the U.S. government and, upon request, is ready to provide necessary and available emergency assistance supply amounting to up to $300,000 worth of items such as tents, blankets, power generators, portable water tanks and more from a supply depot maintained by the Japanese government in Florida.

-- Cuba's President Fidel Castro said on Friday his nation was ready to send 1,100 doctors and 26 tons of medicine and equipment.

Asia
AUSTRALIA: "We're going to provide A$10 million ($7.6 million) and the bulk of that money, if not all of it, will go to the American Red Cross," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. The Australian government said there may be up to 24 Australians trapped in Louisiana in the aftermath of Katrina.

CHINA: China offered $5 million in aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina which devastated the Gulf Coast ahead of President Hu Jintao's U.S. visit. If needed, the Chinese government is also prepared to send rescue workers, including medical experts, officials said.

JAPAN: Will provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Japan will also identify needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and will provide up to $300,000 in emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and power generators if it receives requests for such assistance, the ministry said.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces, responding to requests by the United States Texas Army National Guard, has sent three Chinook helicopters to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to help in relief efforts. The government said the Chinooks will help to ferry supplies and undertake airlift missions.

SOUTH KOREA: Has pledged aid and is waiting for a U.S. response, a government official said. "We have sent our intention to offer recovery aid," a Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.

SRI LANKA: Will donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

TAIWAN: Has pledged more than $3 million to the relief effort.

Americas
CANADA: Offered to help in any way it can and the navy is preparing a ship full of emergency disaster relief supplies to be sent when a request comes.

CUBA: Cuban President Fidel Castro offered to fly 1,100 doctors to Houston with 26 tonnes of medicine to treat disaster victims.

MEXICO: The country is sending 15 truckloads of water, food and medical supplies via Texas and the Mexican navy has offered to send two ships, two helicopters and 15 amphibious vehicles.

VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the United States, offered to send cheap fuel, humanitarian aid and relief workers to the disaster area.

Europe
EUROPEAN UNION: EU countries are ready to give the United States oil if it requests help, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Friday. But British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said this was not what the EU had in mind when it discussed how to help.

FRANCE: Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said France was ready to offer support, telling TF1 television: "We have rescue teams based in the Caribbean and we are naturally ready to provide aid to the Americans, and that is what we have told them."

GERMANY: Has offered mobile units to provide clean water, military hospital facilities and medical aid.

ITALY: Has offered to "immediately" send aid and evacuation specialists, Italy's civil protection unit said. Authorities have prepared two military transport planes to fly amphibious vessels, pumps, generators, tents and personnel to New Orleans and other areas. They were awaiting word from U.S. officials, the unit said.

NETHERLANDS: Will provide teams for inspecting dykes and for identifying victims if there is a formal request from the United States. It will also send a frigate from Curacao to New Orleans shortly to provide emergency assistance, the government said.

RUSSIA: Has offered to help with rescue efforts, but is still awaiting a reply from Washington. "Above all with heavy transport planes, which can be loaded with helicopters and generators -- as there is no electricity in the area of the catastrophe," Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said.

SPAIN: Expects to receive a formal request to release gasoline stocks to the United States and is prepared to grant it, an Industry Ministry spokesman said.

SWEDEN: The Rescue Authority said it was on stand-by to supply water purifying equipment, healthcare supplies and emergency shelters if needed.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said Britain stands ready to help the United States in whatever way it can.

Middle East
SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, will donate $5 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

[FishForLunch]

Have you noticed the leaches who get foreign aid from the US ie.. (Egypt and Pakistan are missing from the list). I think we should halt all foreign aid until New Orleans is rebuilt.

[Arne]

Originally posted by: FishForLunch
Have you noticed the leaches who get foreign aid from the US ie.. (Egypt and Pakistan are missing from the list). I think we should halt all foreign aid until New Orleans is rebuilt.

Have you ever noticed that a big, big part of the people on this planete have to handle a daily life without potable water?

But, alright, I'm out of here...

[Drbio]

We hope you can keep your word and leave Arne, but being french and all I don't have a lot of faith in your word. Of course, the french are pretty good at retreating so who knows?

[FishForLunch]

Losers like Arne want to hand out other peoples hard earned money to governments that have impoverished people, good luck if any of the money actually gets to needy without being looted. I know all about the 3rd world countries I came from one, free money will destroy peoples lifes, a loan will atleast make people a little more respnsible with the money.

I dont see what is wrong in helping our own citizens before helping ungrateful A..hole nations.

[Drbio]

God Bless Kuwait. They just donated 500 Million....yes...half a BILLION dollars to the US for Katrina aid and reconstruction.

Amazing.

[reeds]

DONT leave ARNE..its obvious you are one of the very few on this board with a brain..

The right wing nut jobs wont have anything to lie about if we all leave their sorry a***s.

[Drbio]

And take the forum tard reeds with you. He doesn't keep his word either.

[Arne]

Originally posted by: reeds
DONT leave ARNE..its obvious you are one of the very few on this board with a brain..

The right wing nut jobs wont have anything to lie about if we all leave their sorry a***s.

I just don't see why I should stay. These guys are ignorant as hell, they are not able to have a polite serious discussion. They use the name of a people as a curse-word, so they don't seem to be grown up in any way besides the fact that they can't be influenced by anything because they think they know it all and don't have to change a bit.

Fact is that America was econmically better off when Clinton was governing and it was eminently respected by most of the world. Nowadays there's a big deal of anti-americanism in every single country outside of the United States even though some governments followed America blindly into the war.

At least we don't have to endure the Republicans another term. I'm looking forward to posting in here again as soon as a democratic president will have taken over and will start to clean up what the contemporary government has messed up.

To set things clear, I'm not a frenchman, I'm not anti-American at all, I'm only anti-Bush and anti-what's going on right now in this country. I like the American people and I've got some very, very good friends in America. We Germans differ between the American people and the American government, which is something some people in here seem to be not able to do.

Posting in this forum is in no way progressiv and it won't change a thing for me, nor for any one of these ignorant posters. At least I know that there are other people in this country who actually feel sorry for people who live in third world countries, who actually know that not any war is getting us anywhere near peace. And that only diplomatic skills can secure our peace. My country does seem like it has finally realised that, because they just learned there lesson from the second world war. France has understood it as well and Switzerland realised it a long, long time ago. - It uses it's very, very capable Army only in order to secure there inner peace.

This post is only intended for reeds to read.

Oh and for all of you: Did you know that 40% of the people who have lived in New Orleans are illiterates? And did you know that Cuba has the smallest precentage of illiterates on this whole planete? If even Cuba can teach their people how to read, why can't the US do it...?

Bye, bye... I'm really looking forward to read all of those childish replies to my post.[img]i/expressions/thumbsup.gif[/img]

[Drbio]

Piss off frenchie. Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you. I told you he couldn't keep his word.

[Five-ofan]

the reason we have low literacy rates is because less people take the test for literacy in other places.

[MavKikiNYC]

Did you know that 40% of the people who have lived in New Orleans are illiterates?

This is factually wrong.

So wrong, in fact, that it calls the writer's own literacy skills into question.

[chumdawg]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC

This is factually wrong.

So wrong, in fact, that it calls the writer's own literacy skills into question.

Obviously the writer is literate.

But Arne, where does this come from? 40%?? I hope you can back yourself up here...

[mercury_rev]

Have you ever noticed that a big, big part of the people on this planete have to handle a daily life without potable water?

Arne, why do you think people in many nations don't have potable water? Is it due to: Bad luck? Lack of natural resources? Repressive governments that don't respect freedom of thought and property rights, thus preventing the most talented and hardworking of their citizens from meeting an economic demand through free and productive activity?

I'm a bit convinced the last element plays a major factor.

Or is it Republicans? Once those damn Republicans are gone, everything will be A-OK with the world?

Just wondering.

As for those literate Cubans, why doesn't Castro allow them the freedom to read texts that disagree with his ideology?