Navy To Deliver Aid To Cyclone Victims

(AP)  The U.S. Navy prepared Friday to deliver much-needed food and medical supplies to hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis stricken by Cyclone Sidr, a top U.S. military commander said.

The arrival of the USS Kearsarge off the Bangladesh coast came as authorities and aid workers warned that the South Asian country faces acute food shortages after the devastating storm ravaged crops and destroyed infrastructure across a large swath of the country.

"We are here to help the people in their time of need," Adm. Timothy Keating, the top U.S. military commander in the Pacific Ocean, told reporters.

The first ship arrived Thursday and Keating said a second ship, the USS Essex, would arrive in the coming days.

About 300 members from a small Islamic group, Hizbut Tahrir, briefly demonstrated in Dhaka against the arrival of the ships, saying they were a threat to Bangladesh's security.

"Go back! We don't want the warships," shouted the protesters at the city's largest state-run mosque after Friday prayers. A contingent of riot police stopped them from pouring into the streets.

The U.S. ships are each carrying about 20 helicopters, which will help in delivering water, food and medical supplies to survivors in remote areas, U.S. officials said.

Officers from the Kearsarge spent most of Friday meeting with Bangladeshi military commanders to coordinate the operation, which will include a survey of the ravaged zone to pinpoint the neediest areas, U.S. officials said.

The delivery of relief supplies is expected to start Saturday, said Geeta Pasi, the top U.S. diplomat in Dhaka.

"We are excited to be able to respond to the immediate needs of the survivors," said Pasi.

U.S. medical teams have been distributing water purification tablets in the stricken zones to prevent outbreaks of waterborne diseases, Pasi added.

With many drinking water wells destroyed by the cyclone, the need for clean water was becoming critical to ward off cholera and severe diarrhea.

The government has pledged to feed more than two million people left destitute by the storm, which killed more than 3,000.

But since the Nov. 15 storm hit southwestern Bangladesh, officials and relief agencies have struggled to get desperately needed rice, drinking water and tents to remote villages cut off when rain and winds washed out roads.

The government has promised to distribute 33 pounds of rice per month to each of the estimated 2.5 million people in need, many of them in crowded relief camps, starting Dec. 1, said Tapan Chowdhoury, the government's adviser on food and disaster management. The program will last at least four months, he said.

Kelly Stevenson, the Bangladesh director of Save the Children, said the charity estimates that 50 to 90 percent of the region's rice crop has been destroyed, leaving up to 3 million people at risk of food shortages over the next six months.

Bangladesh has received pledges of international aid of $450 million, including $250 million from the World Bank, Food and Disaster Management secretary Mohammad Ayub Mia said Thursday after a meeting with donors.

But in the short term, aid workers were struggling to get supplies to the devastated coastal region, where shortages have led to fistfights among survivors.

"Thousands of families are facing the real possibility of a second wave of death that can result from lack of clean water, food, shelter and medical supplies," said Stevenson.

The official death toll stood at 3,199, said Lt. Col. Main Ullah Chowdhury, spokesman for the army. The Disaster Management Ministry said 1,724 people were missing and 28,188 people had been injured. It said the cyclone destroyed 458,804 houses and partially damaged another 665,529.

[johnstossel]

Refresh my memory. How much help did countries in Asia help us during Katrina?

[lastdance4]

CBS News comments is for
For Spammers only !

Post or Read Serious Comments - Go over to ABC News

Chronic ...Habitual...and Harassing - Spam
Brought to you by :
The Professional Qualities and Work Ethics of the
CBS News Management Team
Forever diligent in the Work Morals and Ethics of
Creating Chronic and Endless Spam

Produced By :

1) aka-GreatProphet ......2) aka-PeaceProphet
3) aka-MegaProphet ......4)aka-KJVProphet
5) aka-NextProphet.........6) aka-TrueProphet
7) aka-LAProphet............8) aka-NHProphet
9) aka-GoodProphet.......10) aka-EarlyProphet
11) aka-SageProphet.......12TruthProphet
13) aka-FairProphet

CBS Professional News Management Team - Spam
Throughout Each Day - Each Night - Every Day -
All Week long within most of the topics on
The CBS News Comments (Harassing Spam)

Stop Complaining - Go over to - ABC News (Comments) - Post There ! !
Leave this Low-Life - CBS News Management and Prophet
To wallow alone in the Muck they created Together
Both are deserving and Worthy of each Other ! !


Lastdance

[brianbwb-2009]

To libsluvsuvs

Some of us have noticed that many of your posts evince a similar hatred of the same groups that the Nazis hated, and oftentimes support the same tactics used against them to be applied to their descendants today. This logically makes such people no different from the Nazis, so it might be more honest and efficient for people who are of like mind with you to shed the pretense of promoting democracy and freedom, since the methods you support are actually antithetical to the concept of democracy and freedom.

[brianbwb-2009]

To libsluvsuvs

Some of us have noticed that many of your posts evince a similar hatre

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by libsluvsuvs

Your question is misguided, my point is that If I don''t lend my voice in opposition to the international criminals hiding behind their flags, along with their sucker supporters, then it will be too late when they come for me and mine.

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist.
Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.
Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.
Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Jude.
Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr,
der protestieren konnte.

-- Der Weg ins Freie, Martin NiemC6ller (F.M. Hellbach, Stuttgart, 1946)

Or for the linguistically challenged;

When the Nazis arrested the Communists,
I said nothing; I was not a Communist.
When they locked up the Social Democrats,
I said nothing; I was not a Social Democrat.
When they arrested the trade unionists,
I said nothing; I was not a trade unionist.
When they arrested the Jews,
I said nothing; I was not a Jew.
So when they arrested me,
There was no longer anyone who could protest.

[libsluvsuvs]

I would be more cautious when anti-american liberals starts ''caring'' about anybody..talking about hiding in disguise..YOU TELL ME..DO YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THESE PEOPLE or IS THIS SUCH A PRIME OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO PEDDLE YOUR ANTI-AMERICAN HATRED?

When a liberal offers to help there is always a hidden agenda..why dont we ask the noble prize winner MILLIONAIR BONO about what benefits him and his Live8 concerts..

[tbweb]

Any one that visits these comments section on CBSNEWS has probably seen the Ron Paul comments. To me this feels like they''re exploiting a loophole in the system and Ron Paul (and the people representing him) must think this is an ok way to do business. Personally, I think it''s dishonest and reflects poorly on Ron Paul''''s integrity.

Posted by itgrammy at 07:04 PM : Nov 23, 2007,,,

CBS has lost many BLOGGERS because of this a.s.s.hole Ron Paul SPAMMER! While I did not agree with many of their Post, I enjoyed reading the different points of view and actually miss them. Hopefully CBS will solve this Ron Paul SPAMMER and should start excluding their Post by IP Address instead of handle only, they will run out of IP Addresses before they will handles, just an idea!

[brianbwb-2009]

To Bangladesh

The same warning is given to you.

[brianbwb-2009]

"Navy To Deliver Aid To Cyclone Victims"

To Pakistan, be afraid, Be very afraid.

You are about to be invaded under the disguise of "aid" but soon you will notice an increasing pressure from "outside" to bend to the will of the US. Just when you are starting to address the corruption of your government, an even more corrupt regime will be imposed by fiat of the US.

Don''t fall for it. I realize aid is needed, but not at the cost you will pay if the US meddles further in your affairs.

[fairprophet]

A FOREIGN POLICY OF FREEDOM
All of the other presidential candidates want to continue our illegal police action in Iraq indefinitely, and they do not rule out a preemptive (nuclear) first strike against Iran. Conversely, Ron Paul voted against our (undeclared) war in Iraq, which was sold to us with lies. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies--the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. The war in Iraq has cost more than 3,500 American lives and almost a trillion dollars. We need a leader in the White House who will ensure this never happens again. Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have 750 foreign bases and troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft. We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing our borders against illegal aliens who are invading us from the South. No war should ever be fought without a Declaration of War voted upon by the Congress, as required by The Constitution. Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations. Too often, we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised.