U.S. May Give Up On Aid To Myanmar
Secretary Gates Says Junta's Refusal Of Help For Cyclone Victims Amounts To "Criminal Neglect"
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Photo
A CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter performs deck-landing qualifications aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry, part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group standing by in international waters off the coast of Myanmar supporting Joint Task Force Caring Response, a humanitarian assistance operation developed in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. (U.S. Navy/Michael D. Kennedy)
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Video
Aid Worker Describes Myanmar
When the first planeload of medical supplies sent by U.S. aid organization Americares was finally allowed to land, aid worker Ella Gudwin described the crisis in Myanmar.
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Video
U.N. Chief Reaches Myanmar
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Myanmar, where he will visit the region devastated by Cyclone Nargis. He also asked the ruling junta to let in more aid workers. Allen Pizzey reports.
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Video
Myanmar's Junta Resists Relief
Some cyclone victims in Myanmar are getting relief aid, but many are still not being helped. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is in the region to survey the devastation. Allen Pizzey reports.
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Photo Essay
Feeding Myanmar's Hungry
With aid slow to arrive, local donors try to fill the void.
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Photo Essay
Left In Cyclone's Wake
Countless people in Myanmar left homeless by deadly storm.
As a result, he said many more people will die, particularly those in areas that can only be reached by helicopters, such as those sitting idle on the U.S. ships.
Asked if the military junta there is guilty of genocide, Gates said, "I tend to see genocide more as a purposeful elimination of people; is is more akin, in my view, to criminal neglect."
Speaking to reporters at the close of an international security conference here, Gates said the Myanmar representative at the forum did not seem interested in speaking with him. But, he said "it was interesting to watch as minister after minister described their respective unhappiness at their inability to get assistance in to Burma."
It was particularly pointed, he said, since Chinese officials thanked other countries for the help provided after the earthquake in China.
Still, Gates affirmed again that there is unanimous opposition in the international community to forcing aid to the Myanmar people suffering in the wake of the devastating cyclone that struck in early May.
"There is great sensitivity all over the world to violating a country's sovereignty," Gates said. "Particularly in the absence of some kind of U.N. umbrella that would authorize it." Asked if that sensitivity is linked to the controversy surrounding the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Gates said he has heard no one make that connection.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that even when the decision is made to pull the four U.S. Navy ships off the coast, the vessels will move away slowly enough to turn back if there is an unexpected change of heart by the Myanmar government.
Gates comments came a day after he made his strongest public condemnation of the Myanmar government at the conference, saying that Myanmar's rulers "have kept their hands in their pockets" while other countries sought to help cyclone victims.
The widespread displeasure with the Myanmar government was clear at the conference, coming up in nearly all conversations among leaders. Gates met with his top Pacific commander Saturday to discuss the timing of a U.S. Navy pullout. A final decision still has not been made.
Following the conference, Gates flew to Thailand on Sunday where large anti-government demonstrations threaten to lead to the country's second military coup in two years.
Gates said he was not concerned about the potentially difficult situation and that canceling his visit could cause more of a problem than continuing on. He said he would urge officials in Bangkok to reaffirm their commitment to a democratically elected government.
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What??? "okay we''re leaving now, sure you don''t want some food and help?" "Okay we''re gonna go now. You''re sure?" H*E*L*L NAW! OPEN THOSE THROTTLES UP AND LEAVE A ROOSTER TAIL IF YA CAN!
Related-
"Chevron is one of the largest foreign investors in Burma and is the only remaining major U.S. corporation with a significant presence there. In 2005, Chevron bought the company Unocal weeks after the latter settled a lawsuit accusing it of assisting the Burmese military junta in the torture, murder and rape of villagers during construction of a pipeline."
www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/12/1454252
Re: "To our credit, the US has done all it could to help the typhoon victims in Burma."
That reminds me of a line from a Simpsons episode-
"We''ve tried NOTHING, and we''re all out of ideas!"
People of Burma,
We have shiploads of genetically modified Franken-food for you. All we ask in return is to be allowed to "liberate" your natural resources from you.
We are in Afghanistan and Iraq, and plenty of people are starving in both countries, and lack access to clean drinking water.
What is your sorry excuse for that, Mr. Gates?
Not to mention spies, "terrorist" plants, agitators, and others who would assist in the toppling of the Myanmar rulers.
They are no angels, but we have absolutely no moral standing to condemn them.
May I respectfully disagree? The US citizens have a lot of moral standing, with the exception of a few criminals here and there.
Perhaps some of our government has no moral standing, but that does not reflect accurately upon the vast majority of citizens. Would you agree?
Absolutely, but would also add that current US foreign policy, as conducted by those with absolutely no moral integrity, has made it impossible for anyone with a sense of morality to criticize the Myanmar government, all they have to rebuttal is "how come you don''t stop your own government from lying you into wars", and in reply, what would our answer be?
You misunderstand the situation, the US has offered aid, but the government of Myanmar doesn''t trust the US government, and we must admit, they have been shown many reasons not to.
At this point the US is considered by many countries to be too dangerous to befriend, many are unwilling even to accept any offers of assistance that they do sorely need.
The US has become an unofficial pariah to many states that we will need to cooperate with in the future, and when the time comes, bombs and bullets will accomplish absolutely nothing.
Posted by brianbwb
Yes, that is a very good reason to let their own people mire in filth and starve to death.
Posted by FireCEOs at 12:01 AM : Jun 02, 2008
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FEMA atta Boy Brownie!!!!!!!
He took his seat. Nobody replied. The bill was put upon its passage, and, instead of passing unanimously, as was generally supposed, and as, no doubt, it would, but for that speech, it received but few votes, and, of course, was lost.
Read your constitution and you will see clearly that congress does not have the authourity to give away tax payer''s $. You people blow me who insist on this kind of corruption, Your thinking is way off. And it will be no wonder that your nation is broke and dead in the water. Soon you all will be homeless and starving like the rest of the world. If you think im wrong then RESEARCH IT STUPID
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by feelfreee4u
June 3, 2008 4:16 AM EDT
- BrianBWB, you are as dumb as a box of rocks. Perhaps you need to change your drool bucket so it doesnt spill on the keyboard, you total dumbsh*it.
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