96 Brits Missing in Katrina's Aftermath

[doxieone]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1767034,00.html

96 Britons missing in Katrina aftermath
By Jenny Booth, Times Online, and Ben Hoyle



The number of Britons still missing since Hurricane Katrina now stands at 96, the Foreign Office said today, amid continuing criticism of its response to the disaster.



Initial figures suggested that around 150 UK citizens were caught up in the August 29 disaster, but the number has gradually fallen as people are traced.

Unhappy at official efforts to locate the missing Britons, relatives have begun their own searches, registering their details with missing persons websites in the United States and with relief organisations in the disaster zone. But as each day passes hope becomes more difficult to maintain.

Tom Noone, 48, from Oxford, has been unable to contact his brother, Mike, or his brother’s three children since the hurricane struck. Last night, Mr Noone said: "It’s getting harder by the day to believe that he’s OK."

The Prime Minister has defended UK officials’ efforts to help British survivors after criticism from some of those returning to Britain that the response had been slow and information scarce.

Speaking in Beijing, Tony Blair said yesterday: "I’m really sorry if there has been difficulties but I can assure you some of these staff have been working round the clock. We will do our level best to get to anybody still in there that we can get to, to get them out of there."




snip

[Lerkfish]

1. UK was right there with us at 9/11, giving great support.

it would be a shame if Bush pissed on them now.

oops. too late.

[Benhurst]

3. So was France, and it certaInly was showered with gratitude.

[Benhurst]

4. So was France, and Bush sure showed his gratitude to the French.

[iverglas]

2. responsibility to foreign nationals

What any other government was supposed to do to help their nationals in the disaster zone, heaven only knows.

Foreign governments have to rely on the local government to do that job. They really can't just send in their own troops.

In this case, the US federal government fucked up big time by not doing the job, and by declining (until far too late) offers from foreign governments to go in and help do it.

Canadians, in the usual self-effacing way, are saying more about the people who still need help than about what wasn't done to help them:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1125856292734_64/?hub=CTVNewsAt11

"I am so thankful, so grateful. We live in a wonderful country. We have no idea how lucky we are," Josie LoBianco told reporters at Pearson International Airport after flying back from Texas.

... "Those poor people down there, they need help. They need so much help. And I don't think they're getting the help that they really need. They're being pushed from one bad situation into another."

LoBianco, Sara Coppa and Marianne Hurley had been stuck in a hotel. One of them has epilepsy and had almost run out of medicine, making her family in Woodbridge, Ont. frantic for them.

... A spokesman for Foreign Affairs Canada said Sunday evening there are 64 active cases and 170 resolved ones for a total of 234.

... McTeague <Foreign Affairs parliamentary secretary for Canadians abroad> said there were limits to how actively the government can look for them: "Bear in mind that the Canadian government does not have the authority to enter into zones which have been declared under Martial law, including the entire city of New Orleans."

Foreign nationals and their governments have to rely on the good faith of local authorities in situations like this. Absent good faith, diplomacy is the only weapon there is when dealing with a country like the US.