From Cynthia McKinney: An unwelcome Katrina redux

[TeeYiYi]

From Cynthia McKinney: An unwelcome Katrina redux

January 19, 2010

President Obama’s response to the tragedy in Haiti has been robust in military deployment and puny in what the Haitians need most: food; first responders and their specialized equipment; doctors and medical facilities and equipment; and engineers, heavy equipment and heavy movers. Sadly, President Obama is dispatching Presidents Bush and Clinton and thousands of Marines and U.S. soldiers.

By contrast, Cuba has over 400 doctors on the ground and is sending in more; Cubans, Argentinians, Icelanders, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans and many others are already on the ground working – saving lives and treating the injured. Senegal has offered land to Haitians willing to relocate to Africa.

The United States, on the day after the tragedy struck, confirmed that an entire Marine Expeditionary Force was being considered “to help restore order,” when the “disorder” had been caused by an earthquake striking Haiti; not since 1751, 1770, 1842, 1860 and 1887 had Haiti experienced an earthquake.

But I remember the bogus reports of chaos and violence the led to the deployment of military assets, including Blackwater, in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. One Katrina survivor noted that the people needed food and shelter and the U.S. government sent men with guns. Much to my disquiet, it seems, here we go again. From the very beginning, U.S. assistance to Haiti has looked to me more like an invasion than a humanitarian relief operation.

Much more: http://www.sfbayview.com/2010/from-cynthia-mckinney-an-unwelcome-katrina-redux/

TYY

[unhappycamper]

1. It's not an invasion.

They have no oil and the IMF/WTO has sucked most of the wealth out of the country.

[ensho]

2. but it is an international 'crossroad'

nt

[janedum]

4. The US HAD to send in troops. Afterall, suppose the starving victims start stealing FOOD & water!

[Prometheus Bound]

11. +1

[roody]

10. Then why can't they choose their own president?

[pinto]

3. USNS Comfort -

January 17, 2010

ABOARD USNS COMFORT -- The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort has left its home port of Baltimore to support relief efforts in Haiti.

The Comfort, ready for its biggest humanitarian mission in at least two decades, is expected to arrive Wednesday night.

The hospital ship is three football fields long and one wide. It has 250 hospital beds, but can accommodate up to 1,000. The ship's 550-person medical team includes trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, eye surgeons and obstetricians and gynecologists.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/world/1995397,CST-NWS-comfort17.article

****************************

US hospital ship taking worst Haitian cases
(AFP) – Jan 20, 2 hours ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE — A US naval hospital ship has arrived off Haiti and is ready to begin taking on board the worst of the injured still alive after last week's devastating quake, the military said Wednesday.

Colonel Richard Ellison said the USNS Comfort, a 70,000-tonne Mercy class hospital ship, will treat 30 to 50 patients at a time, chosen by Haitian officials from the thousands thronging hospitals and make-shift clinics.

"The ship is now set up to do immediate life-saving surgery," he told reporters at Port-au-Prince's airport, the hub of the massive international aid and rescue operation that has begun to swing into action.

"We've no idea how many patients are out there. We know it's in the thousands. It may be way more than that. It just goes up every time a new facility is opened," he said.

The Haitian civil defense department said Tuesday that at least 75,000 people were killed in the quake and 250,000 injured. International aid teams have begun arriving to reinforce local hospitals and set up field clinics.

"The Haitian health minister told me what he needs, if we can give it to him, is an entirely new medical infrastructure," Ellison said. "We don't know how long we are going to be here."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igqauCy5j6wJsc6boQBt30-eGIoQ

[sandnsea]

5. This is complete crap

The military is working their ass off, delivering food, water, operating water purification stations, etc etc. The military reported that Haiti is calm, they've said reports of violence are down, and weren't able to verify other reports. They're working to open another airstrip, fix the ports and find other ports to use for more ships to unload aid.

Some people in this country are fucked in the head.

[suzie]

6. +500

[spiritual_gunfighter]

7. Of course it is crap look at who wrote it. n/t

[proteus_lives]

9. +1000

[firedupdem]

13. +2000

fucked in the head is right!

[classysassy]

8. Truth tellers

need not apply.

[boomerbust]

12. Man

Give the man a fucking break.