Three Times the powers that are running the Haiti rescue effort

[Paper Roses]

have turned away the plane from Doctors Without Borders.

Three times!!!

What the heck is wrong there?

Yes, I know about the congestion and the other logistics but can't they leave a reporter or a politician home and let the doctors land with their skill and medicine? I am very unimpressed with the way this horrible tragedy is being handled.

Again, the US, with its "we know better than you" attitude has managed to make things more difficult.

This is my opinion from the news I see on TV. It is not to be meant as US bashing. We should be doing better.

[tekisui]

1. Do you honestly think that the US presence has made it more difficult?

I think that is not a correct assumption.

[Jeneral2885]

8. I do

There still has not been a stable coordinating plan for the whole situation. This is not the 2004 Tsunami.

[tekisui]

11. You are woefully ill informed.

If the US wasn't there operating the airport, who do you think would?

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. You are wrong, the UN is running the Humanitarian side

the US is mostly running the logistical end

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7508642

[jpak]

2. That bad evil Rahmbama! The airport there is undamaged and has multiple runways!111

Why is the evil Rahmbama doing this to Haiti!

Beecause Haiti has oil and Obama is going to invade and carpet bamb them because he's a war criminal and must be impeached and deported back to Kenya!!!!!


























:evilgrin:

[Uzybone]

3. "This is my opinion from the news I see on TV"

thats your first problem. You act as if TV/cable News tells you anything close to the full story.

[Merchant Marine]

4. We're flying in 600 flights a day

On a runway that handled 3 a day before the quake.

Air traffic control was destroyed during the quake, so the show is being run by US Air Force forward air controllers.

Look, with a single runway to work with, airlift is never going to be more that a trickle of supplies. The US is using airlift to move in the equipment and supplies needed to build a proper supply chain fed by the port. The USCG is surveying the port to see if they can bring in deep-draft ships; once that's done and the ships come in they need to have people and forklifts and trucks in place to unload those ships.

We're building infrastructure here that has to supply Haiti for many months into the future, moving thousands of tons of supplies by ship as opposed to a few dozens by air.

<edit> Oh, and what should have a higher priority, a 60 ton USAF widebody heavy lifter or a 12 ton passenger jet?

[WolverineDG]

6. Not to mention the flight could have been late &

missed its slot. OR a plane or other equipment on the ground broke down, either leaving no room for that plane to land or get unloaded.

But no, it's the US' fault, always.

dg

[Prometheus Bound]

10. Why not take 10 seconds to look it up before you post nonsense.

The most they have handled so far is 180 on Monday. 600 is an absurd exaggeration. Why?


"Aid flights into Haiti are increasing. The U.S. government reports that more than 180 flights going through the country Monday."
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=117642&catid=14

[Merchant Marine]

16. I tracked down my source

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/were-doing-lot-haiti-very-small-airpo

And realized that I mis-read it. He was referring to 600+ total flights, not per day. I saw the "per day" at the end of the sentence referring to the airports' normal load and got the two confused.

My apologies.

[Fleshdancer]

17. This one says more than 200/day:

Regardless, it's more than what the airport handled before the earthquake and the US is opening an additional runway in the next 24 hrs.

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=57598

Reports of bottlenecking at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince have emerged as the hub’s capacity has grown from an average of 13 commercial aircraft arrivals daily before a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Jan. 12 to the present level of more than 200 flights.

[WolverineDG]

5. Go down there & show 'em how it's done then

Gotta love the Fightin' 404th Chairborne!

dg

[gcomeau]

7. And if they had let it land...

You'd be posting "THREE TIMES the powers that are running the Haiti rescue effort have turned away this other plane with critical supplies on it. THREE TIMES!!!"

Prettry much EVERYTHING in the air heading for Haiti is needed there. There aren't exactly a lot of frivolous flights of people trying to get into the area just because they feel like it. And it's not all going to be able to fly right in. Important things are going to be turned back, period. And I somehow doubt any reporters or politicians have been flying in to the main airport on a plane with nothing but them on it, if anyone is going in they're either hitching rides on supply flights or they have helicopters or something that can land them somewhere else.

[TxRider]

9. No a single destroyed airport has managed to make it more difficult

An airport that is handling many times as much traffic as it has ever handled before thanks the our military.

With another airport opening up tomorrow, thanks to our military.

And the port opening up within a week, thanks to our military.

And over a dozen water plants running within a week thanks to our military.

And to state that a reporter or politician was allowed to land instead of this plane, when those people are riding in on relief cargo planes themselves is ridiculous.

Doctors are landing, as are medical supplies, as are food and water supplies. As fast as they can get them on the ground from the air, from the ships on boats and helicopters, and even relaying relief in from the US mainland through the base at Guantanamo.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Water plants not just our military

OTHER Navies are bringing them too... ten water plants are not enough.

So this is not just us.

[Fleshdancer]

12. I think the people on the ground are working their butts off 24/7 right now

Managing the logistics for a small broken airport devastated by a natural disaster when planes from literally all over the world are coming in is not an easy or quick job. If it's not done properly, then you run the real risk of creating more tragedy. All flights would be forced to stop for a period of time if a collision occurred.

on edit: The good news is that MSF has successfully landed five planes with a total of 135 tons of supplies into Port-au-Prince so far so it's not like they haven't been able to get in.

http://web1.doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=4176&cat=press-release&ref=home-center-relatedlink

[TxRider]

18. More...

"1/17/2010 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFNS) -- As Air Mobility Command continues to support the U.S. military's Haitian relief effort, Operation Unified Response, senior officials are laying out a map to establish long-term sustainment and international collaboration.

Since Jan. 13, AMC Airmen have completed nearly 100 aircraft sorties; transported nearly 1,200 passengers and flown more than 600 short tons of emergency cargo to the devastated country.

As the United States works with its global partners to define ways to expand the reach of humanitarian aid in Haiti, AMC Airmen and aircraft continue to speed around the clock to provide food, shelter and security to the victims.

On Saturday, Airmen flying C-17 Globemaster IIIs transported an 80-member urban search and rescue team en route to Port-au-Prince to save people who are still trapped under debris.

The highly-trained team includes volunteer rescuers from Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Like hundreds thus far, the team depended on the C-17's unique capabilities to get them there quickly and safely, along with the nearly 60 tons of cargo they took with them.

The Ohio Task Force One team's cargo included six rescue canines; four pickup trucks with trailers; a van; and 19 pallets of cargo holding supplies such as concrete-busting hammers and enough water and food to last for approximately 10 days.

"It's definitely an honor to be called upon to represent your country and to help those in desperate need," said Scott Anding, sponsoring agency chief for Ohio Task Force One. "We really appreciate the Air Force's support.""



Our guys are working their butts off alright.


"1/19/2010 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE Ill. (AFNS) -- Air Mobility Command Airmen have flown more than 260 sorties in support of Haiti relief efforts, rushing food, water and medical supplies to the people of Haiti.

In fact, since Jan. 13, AMC has delivered nearly 1,600 tons of cargo and about 2,400 passengers to Haiti and evacuated more than 600 victims from the earthquake-ravaged country.

In one of the most recent AMC missions, a C-17 Globemaster III from Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., executed a crucial air delivery into Haiti Jan. 18 delivering more than 69,000 pounds of food and water.

Departing from Pope AFB, N.C., the C-17 flew round trip to Haiti delivering 14,000 meals ready-to-eat (MREs) and 14,000 quarts of water during the seven-hour mission. Joint Task Force Haiti provided protection by securing the air delivery area. Once on the ground, supplies were distributed by JTF-Haiti, U.S. Agency for International Development and other relief personnel.

According to AMC officials, lack of infrastructure in Haiti has significantly slowed the delivery of supplies and workers. Officials said air delivery is an alternative the international community is exploring to create alternate distribution points that will enable aid to reach people more quickly."


And the USNS Comfort should arrive with 1000 bed hospital capacity and staff and be operating by midday tomorrow.

[ManiacJoe]

13. Ask DWB for the reasons for the diversions.

For some unknown reason they keep leaving that info out of their press releases.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. So you feel better, here is a reality check...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7508642

Trust me... this is NOT just about DWB