Tsunami Waves Kill Over 20,900 in Asia

[RC]

President Bush expressed his condolences over the "terrible loss of life and suffering." From the Vatican, Pope John Paul II led appeals for aid for victims, and the 25-nation European Union promised to quickly deliver $4 million.

Aid agencies and governments around the world began pouring relief supplies into the region on Monday. Japan, China and Russia were among the countries sending teams of experts.

Jasmine Whitbread, international director of the aid group Oxfam, warned that without swift action, more people could die. "The flood waters will have contaminated drinking water and food will be scarce," she said.

In Thailand, Gen. Chaisit Shinawatra, the army chief, said the United States has offered to send troops stationed in Japan's Okinawa island to assist. Thailand was considering the offer.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INDONESIA_EARTHQUAKE?SITE=HIHAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
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Gee, what about the "terrible loss of life and suffering." in Iraq and Afghanistan you caused with your illegal wars?
The United States response to this tragedy? Send troops!!
How about food and water and shelter you stupid criminal!

[foo_bar]

1. Bush didn't cause the tsunami

Unless this is related to Putin landing a nuke in Kamchatka the weekend before.

[evolvenow]

3. I was trying to imagine what could have triggered such magnitude...

solar flares, volcanic activity, weight of melted Antartic ice, meteor, a huge man-made explosion...
so much loss of life, so tragic. If only they had a warning system...at least the coasts could have been evacuated.
Could we end the war in Iraq and send the money and help...stop killing...start saving lives?

[BOHICA06]

4. There is a Tsunami warning system ...

according to NPR, India and Sri Lanka are not participants in the system.

[soothsayer]

9. One theory links these disasters to flybys of NEOs (near earth

objects), and we do have an asteroid winging by right now. Not as big as the 60 to 1 chance of hitting us 2029 one, but a big one.

Jan 12 we launch a mission (ominously called Deep Impact) that will blow up---ok, blow a hole in, supposedly---a comet or asteroid on July 4 of this year. Are we really trying to see if we can change the course of one of these, should we need to? Or are we tyring to change the course of the one we're aiming at, cuz we need to? Or do we just like blowing things up?

[evolvenow]

7. Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan, the subduction of the Pacific plate

Ring of Fire
... From Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula to Japan, the subduction of the Pacific plate
under the Eurasian plate ... The final section of the Ring of Fire exists where ...

geography.about.com/cs/earthquakes/a/ringoffire.htm

[LiberalEsto]

2. We have troops?

I didn't know there were any left, since they're calling in Vietnam vets and Guard members from all over the place for the Iraqi Horror Show...

[riverwalker]

5. Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu

The article said they had an hour and a half before the Tsunami hit but didn't know "who to call, the number was not in our address book". My point is, why didn't they go the media like CNN International, which I am sure is carried at hotels and such, or use the Internet to issue an urgent warning? Maybe a few lives would have been saved. It's odd that our technology can see the event, but does not allow us to warn other parts of the world.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11796284%255E401,00.html
"We don't have contacts in our address book for anybody in that part of the world," National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration director Charles McCreery said.

[robbedvoter]

6. Have Falwell, Robertson gloated yet of this new victory for Christ?

Got them heathens, bwa-ha-ha!

[mhr]

8. No, They Were Not Killed By An American Sword

So it only represents a lost opportunity not new notches on Fundie bed posts around the US.