Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed

[SHRED]

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This exemplifies the old adage:
"Republicans run on the platform that government is messed up.
They then get elected and prove it."

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Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed
By John Solomon and Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 29, 2007; A01

As the winds and water of Hurricane Katrina were receding, presidential confidante Karen Hughes sent a cable from her State Department office to U.S. ambassadors worldwide.

Titled "Echo-Chamber Message" -- a public relations term for talking points designed to be repeated again and again -- the Sept. 7, 2005, directive was unmistakable: Assure the scores of countries that had pledged or donated aid at the height of the disaster that their largesse had provided Americans "practical help and moral support" and "highlight the concrete benefits hurricane victims are receiving."

Many of the U.S. diplomats who received the message, however, were beginning to witness a more embarrassing reality. They knew the U.S. government was turning down many allies' offers of manpower, supplies and expertise worth untold millions of dollars. Eventually the United States also would fail to collect most of the unprecedented outpouring of international cash assistance for Katrina's victims.

Allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash. But only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction, according to U.S. officials and contractors. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. Some offers were withdrawn or redirected to private groups such as the Red Cross. The rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent.


Continued:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/28/AR2007042801113.html?hpid=topnews

[bananas]

1. thanks. nt

[EFerrari]

2. WHY DOES THIS THREAD ONLY HAVE TWO VOTES?!

Argggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Ok folks I will go easy on them

as a disaster worker, they were dealing with three things

1.- the US has NEVER received help before, hence the mechanisms were not present. (And yes I know that for a fact)

2.- I saw what happened to to Greek Medical Supplies happen to American Medical Supplies after a disaster in Mexico. Medical Personnel were clueless how to use that particular material. That stuff happens more often than not in disasters around the world

3.= They actually faced a disaster within a disaster from some of the incidents told, getting more stuff than you know what to do with

As to the allowances of personnel in... again have seen it. That pesky national pride gets in the way. Though there were teams on the ground, and people had to get creative on how to get them there

But having lived through many disasters first as a grunt and then as a disaster manager... seen this, done that... not too surprised.

The question will be, will they learn and get procedures down to the NEXT time they do a little better... not much better, just a little.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. The NEXT time?

Katrina was a HUGE disaster. They knew, they had time to get aid there and they dropped the ball. Now, 18+ months later, they STILL fail to respond and help these people. And they have TURNED DOWN help offered from around the world!!

But your post makes it sound like Katrina was just a bad rehearsal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Again reaching out for the disaster manager hat

next time, we have a disaster of that scope and we have to funnel in foreign teams and foreign aide.

What we are right now, 18 months later, is in post disaster mode, and that has been handled as a disaster as well, but it is a different phase, and one where rarely you see foreign teams involved in, outside of some very particular NGOs

Next time we have a katrina sized disaster, the first month is what that article is concerned with, not 18 months later

For the reccrd, we also turned down the POST disaster help, that organnizatins such as the International Red Cross (housing)offiered, as well as the UN, never mind that the UN is on the ground right now, helping children.

But yes, NEXT TIME, we have a disaster of this scope... called a level four, where NATIONAL resources are not enough.

[EFerrari]

8. I have a hard time seeing the "post" in this disaster

unless you have a no bid contract on the Gulf or unless you are a real estate developer.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I can make the difference because there are phases to

disasters, the disaster phase (which was a disaster, no pun) and the post disaster recovery phase... as somebody who dealt with this FOR REAL I knwo they are two different animals

Now the post disaster has been a mess... but that is NOT waht this article is adressing, so try to concentrate here

[EFerrari]

19. I think what I'm trying to say is, for people like you who pay attention

there are phases.

For our current leadership, there are business opportunities and messes they don't need to deal because it's not politically expedient.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. But that is a whole different animal

and once again I am dealing with the article and on that small aspect of the disaster (which was a disaster within a dissster I am willing to give them a pass

I know, incredible, but I am

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. And do you honestly believe they will do a better job next time?

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Not if the Bush administration or anybody like them is in

charge

but once we have people who are responsible, they need to take the response, and articles like this one, and do a post disaster analysis and put in the procedures, both at the Federal level and NGO level.

And granted, they will correct some mistakes, and make new ones... that is the nature of the animal. Disasters, especially massive ones, have been propertly compared to warfare, all plans will break on contact with the actual incident. But somet thigns like logistics can be worked ahead of schedule to avoid (or try to) the disasters within the disasters that inevitably happen.

[EFerrari]

7. Why could they get Blackwater mercs in there but not drinking water?

And, did you know, the WH knew the levies were breeched and didn't warn anyone?

When the Hurricane Center official told the story, he was threatened with his job.

When Greg Palast reported it, he was arrested by Homeland Security.

Oh -- and now Duncan Hunter and other Abramoff cronies in CA are working to bring Blackwater to CA -- so they can "respond" to earthquakes.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. I am ADRESSING THE ARTICLE not blackwater

nor the fact that they let the levies go, or greg palast

I am adressing the fact that Greek goods went bad, I am adressing the fact that teams were not allowed in

I have seen that happen as a disaster manager, and it is far more common WORLD WIDE than you think. That is why I am going easy on them insofar as this aspect of the disaster is concerned... they had no clue what to do, (and politically they saw it as an oportunity) but that is NOT what the article is talking about

Try to concentrate... what the article is talking about is the first two weeks to a month, and how you manage international aide. Or rather how they didn't and in this case I am willing to say that it aws not malice, but rather what do we do now? I will repeat THIS IS THE FIRST TIME FOREIGN AIDE HAS COME TO THE UNITED STATES, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THE US HAD TO ACCEPT FOREIGN AIDE, AND THEY DID NOT HAVE PROCEDURES TO ADRESS THISt.

[EFerrari]

17. There is nothing wrong with my concentration, thanks.

This event was politicized from top to bottom. And I think we might agree that the current administration is self-interested first and last.

BushCo had no motivation to even look into policies and procedures in place despite all the lead time they had to deal with the on-coming disaster. There was a vacuum where there should have been leadership.

Do you really think that any dependent bureaucracy was going to perform well if the resident is enjoying cake at the Coronado instead of leading this country?

This event didn't come out of nowhere. There was time for leadership to mitigate these consequences.

They didn't. It wasn't a priority.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Ok let me spell this for you once again

the US Government and one particular NGO did not, I REPEAT DID NOT have procedures in place as to what to do when the offers for aide came in, and especially when they were accepted

It would not have made a tinkers damn of difference who was President

The attitude has been in the US, UNTIL KATRINA, that we took care of our own, and we never requested or ACCEPTED Aid PERIOD!

It is not the first time foreign aid is offered. Hell, I have personally taken letters of aid offers to members from a particular NGO to its American Counterpart with offers of help for other much SMALLER disasters

You may not want to understand this, but Katrina was a first at multiple levels

Yes, the bushies benefited (or so they think) but insofar as accepting international aide, they were clueless as to what to do, since the United States HAS never done it...

Countries who have accepted aide in the past make those mistakes, (Like where to put all those things you get from abroad, and rotting of goods) who how did you expect these guys to know what to do? I guarantee this, insofar as this aspect of the disaster is concerned, there would have been no difference, because there were NO PROCEDURES so they had to make it up as they went. And yes, they made some classic mistakes... I know it is impossible to accept that they might have actually not had any malice and were just purely clueless for once, but from the article describes, they were clueless.

[EFerrari]

24. My spelling is also fine, thanks.

And, it's simply inaccurate that this country has never had to process foreign aid. How do you think we won our war of independence against Great Britain?!

This myth of American exceptionalism sure runs deep.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. Modern period

And tell me exactly how processing rifles and munitions from the French (as well as uniforms) compare with processing gauze, MREs, and other disaster help almost 300 years later, and several generations of we do not need any body's help thank you and we are self sufficient?

Have you ever dealt with a disaster? In the flesh? And have you ever dealt with that pesky national pride that comes with it?

The latter is not American Exceptionalism... any country that accepts foreign aide feels somehow inferior... as I said, been there, done that... and have had to get creative to get that help in.

And in this SMALL aspect of the disaster, knowing what I know... I WILL give them a pass, there was no malice in this SMALL aspect of the disaster, just sheer cluelessness.

It was criminal, but not unusual.

[EFerrari]

26. I organized my neighborhood after Loma Prieta and it wasn't easy

or pretty.

But consider this: the first responsibility of any government is to protect the people. That is the compact, the most basic agreement between a people and a governing body.

So, no, I don't want to hear how difficult is was for the bureaucrats to manage. I want them to do their damn job or get out of the governing business because if all they can offer when they are most needed is excuses and browbeating the people for rightfully depending on that basic compact, we don't need them and they need to find another career path.

Period.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. I share your frustrations

but I know the reality of the situation

With the bush administration, insofar as accepting help from abroad, it was actually exacerbated.

but when it comes to managing the aide, as I said, having been there, done that as a disaster manager, AS AN EMERGENCY WORKER, never paid by the way, I understand the complexities of this

In fact, this will shock you, but in disaster management, foreign aide is usually at the bottom of the priority list, since it rarely happens, and when it does, it is because the extent of the disaster is such, you are left with no choice. And at that point you are juggling so many balls, it is not even funny

There are also some disasters (Katrina falls in that category) that even a good plan will not help much in the first few hours. When you know you have a bad response or a bad plan is anywhere from 24 to 48 hours. With Katrina it was also not a bad plan, but a lack of will to exercise plans that if used early enough would have made a world of difference. And that is where the "conspiracy theorists" have a valid point, they wanted chaos and they got chaos since they did not allow plans to basically be implemented. PERIOD.

And yes, the blame can and does fall everywhere from the Feds all the way down to Emergency County Managers, and insofar as NGOs are concerned, the American Red Cross is not, I repeat, IS NOT off the hook either.

So in this MINOR aspect of the disaster, I am willing to say there was no malice and there was no ill will... just plain out cluelessness by all involved, because they did not have foreign aide, or what to do with it, anywhere in the plan.

[EFerrari]

28. When your job is to save lives, cluelessness is not an excuse. n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. When your job is to manage disasters

at times peoople ARE clueless, more often WORLDWIDE than you'd like to admit

And as I continued to say, I am willing to give them a pass ON THIS MINOR aspect of this, sicne they really did not, I REPEAT THIS, they did NOT expect to need foreign aide

Nor did they want to.

And in this repsect they are not unlike any other federal agency around the world

Please introduce me to ANY country that will willingly accept help in case of a disaster (no, not what the press shows you, the reality of it) and I will glad to eat my words

I have yet to find it... why? Again that pesky national pride gets in the way every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

One way around it, get rid of tribalism... good luck

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. A freeper comment:

Great.. we make it too easy on the poor. Perhaps if we took away children that parents can't afford to raise properly... and then let the parents starve.. they MIGHT get up off their lazy arse and stop being poor.


But no, we give them all of these programs so that they can live off the sweat of the people in this country that deserve to keep more of their wealth instead of supporting people that contribute nothing to society.

http://forums.kansascity.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=kr-kansascity&msg=7286.7

[EFerrari]

9. Holy cow.

:wow:

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I am still working on a response

But I am leaning toward not responding. What the fuck can you say to someone that hateful that would change their mind or at least get them to respect your opinion?

[EFerrari]

18. You may be right. We need to pick our fights. n/t

[merh]

10. Such a mixture of emotions

I never thought I could hate this evil bunch more, then these truths are revealed. :grr:

:cry:

[EFerrari]

21. I would like to see the articles of impeachment be constructed

around Katrina.

Because WE ALL SAW IT. And many of us read about aid and volunteers being prevented from going in.

:nuke:

[KamaAina]

16. LBN post on this is on the front page

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2827052&mesg_id=2827052

I'm particularly fond of some smart-aleck's plan for New Orleans and the region to form their own NGO and gain observer status at the UN! :-)

[EFerrari]

20. Ha! Maybe every state should do that as we've seen

how important we are to the Federal government piecemeal.

[Swamp Rat]

29. k&r

:grr:

[Rex]

30. Nice way of cushioning the blow to the BFEE.

Went unclaimed, yes. That is what happens when the BFEE turns down offers for help. Oh wow, how familiar that sounds. The BFEE turning down help.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. In this respect it is NOT only the US Government

this is a frustration of emergency workers around the world

When a disaster hits, governments are EXTREMELY reluctant to admit they cannot hack it and accept help.

These guys did, after people got creative. But this is not the BFEE... in fact, I am willing to bet it is human nature

Been in the middle of these messes... and it is not the BFEE, it is human nature