Text 3314, 84 rader
Skriven 2010-01-19 11:20:13 av Ward Dossche (2:292/854)
   Kommentar till text 3287 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
Ärende: Re: Haiti
=================
RW>WD> As the US controls the airspace in and out of Haiti (also in and out
RW>WD> of Cuba BTW) all foreign relief flights have been ordered back or
RW>WD> were diverted for the duration of the visit of the US Secretary of
RW>WD> State.
 
RW> Wrong, as usual.
 
It was very correct. When Hilary Clinton got there in a B757 of the government
(carrying no relief goods nor people) the airport was closed. No landings
allowed. All non-US planes were cleared from the apron not to "obstruct the
view" (a Belgian and a French military A330 were towed out of view) for the
reporters flown in with a separate military 737 (carrying no relief goods nor
people). A security-perimeter was set-up which occupied 5 parking positions.
And inbound relief flights were diverted to the Dominican Republic. I'm too
close to several pilots not to be in the know.
 
The damage to the airport is to buildings, not to essential infrastructure. The
ILS is functional, glideslope OK, DME works. The tower was functional but the
US-military invaded that part of the island and "occupied" the airport.
 
They installed their own equipment and simply shut down civilian ATC.
 
A freighter with field-hospitals and water-purification plants from docters
without borders had been sitting here for 48hrs requesting a departure-slot
every 30 minutes, each time it was refused until political pressure was
exercised.
 
The lessons on how to do it had been learned during the 2004 tsunami and then
it is extremely annoying to have to confront the US military in a humanitarian
task for which you are the best in the field.
 
RW> The Haitian airport was damaged by the earthquake and
RW> only 17 international flights were able to land in one day.
 
All in all there are 17 parking positions and the facilities are open 24/7. The
runway is OK and the only operational problem is "no taxiways", which implies
backtracking.
 
RW> We have seen the news and those who are there, Brazilians, other South
RW> Americans and Mexico have priority.
 
It doesn't go by nationality but how a number of relief associations are
structured. They now have decentralised warehouses distributed over the globe
in order to respond faster. A lesson also learned from 2004.
 
RW>WD> It would not be nice for the US general public to learn that the EU
RW>WD> has already released 432 million Euro for aid (that's over 600
RW>WD> million US dollar).
 
RW> That's just a pitance to what the US and other American countrys have
RW> released. And the US public, who can ill afford to give anything.
 
The US still needs to donate 40% to Haiti of what was promised after the last
tropical cyclone that devastated that country. That was some 2 years ago...
 
It's very difficult to give when you have unwinable wars to fight elsewhere.
 
The EU and its member countries have now upped its immediate relief-effort to
about 8x of what the US are doing. We're fortunate to be able to give.
 
RW> It would be nice if the Euros would stay out of the Americas and leave
RW> the relief efforts to them.
 
So, now it's "the Americas" ... so we we right in the first place.
 
And if you understood anymore than bad-spoken English you might have understood
what the people said on TV in different languages. They need all the help they
can get, not just US military in full gear and arms.
 
RW>WD> I wonder what excuse the US will invent when the next terrorist
RW>WD> happens to come from Haiti and leaves a note "By stalling aid, you
RW>WD> killed my child".
 
RW> When the Euros get the idea and leave the western hemisphere to those who
RW> live here, that won't happen.
 
We have never stopped relief from reaching areas who were met with disaster.
The news about the relief-effort that was thwarted by the US-authorities after
Katrina is still fresh here.
 
 \%/@rd

--- D'Bridge 3.36
 * Origin: Many Glacier -- "The Lord of the Pings" (2:292/854)