US indicates willing to accept Venezuela's aid

[bemildred]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States indicated on Friday that it would accept Venezuela's assistance for the hurricane-ravaged Gulf region although the two countries have been at odds for years.

"We're willing to accept all offers of help and all offers of assistance are welcome," Fred Jones, spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said of Venezuela's aid offer for the hurricane-devastated region in the United States.

Venezuela has offered to send fuel and food to the southern US states reeling in the storm's aftermath and Citgo, the US subsidiary of Venezuela's state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), offered 1 million dollars for the rescue efforts.

Venezuela announced on Sunday assistance plan for poor people in the United States. In a Sunday radio and television program, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said that there are many poor people in the United States, and every year a large number of themdie of cold during the winter.

Xinhua.net

[Big Kahuna]

1. Don't hold your breath.

[Trevelyan]

30. Then Why wasn't Canada and the UN or even Red Cross allowed to help?

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form11.html?1

Why isn't the Red Cross being allowed into New Orleans? Why is the National Guard preventing them? This is genocide!! Just like Fallujah when the military would not allow The Red Cross, The Red Crescent or the media to enter until they had finished their door to door mass murder of anyone who did not die in the illegal bombing including napalm and cluster bombs.

REPORT ON THIS GENOCIDE AND ASK ON THE PUBLIC AIRWAVES, WHY IS THE RED CROSS PREVENTED FROM ENTERING NEW ORLEANS TO HELP THE DYING PEOPLE?? BY OUR NATIONAL GUARD!! GENOCIDE!!!! REPORT THE TRUTH!!!
Its nice to know that if you dont get the hell out, your fucked big time. Its will be very interesting to see how the Rethuglican spin this against the Dem Governor and Dem Mayor. Isnt it amazing we can save people next to oil rigs in Iraq but not hand out some water smack in the middle of our country? If we cant kick Bush the hell out of office over this we might as well abandon our souls to the ruthless dictators of the neo-cons. God help us all if the terrorists succeed at an attack now having seen our inept attempt at assistance. Go to www.impeachbush.org and sign up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Put your outrage and anger to good use!

AOL MESSAGEBOARD POSTS:

can't believe what is happening in New Oleans. Everyone knew how bad this hurricane was and NOTHING was done about it. All the local government told them was to leave. Not everyone has the means to "leave." I do not understand why all the residents of New Orleans were not bussed our BEFORE the hurricane hit. I live in Houston and I'm proud to live where our local governmentseem to know what they are doing. We're doing more for the victims than their own state is. I'm praying for all the victims and for our country.

What has happened to America?~~Please someone from one of these companies please

send a plane to get those people out of there !!!

They need to be taken out of that environment for the good of mankind.

This is desperate plea for help for humanity !!!

Where to put them ?

Someone owns a hotel or something they can use to help
There are other major sports complexes they can be taken to
There is the north side of Fort polk that is empty !!

There are other military posts assigned to close down that can be used.

Please someone other than the President of the United States, who has resources to help please take action.

Do not be guilty of letting your hands get dirty by committing or becoming a party to GENOCIDE !!!!

Please you cannot take that wealth with you when you go, use it for good !!~~Where do I start... First off, I have many family members in New Orleans And my Husband just left today on the Truman to help... This Coverage"? The people that you say are "screaming"... Were left there, being told there would be buses coming.... Those people screaming most walked with there children pass dead bodies and the gore in the waters... I know this is a hard undertaking But if it
wasn't for the media, from what I heard today they didn't even know those 10-20thou Ppl were @ the Riverwalk...

These Ppl aren't the Blame! They were told ... most after going to the SuperDome that they needed to go to another reliefspot... And To say Ppl that died on those streets today are in some way just poor
Complaining Ppl and the Government, FEMA, The State have no Blame in this your crazy... You sleep out in the streets, because Your house in under 10-20 feet of water friends and family and neighbors dead! You were to poor to go any where else... Damn it! Cops drove by these Ppl, Buses... babies no food or water for days Elderly also And this is some fault of theirs...

Maybe they shouldn't have been born? Those Ppl pay taxes... Some of those Ppl fought for this Country... I am so sickened by the Ppl saying anything else. You go through that! See you child die slowly of thirst and hunger... I don't know if you have ever been to New Orleans but that place is Hott and Humid! This is America! I can't even say no more....~~~~Hey IB if this had been a TERRORIST ATTACK..I'd bet you'd have been HOPPING mad just like the MAJORITY of America. SO what gives?

Just cause it was a HURRICANE?

Face it.. They screwed up. from teh state right up to "who's on first" routine at FEMA and DHS. How many peopel do you think lives could have been SAVED if they hadn't delayed?~~I watched a car load of people given a house to stay in, in TX. They had a dog and a parrot. They asked the owner of the house why he would do such a thing. The man stated that God had been good to him and he wanted to
return the favor. The man said the house had been up for sale and hadn't yet sold, so he turned it over to this family of 9. The owner contacted people from his church and they are bringing clothing, furniture, TV and food to the people now in his house. The owner is white and the family of 9 are black. I thought it was a wonderful thing to witness on TV, instead of such hate these people write on
these threads.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Hell hath frozen over

Get your ice skates

[Judi Lynn]

3. A condition will probably be that Hugo Chavez comes in person

fo finalize the arrangements, and _Bush will have him whacked HERE, rather than sending human dregs like Cuban "exile" CIA mass murderer scum Luis Posada Carriles all the way to Venezuela to kill him.

[Solon]

7. I don't even think this administration is that stupid...

most likely it would be an "accident" en route, but having him killed here, in the United States, under ANY pretenses would make a defacto state of war exist between Venezuela and the United States. Considering where most of our military are at, plus the fact that Hugo is decidedly more popular in his country than Bush over here, the prospects don't look go for the U.S.

[Judi Lynn]

13. Yeah, an "accident" mid-air does sound more their style.

They are already protecting a CIA Miami-Cuban airline bomber from Venezuelan justice even as we post.

They'd probably have to have bribed more Venezuelan high-ranking officers before they'd feel they've got the power of the Venezuelan military behind them once more.

Bribed Venezuelan officials could be expected to throw back in with an American right-wing pResident.

[mom cat]

4. Did he manage to choke out a "thank you"?

[applegrove]

5. Et tu Saudi Arabia? I thought we were friends?

[elias49]

19. Very telling, isn't it

That was my first thought when I saw this 'list' of countries offering help. Where's our friend Saudi Arabia?
S.A., with half the world's oil and probably three quarters of the world's wealth...well, so much for a coalition of the willing.

[daleo]

6. The situation must be even grimmer than we thought

For this to happen. But, I will believe it when I see it.

[goforit]

8. Hmmm, ....When it comes to cash, even enemies are friends.

[tocqueville]

9. this has been going on FOR DAYS

Bush says he will accept (after stating a refusal first) but in practice he is still DENYING the arrival of ALREADY SCRAMBLED UNITS from all over Europe.

the teams could be already working, but they are still denied access to US airspace and harbours...

[damntexdem]

23. He was afraid of taking heat for saying no ...

so now he'll take heat for saying yes too late.

[Trevelyan]

31. Could you post a link, Want to repost on neutral sites like AOL and YAhoo

Messageboards and the FReepers always ask for a link. I have a DU article on the refusal of Canada's humanitarian aid after the Canadian relief group was ready to go but at the last minute Bush refused. Canada's PM Paul Martin was so angry that he said he was going to ask bush why he let those people die rather than accept Canadian or UN help.

Yahoo

CHAVEZ CARES MORE ABOUT USA THAN BUSH
08/31/05 03:22 pm (NOTE THE DATE)

Chavez is looking for ways to help America; traitor Bush doesn't care about our people and is only looking for more ways to steal from the people.

~~~Venezuela offers fuel, food to hurricane-hit US
Mon Aug 29, 7:48 PM ET (NOTE THE DATE)

CARACAS (AFP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offered to send food and fuel to the United States after the powerful Hurricane Katrina pummeled the US south, ravaging US crude production.

The leftist leader, a frequent critic of the United States and a target himself of US disapproval, said Venezuela could send aid workers with drinking water, food and fuel to US communities hit by the hurricane.

"We place at the disposition of the people of the United States in the event of shortages -- we have drinking water, food, we can provide fuel," Chavez told reporters.

Chavez said fuel could be sent to the United States via a Citgo refinery that has not been affected by the hurricane. Citgo is owned by Venezuela's state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA).

In the Gulf of Mexico, which accounts for a quarter of total US oil output, 92 percent of crude and 83 percent of natural gas production were shut down due to Hurricane Katrina, which slammed Louisiana and Mississippi, according to US government data.

Venezuela is the fourth-largest provider of oil to the United States, supplying some 1.5 million barrels a day.

Last week, Chavez offered discount gasoline to poor Americans suffering from high oil prices and on Sunday offered free eye surgery for Americans without access to health care.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050829/pl_afp/usweathervenezuelaoil

~~~~As a genuine humanitarian I pray for everyone affected by yet another disaster and weep for the loss of life.

[sonicx]

10. Bullshit

If they reject Russia, there's no way in hell they will accept Venezuela.

[damntexdem]

25. But now they've said they'll accept Russian aid.

Too late, of course.

[sofa king]

11. Proof that the rest of the world is better than our plutocracy.

If ever there was a moment in time when Hugo Chavez had America by the balls, it's right now.

America's refining capacity is partially disabled. We have, what, about a 300 day reserve of refined fuels? Our own citizens have been ripping us off, taking about fifteen bucks a barrel in profit for the past year and much more now, and there's no telling how long our Texas oilman puppet will let it go on.

And what of the other oil-producing nations of the world, who keep that vital inflow of crude going? Iraq is a mess and its production can and will be shut down as insurgents deem fit. Iran doesn't trade with us. Saudi Arabia is undergoing a leadership change. Nigeria is struggling toward democracy.

And there's Hugo Chavez, survivor of an American-endorsed-of-not-orchestrated coup attempt, victim of a cloud of disinformation going straight from the White House to Fox News... and supplier of fully nine percent of the oil America imports.

If Hugo Chavez were Dick Cheney or Karl Rove, do you think he would offer America support? Or would he take the one chance he's ever going to get and go straight for the jugular by cutting off shipments at a time when America is in sight of devolving into total chaos?

That, my friends, is the difference between them... and us. We've got to change things soon, because we're not going to get many more second chances. And I'm tired of being evil.

[Canuckistanian]

12. Take THAT, Pat Robertson!

He must be seething, and a better man you can't find for seething...

[Ilsa]

20. Do you think they'd take him in trade? I know he's alot of trouble

to put up with.

[Canuckistanian]

28. Hmm, "one slightly-used televangelist, muzzle included"

Yeah, I think it might work!

[Zenlitened]

14. I remember an America that could take care of itself...

... in good times and bad.

Seems like a long time ago. :(

[Sgent]

15. Hehe

if it weren't so tragic, its almost funny.

Bush doesn't want units in S. America and Europe to beat the American forces to the disaster area. Hence the delays.

[Roy]

16. Yeh Hugie Baby..... we will accept your help........

We'll give you a call to arrange the details.

But, if you don't hear from by the turn of the century, give us a reminder call, will ya?

[killbotfactory]

17. HUMBLED

That's what that is.

[AlCzervik]

18. Accepting their gracious would go a long way in the goodwill dept.

not that we have a goodwill dept but we should.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Help has to come from SOMEWHERE.

_Bush has savaged our ecomony on behalf of his "base," and sent everyone available who could lend physical presence and a willing pair of hands in the disaster area off to kill people who had nothing to do with his bogus war.

Gotta save our N.G. for killing. Gotta save our tax dollars for enriching and sustaining our wealthy MEpublicans.

[bettyellen]

22. they waited five days......while Condi shopped, caught a b'way show......

planned to go to the us open unitl they realized her partying was all over the net.
no wonder the gal looked like she was going to cry. she missed the us open.

[zara]

24. Maybe BushCo can assassinate while VZ is distracted offering us help?

: (

[NorthernSpy]

26. we need their ideas even more than we need their oil

Chavez is a true friend to us. Not to the people who run things here, of course. But to the REAL America, he is a great friend.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

27. Wanna bet it gets here in less than 5 days?

The gas prices are killing Dubya, he had to make a choice between the lesser of two evils?

I like Chavez, don't get me wrong! But what are the freepers and Robertson going to say about this?

[Peace Patriot]

29. The kind of leadership that Hugo Chavez has shown is what comes from

honest, transparent elections, with the great majority of Venezuelans finally having representatives in government, including their president, who have the interests of the entire country at heart, and who are at work on a peaceful transition to a more just and equitable economy, after centuries of looting, corruption and oppression by the rich against the poor. Clean, honest, representative government. Just imagine it!

And there seems to be qualities of generosity and good-heartedness--and even good humor--about it that I marvel at, maybe because those qualities are so lacking in our government. When Pat Robertson suggested that the Bushites assassinate Chavez, the first thing Chavez said was, "I don't even know who that person is," and he followed that--just before our hurricane--with an offer to provide the poor of America with cheaper gas and with some free medical care. He meant the offer--but I also had the feeling that there was a wry smile behind it. This is one very smart guy--using the Christian "turn the other cheek" idea to expose Robertson's and the whole Bushites' phony Christian thing. 'You want to kill me? In that case, we will help your poor! (--and why aren't YOU doing so, assholes!)'.

We could learn a thing or two from Venezuela about how to have a decent government. When you have honest elections, you make room for the best and the most altruistic and the most intelligent to rise naturally to positions of leadership. It's kind of like what Thomas Jefferson had in mind.