U.S. Will Accept Venezuela's Aid Offer for Katrina

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.voicesmag.com/Archives/News/sept2005/us_accept_aid_venezuela_090605.htm

A top U.S. State Department official says the United States will accept Venezuela's offer of humanitarian aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but does not view the offer as a signal of change in the strained relations between the two countries. The official made the comment to VOA Friday in a wide-ranging interview as he prepares to leave his post later this month.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Roger Noriega, says Washington has received offers of relief assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina from some 15 countries in the Americas, including Venezuela.

The oil-rich government of President Hugo Chavez earlier this week offered energy and cash assistance to the United States, including sending some two-thousand soldiers, firefighters and others to help with the relief efforts.

Mr. Noriega says the Bush administration welcomes the offer, but still needs to study whether it can accommodate the deployment of Venezuelan humanitarian aid workers. Asked whether the aid offer signals a change in the tense relationship between Washington and Caracas, Mr. Noriega responded with a firm no -- characterizing it as a public relations ploy by President Chavez.

[daleo]

1. I will take your help, but I reserve the right to invade/kill you later

Once I am back on my feet. Typical Bush criminal reasoning.

[Rose Siding]

2. HOW gracious! HOW magnanimous!

Thanks but don't try to butter us up by providing our people with what we were too GREEDY to provide them. We still don't like you neener neener

More shame :grr:

[IndianaGreen]

5. Noriega is a prime example of our faith-based foreign policy

There are Democrats that would do a 180 with that policy, Dennis Kucinich for one, and then there are those Democrats that will continue with the same failed foreign policy of the Bush Administration, people like Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton.

Do we want a change in policy, or will we settle for a mere change in personnel at the top?

[burrowowl]

3. Bu$hies will lay hands on the

oil and mark it up for their profit.

[tomg]

4. My favorite line in the article is

"Mr. Noriega says the Bush administration has worked to warn other Latin American countries about Mr. Chavez' intentions, but acknowledges the effort has not been completely effective."

I wonder if it is because Bush is a lying sack of shit.

[bemildred]

6. Venezuela offers fuel, Cuba only doctors.

The Bushites priorities remain the same.