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| Kuwait Pledges $500M for Hurricane Relief | |
| 2005-09-04 | |
| KUWAIT CITY (AP) - The oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait said Sunday it will donate $500 million in aid to U.S. relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. The offer is the largest known put forward since the hurricane ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and follows a $100 million aid donation from the emir of a Mideast neighbor, Qatar. Kuwait's energy minister said his country would provide "oil products that the disaster-stricken states need in addition to other humanitarian aid." "It's our duty as Kuwaitis to stand by our friends to lighten the humanitarian misery and as a payback for the many situations during which Washington helped us through the significant relations between the two friendly countries," Sheik Ahmed Fahd Al Ahmed Al Sabah said in a statement carried by Kuwait's official news agency, KUNA. Kuwait and Qatar's donations came as the Egypt-based 22-member Arab League called on Arab nations to provide relief to the U.S. The Arab League said that its secretary-general, Amr Moussa, sent a cable of "deep condolences and regret to the U.S. administration over the effect of Hurricane Katrina ... and called on all Arab countries to extend aid to the United States to face the exceptional humane circumstances."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #3 Well - Kuwait and Qatar just bought themselves a lot of insurance - no matter what happens in the region. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2005-09-04 21:08 |
| #2 Indeed. I am boggled. How many times have we wanted those we've helped to simply feel appreciative, much less show appreciation? There's a heavy dose of irony here from multiple sources, from outrageous oil profit levels with the current prices - to the dictatorial freedom (Can you say cognitive dissonance?) of these Emirs to whip out a checkbook the size of the EU "constitution" with ease... Gonna have to chew on this for awhile. In the mean time, I'll offer sincere thanks and shitcan the cynicism. And remain boggled. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-09-04 21:06 |
| #1 This not only helps directly, it also sends a signal to oil speculators. Interesting move. |
| Posted by: lotp 2005-09-04 18:01 |