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Arabia
Saudi men hand out millions in Aceh
2005-01-15
Colin? You reading this? This is the way y'gotta compete. Break out the suitcases full of cash and send Armitage...
A group of Saudi Arabian businessmen have appeared in the remote tsunami-ravaged town of Meulaboh on what they said was a mercy mission to personally distribute $2 million. Armed with briefcases full of cash, the Saudis handed out 100,000 rupiah (roughly $10) to every adult survivor and 50,000 to children in a relief camp. "The situation here is bad. We want to help our brothers and sisters," one of the businessmen, Abd Allah Hamid, said on Saturday. "We have a lot of money with us. We have already spent $2 million," he said.

Abd Allah said his group of business friends back in Saudi Arabia would also fund the construction of houses for the victims. "My message to the people in Saudi and all over the world - do not forget these people. Help them," he said. Entire communities on the western Aceh coast around Meulaboh were obliterated by the tsunami disaster, which left more than 160,000 people dead on Indonesia's Sumatra island. Three weeks after the tsunami struck the south and southeastern Asian shoreline, the UN announced that more than $3 billion had been pledged in relief efforts.
The Soddies' $2m is a drop in the aid bucket, but guess what people are gonna remember and tell their neighbors about?
Posted by:Fred

#5  "....the empty turbans passing around cash, or the olive-clad soldiers performing actual physical work, such as cleaning up, distributing supplies, and treating the injured."


Nobody in the Muslim World or non-Muslim for that matter expects a Saudi to do physical labor. It is unheard of!!
Posted by: Anonymous4724   2005-01-15 10:46:56 PM  

#4  There is that little matter of commissions for the Saudi businessmen.
Posted by: Dan Rather   2005-01-15 5:33:21 PM  

#3  I'm skeptical that they've handed out $2 million in $10 and $5 increments. That's over 200,000 personal handouts -- not a quick and easy task under the circumstances.
Posted by: Tom   2005-01-15 5:20:32 PM  

#2  $10 doesn't buy you clean water and food if it isn't there. Our military has done humanitarian deeds that the world will never thank them for, and we are the better for doing it. Some day, and ungrateful world will reap what they've sown. Ask the Saoodis to bring food and water via their massive carrier fleet and airlift ops?
Posted by: Frank G   2005-01-15 5:17:41 PM  

#1  
The Soddies’ $2m is a drop in the aid bucket, but guess what people are gonna remember and tell their neighbors about?

It will be interesting indeed to see just who and what will be remembered in the future - the empty turbans passing around cash, or the olive-clad soldiers performing actual physical work, such as cleaning up, distributing supplies, and treating the injured.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2005-01-15 5:13:01 PM  

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