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| Europe |
| AP: French Deliver Tsunami Aid With Panache |
| 2005-01-30 |
| ABOARD JEANNE D'ARC -- The naval ship's pantry is stocked with wines, baguettes and pate, and its casual dress code is shorts and sandals. There's even an artist -- a painter to keep an illustrated record of the trip. With a panache all its own, France's military is delivering aid to tsunami-battered Indonesia -- and showing how a small force can make a difference. A month after killer waves struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the French The 1,000 or so French sailors and soldiers arrived in Aceh province on the island's northern tip two weeks ago. Their 11 helicopters and two C-160 cargo planes are airlifting rice and tents to isolated villages devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake-generated waves, which killed at least 145,000 people in Asia and Africa. Foreign Legionnaires are clearing debris left by the waves, rebuilding schools in Maleuboh and occasionally extinguishing fires that flare. French doctors are treating the sick and vaccinating as many as 10,000 Acehnese children against measles. Many of those children had never been immunized against disease. "The children are smiling again. This is a good sign," said Maj. Francois Masse, a veteran pilot of French relief work in Bosnia, Kosovo and Chad. Although media attention has focused on the U.S. contribution, particularly by the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its battle group, aid officials say the French and other forces are playing an equally important role. "(The French) increase our capacity to move loads into some areas where roads have yet to be reconstructed. Trucks cannot reach these areas," said Daniel Augstburger, head of the U.N.'s relief work on Sumatra's western coast. That responsibility likely will increase once the Americans leave with their three dozen helicopters. The French, who also are conducting relief operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, object to comparisons with the Americans. "The feeling we had in France was that, as usual, the Americans were rushing in force to Indonesia and boasting about it," said flotilla spokeswoman Cmdr. Anne Cullerre. "For some people, it seemed outrageous. "How can you really boast of doing something from this tragedy? People were saying, 'They are doing it again. They are showing off.'" Critics of the U.S. military's work in Indonesia say Washington has seized on the disaster as a pretext for advancing its strategic interests in the archipelago and improving ties with the Indonesian military. Those ties effectively were cut in 1999 after Indonesian troops and their proxy militias killed 1,500 East Timorese after the half-island territory voted for independence in a U.N.-sponsored independence referendum. During her recent Senate confirmation hearings, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the tsunami provided a "wonderful opportunity" for the United States to reap "great dividends" in the region. The dispatch of the USS Abraham Lincoln's strike force has been viewed in some quarters as an effort not only to help survivors, but also to burnish America's image among Islamic communities worldwide by delivering aid to the largest Muslim country in the world. The French maintain they do not have strategic interests in the region. The contrast with U.S. forces does not end there. The U.S. military bans alcohol aboard naval vessels and sailors generally wear casual clothes only in their quarters. But French sailors aboard the Jeanne D'Arc pick from wine, beer and other alcoholic drinks, and their ready-made meals come with pate. On deck, they sunbathe in the muggy heat in shorts and sandals. However, what really sets the French apart is the paunchy, bearded civilian riding a sloop to the shore. He is artist Michel Bellion, appointed to paint the French military in action in his trademark bold strokes and bright colors. "I'm here to show the drama," said Bellion, pulling out a sketch book as he accompanied a team of doctors vaccinating children. "For me, it's hell. That is what I want to show. I'm not looking to make it beautiful. I'm trying to show the emotion." |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #10 Just read the U.N. Recent press report of all which they have done - singlehandily. The Diplomat (the entry for Thursday Jan 27, 2005) shows that the U.N. is talking credit for just about everything everyone else as done and has ignored all the fine work the Australia and the United States had done soon after the disaster. From the Diplomad: So, "20 foreign militaries lent" their assets, eh? Lent? To whom? Not to the UN, that's for sure. For at least three of the past four weeks, the UN had nothing to do with the operations of the "20 foreign militaries." The UN certainly was not directing the Aussies, who were the first ones in; they blazed the path for the rest and thousands of people owe them their lives. They weren't running the assets of the Kiwis or the Singaporeans, either, and they sure weren't running ours. Up until just a few days ago, those "20" foreign militaries were Aussies, Singaporeans, Kiwis (who've gotten little credit for the fine work they've done), and Yanks with a modest but appreciated assist as of about 10-12 days ago of the Spanish and the Pakistani militaries. The coordinating was being done by the Australians, the USA and the Indonesian military. Up until just about four or five days ago, except for the disaster tourists such as Annan and Bellamy, the UN WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN -- except quite overwhelmingly in Jakarta's luxury hotels, a few UNocrats in Medan, and a tiny handful at the airport in Aceh writing up press releases claiming all the credit for the UN and bad-mouthing the hard-working Aussies and Americans. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2005-01-30 11:03:20 PM |
| #9 Time for the Abe Lincoln to get in some bombing practice on the derelict Jeanne D'Arc. |
| Posted by: Pepe Lopez 2005-01-30 10:57:37 PM |
| #8 "The feeling we had in France was that, as usual, the Americans were rushing in force to Indonesia and boasting about it," -boasting about it? Maybe, maybe not. Rushing in force to save lives - definitely. You fuckers can sit around w/your thumbs up your ass, don't worry though, the yanks will handle business as usual & in a timely fashion. "For some people, it seemed outrageous. "How can you really boast of doing something from this tragedy? People were saying, 'They are doing it again. They are showing off.'" -as usual the french military couldn't pull off one candy-assed meals on wheels op without showing their massive inferiority complex. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2005-01-30 10:51:55 PM |
| #7 yeah BH, I thought this was scrappleface as well. For instance: "I'm here to show the drama," said Bellion, pulling out a sketch book as he accompanied a team of doctors vaccinating children. "For me, it's hell. That is what I want to show. I'm not looking to make it beautiful. I'm trying to show the emotion." We've got combat correspondents and they've got an artiste.......bwhahaha.....fags. |
| Posted by: Jarhead 2005-01-30 10:46:07 PM |
| #6 Please - PLEASE - tell me this is Scrappleface. |
| Posted by: BH 2005-01-30 10:22:35 PM |
| #5 No brag; just the facts. And just how many more people would have died if all nations providing aid had waited 5 weeks to begin like the French did? Pathetic. Shut up and get to work. |
| Posted by: GK 2005-01-30 9:47:54 PM |
| #4 "Foreign Legionnaires are clearing debris left by the waves" So typically French -- to have someone else do it. |
| Posted by: Tom 2005-01-30 9:17:02 PM |
| #3 So nice that they finally decided to drop in. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-01-30 9:10:39 PM |
| #2 Okay, so it took them how long to get there? And with tourist-like clothes, artists (!), and wine, just who's showing off here? And, of course, there's a chance to bash the US. We've just been there helping since the beginning, but we don't expect any thanks, no sir . . . |
| Posted by: The Doctor 2005-01-30 7:49:45 PM |
| #1 AP? More like AFP. |
| Posted by: jackal 2005-01-30 7:48:10 PM |