This makes me angry. Der Spiegel is reporting that the US Dept. of Agriculture is refusing to grant entry to an Airbus of the German Airforce loaded with 15 tons of military meals (MREs) for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The ostensible reason is the fear that the MREs are contaminated with Mad Cow Disease, even though they have been certified by the EU and NATO as safe, and the same MREs are shared with the US military in Afghanistan. There is consderable speculation that the true reason the transport has been blocked is that the Bush Administration wants to avoid "embarrassing" pictures of foreign aid being delivered to the disaster region.
Another article reports on how a Swedish transport jet with water purification equipment and mobile wireless telephone GSM base stations has been blocked entry into the US for the past six days.
The US is happy to coordinate international relief efforts in Africa and elsewhere, but when it comes to its own citizens political considerations are more important. The arrogance is appalling.
Cross-posted at Daily Kos.
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