Reply #7: Sad but true, Bush did, like a spoiled brat.

[Judi Lynn]

Here's a view from Wayne S. Smith, who was once the head of the American Interests Section in Havana:Bush held up Cuba help over politics

By Wayne S. Smith
Posted September 13 2005

What a shame. Not even in the face of the massive human suffering caused by Hurricane Katrina could the Bush administration put aside its knee-jerk rejection of anything coming out of Cuba. Only two days after the storm hit the Gulf Coast, the Cubans quietly offered humanitarian assistance. No response.

On Sept. 1, the Cuban National Assembly expressed solidarity with the American people and on Sept. 2, Fidel Castro publicly offered to send some 1,100 doctors, with 25 tons of medicines and medical equipment, to the devastated areas. They could be dispatched on Cuban aircraft immediately, he said, and to emphasize that they were ready to travel, the next day had them gather at the School of Public Health with their backpacks on. He also increased the number to 1,586 doctors and the medicines to 37 tons. Castro stressed that there was no political motive behind his offer. The U.S. and Cuba had disagreements, yes, but they should now call "a time out" to address this catastrophe.

Had there been any difficulty in sending the doctors on Cuban aircraft, Fort Lauderdale-based Gulfstream Airways had immediately offered to fly them all up free of charge. "I couldn't think of a better way to help our brothers and sisters on the Gulf Coast than to get these excellent Cuban doctors to them as quickly as possible," said CEO Tom Cooper.

Given the desperate situation on the Gulf Coast, one might have expected a rapid response from Washington, especially as MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation With Cuba), a nonprofit association based in Atlanta, described the Cuban doctors as highly trained and noted that "Cuba's experience and expertise in disaster management is so relevant to the current crisis and its aftermath in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast."
(snip/...)http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-13forum13sep13,0,1561481.story?coll=sfla-news-opinion