U.S. Marines: Aid begins to trickle into Myanmar

[Gunny]

PATTAYA, Thailand (CNN) -- Myanmar's military junta has begun to let aid trickle into the country devastated by a cyclone that struck the region May 2, a U.S. Marine spokesman said Wednesday.

The news came along with word that there was no second tropical cyclone forecast for the region, only more rain, officials said.

The Irawaddy Delta -- the part of the country hardest-hit by the cyclone -- still could receive another 12 cm (4.7 inches) of rain within the next six days, forecasts said.

Meanwhile, at least 68,000 and as many as 128,000 people have died in Myanmar from Cyclone Nargis, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Wednesday.

The numbers are much higher than official casualty figures released by Myanmar's government, a report from the organizations said.

The government earlier said 22,000 people had been killed.

The Myanmar government had for more than a week refused to let outside aid into the country. But Wednesday it authorized entry of five U.S. flights with supplies, the Marine spokesman said.

Three planes left an airbase in Thailand by about noon local time, and two more were scheduled to take off, said Lt. Col. Doug Powell of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The five flights will deliver 98 tons of supplies including 46 pallets loaded with bottled water, plastic sheeting and hygiene kits as well as crackers and powdered milk, Powell said.

more ... http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/05/14/myanmar.aid/index.html

 

[Gunny]

No reason to acknowledge this. The U.S. Marine Corps is doing something.

We'll wait until later and find out what didn't get done and the libs can blame Bush.

 

[Larkinn]

No reason to acknowledge this. The U.S. Marine Corps is doing something.

We'll wait until later and find out what didn't get done and the libs can blame Bush.

I'm glad they did something, but what exactly do you want people to say? They've been trying to get aid in since the cyclone first happened, but the gov there was being a bunch of bastards per usual.

By the way, care to show your admiration to the UN who got in aid several days before the US?