Three U.S. Presidents Urge U.S. Relief Aid

[Guest guest]

WASHINGTON Mon Jan 3, 2005 (Reuters) - President Bush brought

together former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton on Monday to

launch an appeal for Americans to make a donation to help victims of

the South Asia quake and tsunamis.

 

"I ask every American to contribute as they are able to do so," Bush

said.

 

The president's father and Clinton will lead a bipartisan effort to

seek out donations both large and small to provide relief assistance

to millions left homeless by the Dec. 26 calamity that killed

thousands in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand.

 

"We are here to ask our fellow citizens to join in a broad

humanitarian relief effort," said Bush, joined in the White House

Roosevelt Room by his two immediate predecessors.

 

The U.S. president, whose initial reaction to the catastrophe was

criticized as sluggish, called the $350 million pledged by the U.S.

government "an initial commitment." Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are

contemplating more.

 

Bush asked Americans to contribute directly to reliable charities

already providing help to tsunami victims. He cited as examples the

Red Cross and the Red Crescent, the Salvation Army, Catholic Relief

Services, Save the Children, CARE, UNICEF and America Cares. He

directed people to the USA Freedom Corps Web site at

www.usafreedomcorps.gov for more information.

 

"As men and women across the devastated region begin to rebuild, we

offer our sustained compassion and our generosity and our assurance

that America will be there to help," Bush said.

 

The scale of the disaster prompted the White House to put together

the rare coalition of ex-presidents to mount a nationwide fund-

raising drive.

 

AMERICANS MAKING DONATIONS

 

The disaster caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami offered Bush a fresh

challenge as he gears up for a second term he would like to devote

to domestic affairs.

 

Many Americans have already been making private donations, and Bush

said novel means have been used, citing the example of a coffee

roaster in California handing out bags of coffee for a $10 donation

to the Red Cross.

 

Bush, his wife, Laura, and the two ex-presidents later visited the

embassies of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand to sign

condolence books and express their sympathies.

 

"We look forward to working with the Indonesian government to help

those who need food, medicine, water, shelter, to get their lives

back in order so that the great country of Indonesia can rise up

from this disaster," the president said at the Indonesian Embassy.

 

At the Indian Embassy, Bush said "We'll help in any way that we can"

and that he had told India's prime minister that "my intention was

to make it this year to India."

 

Bush sent his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and outgoing Secretary

of State Colin Powell to the region to assess relief efforts.

 

Bush said the Abraham Lincoln carrier group is in place near

Indonesia and transporting relief supplies by helicopter, and that

other naval and Marine units will arrive shortly to generate clean

water and provide further logistical help.

 

SOURCE: Reuters

URL:

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SZDWADLI32VXACRBA

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