Napa Valley Register Online | CommentaryOpinion: "A good cause and a strike at terrorism
By MORTON KONDRACKE
Monday, November 14, 2005 11:46 AM PST
The United States reaped huge political benefits from its generous response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. But it's in danger of falling short now in strategically vital Pakistan.
Five weeks after an earthquake killed an estimated 87,000 people and left 2 million homeless with savage weather descending, the U.S. government has committed $156 million to relief in Pakistan, compared to $1 billion after the tsunami.
Private U.S. donations for Pakistan so far total $47.7 million. That compares to $600 million a month after the tsunami and $1.6 billion total. A week after the tsunami, President Bush enlisted his father and former President Bill Clinton to lead private relief fundraising. It took 20 days for him to appoint five corporate CEOs to lead a similar effort after the earthquake, along with Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes.
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