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Politics : WAR on Terror. Will it engulf the Entire Middle East? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (8504)	1/6/2005 9:10:19 AM
From: DeplorableIrredeemableRedneck	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 32591

Saudis boost aid to wave victims The UN says it urgently needs $1bn in cash for relief work Oil-rich Saudi Arabia has increased its aid pledge for tsunami victims, after criticisms that Gulf states were not contributing enough. The Saudi government has tripled its initial pledge of $10m to $30m "in view of the recent assessments of the magnitude of the tragedy". It is also hosting a telethon on state-controlled television to raise money. More than $3bn of aid has been promised to countries affected by the tsunami, including $85m from Gulf states. Media reports in the region have suggested governments should to more to help, particularly as some of the worst affected regions - such as Indonesia - are largely Muslim. However, the Saudi ambassador to Britain, Prince Turki Al Faisal, denied the increase was a direct response to the criticism. "The initial contribution initially after the news came out, so the picture was not clear to anybody as to the extent of the devastation," he told the BBC's Today programme. "Once that picture became clear, it was decided to treble the contribution," he said 'Collective miserliness' The United Arab Emirates has pledged $20m, and Kuwait has increased its initial pledge of $1m to $10m. Qatar has offered $25m, plus food, medical and logistical supplies. The two largest international donors are Germany and Australia, which have offered $674m and $765m over five years respectively. Kuwait's Al Qabas newspaper last week criticised Gulf states for not giving more aid. "We have to give them more; we are rich," al Qabas editor-in-chief Waleed Al Nusif told the New York Times earlier this week. Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper accused Middle Eastern governments of "collective miserliness in this hour of human need", adding that they should " dig a bit deeper into pockets". Khalid Al Maeena, editor-in-chief of the Saudi Arabian newspaper Arab News, says the government's contribution of $30m is little, but private donations have been huge. news.bbc.co.uk