I'm slightly insulted by this and some of the posts in the thread.

Today I watched Mr Bush say on a TV news report that the US could cope without needing to recall US troops that are already deployed in other areas of the world. So, that being said, I'm sure that if the US government wanted any international help and asked for it, it would be forth coming. As it to my current knowledge hasn't been asked for I'm wonder what would happen if UK, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese or other any national warship(s) full of troops even offering help were to appear to suddenly appear at a Southern US seaport with out US permission?

As a European Brit who watches the news (and has no political leanings one way or the other). I am surprised by the attitude and some of the views of both American and European contributors to this forum.

In UK news articles on the subject the devastation of the Tornado and the rescue operation is pictured / shown vividly (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4203718.stm). In the same program I watched an article on hundreds of Iraqis killed in a stampede to escape a feared suicide bomber (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4203784.stm) and report on the anniversary of the Beslan School siege (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4203250.stm).

These are all tragic occurrences and I feel should not be used to score political points against each other, but be used to bring people together.

There are human tragedies all over the world, and what ever the reason for them, lets please, not use them to point the finger. Let’s use them to try to bring people together. Doing otherwise belittles our selves, the mocks the lives of those affected.

We all need to live with a lot more understanding and acceptance.