A week of natural disasters, global health worries and a new constitution.

Pakistan's Premier made a heartfelt appeal to the US on a global news channel repeatedly this week for more aid, as his country tries to cope with the aftermath of what has happened. A UN spokesman said on Thursday that there were only 10 helicopters on site to help with relief efforts, however, 100 were necessary to rescue the lives of those still stranded in remote parts of the country. They say up to 38,000 have died in the disaster so far, and they are still counting.

Although I know that we can't prevent natural disasters from occurring, we can be better prepared for them. As President Pervez Musharraf begged for help from the US on global news channels this week, it was a sad realisation that they had been left alone to cope with difficult and almost impossible rescue efforts. The US has now pledged to have 40 helicopters in Pakistan within weeks, although this may be too little too late. The temperatures are dropping now and with rainy weather also crippling the rescue efforts these helicopters are needed sooner as opposed to later. It's not like the US has any helicopters in the region, but I guess they are all too busy causing damage to other peoples lives to have time to stop by the needy in Pakistan. Saudi Arabia pledged a generous $133.3m on Saturday to help in the rebuilding of schools and hospitals, I'd like to see the US match this. I'm not saying that it's the US' responsibility to take care of the world – that would be too simple – but as it has spread plenty of terror, poverty, and displacement across the world (for over 4 decades), I do think that it has a debt to repay to society as a whole.


The Turkish Prime Minister was pictured eating chicken salad this week, while up to 2000 chickens/turkeys were being slaughtered in and around the Aegean city of Balikesir. The strain of flu, that has been identified as H5N1 was brought into the country by migrating birds and has also been found in samples taken from birds in Romania.

One friend named his msn messenger in honor of the story "a bird flew", which I thought was quite sweet.

After writing up the first panic of the virus last Sunday, I received a mail from my girlfriend in New York the following Friday. I didn't realise it took so long for news to reach the US shores. However, I was glad that she was taking an interest in it, but what kind of interest was the worry that followed. I was somewhat shocked at her reaction to what was going on in Turkey. So much so that I felt compelled to start a blog and write about it, and barking sparrows help me if she ever reads my blog, as she may not like what I am about to say. Her initial questions were related to Turkey and the EU or the perception of Turkey in the EU. While, I thought this to be an odd combination "bird flu & Turkey's EU membership" I also took the approach that maybe I had misunderstood her question. I informed her that it had been brought into the country by migrating birds and she replied that of course she knew that but she was looking for something a bit more gritty like what was the perception of Turkey now from the EU. Was it a dirty gross stinking backwater? I then informed her that the UK had also been a victim of BSE or "mad cows" as it came to be known. And asked her had that made the UK look like a "dirty stinky gross place"? Her reply was even more shocking.

"let's think big picture here- britain is not a huge developing country teeming with brown-skinned muslim people. it's the colonial power aka the bearers of civilization, not the ones that need to be civilized/the ones crashing at the gates of europe.
nevermind i'll look online for some commentary"

While I love her to bits and respect her opinion, at the same time I was deeply shocked that she could utter such a steroetype. She has been to Turkey three times in the last 12 months and I just couldn't believe that this was her summary of what a Turk or Turkey is. I don't know about you, but how many brown-skinned muslim people do you know in this country? Hmmm, I seem to know a whole rainbow of people living here. The north is famous for blonde hair and blue eyes – nothing to do with their close proximity to Russia of course or the fact that the vikings sailed around this coast many moons ago. And do I really need to remind her that the Ottoman Empire was actually one of the longest ruling empires in history – they ruled for around 600 years, if I'm not mistaken. So where on earth did this idea come from? It's just a western stereotype of Turkey. And it kind of made me a little mad to be honest. I hope that this image will change as Turkey edges closer towards Europe, but I'm not too sure. It reminds me of something that William Blum wrote in Rogue Nation, "The American mind is so deeply politically formed that to liberate it would involve uncommon, and as yet perhaps undiscovered, philosophical and surgical skill." I am not an "American hater", being a US passport holder, but this sense of over intellectualized stereotype did kind of annoy me.

The reforms process and the implementation of these reforms is something that is related to Turkey's EU membership, not the unfortunate episode of bird flu. Turkey got the go ahead for EU acession talks on October 3. You might also like to know that actually Turkey was well-prepared for the outbreak (like the US was in New Orleans!). Experts deployed by the ministry of agriculture weeks if not months ago had been sent to the region and seminars were given to local farmers in order to facilitate the reduction of such an impact on the country "in the foresight that something like this MIGHT happen". The matter was handled quite quickly and efficiently, something that Europe can be proud of Turkey for doing, as the 25-nation bloc is now under threat too.

Romania is now under the "bird flu" spotlight as the strain of flu that was passed onto the chickens in Turkey may have come from migrating ducks that are presently residing on the Danube. Will this affect their membership dreams? I wouldn't think so. They are scheduled to join in January 2007, the only thing looking to hold them back now is the process of reforms being slowed as the country suffered from flooding this summer, along with other reasons.

The new constitution was voted on in Iraq today. We are yet to see the outcome. If the vote is "yes" there will be a general election in December, which will install a government for 5 years. If the vote is "no" the government will be dissolved and the process will start again. All I hope is that the Iraqis get what they wish for.


Quotes I found this week, which I thought others should read:

How can they have the arrogance to dictate to us where we should go or which countries should be our friends? Gadhafi is my friend. He supported me when we were alone and when those who tried to prevent my visit here today were our enemies. they have no morals. We cannot accept that a state assumes the role of the world's policeman. Nelson Mandela 1997

Throughout the world, on any given day, a man, woman or child is likely to be displaced, tortured, killed or "disappeared", at the hands of governments or armed political groups. more often that not, the United States shares the blame. Amnesty International 1996

Published in Rogue Nation by William Blum (no guesses what I am reading). Blum is an ex-state department employee and since writing this book has possible become one of the least employable people in the US.