Shamus:
But it's only a third world country, so nobody cares. I think that's why people hate the U.S. and north america so much.
U.S. to Help Iran Earthquake Victims
WASHINGTON (AP)--Despite political differences, the Bush administration is pledging all-out help to the Iranian people after last week's devastating earthquake.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage gave assurances of assistance Saturday by telephone to Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, who was in Tehran.
Armitage said the earthquake was a humanitarian tragedy that transcended political consideration and called for the support of the United States, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said Monday.
Zarif called Armitage back a few minutes later to accept the offer, Ereli said.
The United States and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since radical Islamists overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, took Americans hostage and held them until January 1981.
According to the Pentagon, eight Air Force C-130 cargo planes have flown into Iran with a total of 150,000 pounds of relief supplies, including blankets, medical supplies and water.
An Air Force C-5A cargo plane from Dover Air Force Base, Del., flew a seven-member U.S. Agency for International Development disaster relief team and 77 technical and medical specialists, including an 11-member search-and-rescue team, to Kuwait, where they took another flight to Bam, site of the earthquake.
``We stand ready to continue our assistance and to respond to the needs of the victims of this tragedy as appropriate and as requested,'' Ereli said.
AP-NY-12-29-03 1508EST