Musharraf Says Quake Aid Essential To Fight Against Terrorism

DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Musharraf said these Chinook helicopters have become "a household name, and everyone knows that the United States has provided this aid."

Washington (AFP) Nov 15, 2005
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday said aid to help his country recover from the October earthquake that killed nearly 74,000 people and left millions homeless was vital to fighting terror.

Asked on NBC television's "Today" show whether increased aid from the United States would help Pakistan combat terrorism, Musharraf replied: "Yes it will.

"It will lend more credibility and strength to our decision that we took of backing the United States and being with the United States."

"The people would understand that joining the coalition, fighting against terrorism, joining, supporting the United States against terrorism, were all correct decisions," he said.

Pakistan plans to host a donors' conference in Islamabad on Saturday to try to raise the billions of dollars it needs to help victims and to rebuild areas devastated by the October 8 quake.

Musharraf told NBC that 5.1 billion dollars in aid would be required, including 3.5 billion for reconstruction.

The United States has given Pakistan, a key ally in its "war on terror," 156 million dollars for the relief effort, and some 975 US military personnel are now taking part in relief operations there.

That number is expected to rise to about 1,200 as winter approaches, US officials have said.

About two dozen US military helicopters have also been ferrying supplies and moving people around the area.

Musharraf said these Chinook helicopters have become "a household name, and everyone knows that the United States has provided this aid."

Asked about Americans' potential reluctance to help a country where Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding out, Musharraf told NBC: "It's a failure of intelligence in not being able to identify where this man is. Most of the intelligence ... is directly provided by the United States of America."

"Whose failure is it? Is it Pakistan, or is it the United States, or is it a combined failure? Let's not put blame on anyone," he urged.

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DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Pakistan Quake Victims Taught To Build Shelter From Ruins

Muzaffarabad, Pakistan (AFP) Nov 14, 2005
Thirty thousand quake-hit families in Pakistan's wintry mountains are being taught to build shelter from the rubble of their homes under a new United Nations programme launched Monday.

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