Another Missed Opportunity?

With rare exception, natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, as awful as they are, provide opportunities for nations that are otherwise at odds with one another, to find common ground. It's a measure of each nation's shared humanity - basic stuff really. As events unfold in the Big Easy, Biloxi and countless other towns in the surrounding area, I cannot help but take note of the fact that, yet again, another opportunity for simple, decent humanitarianism is quickly slipping by. The government of The Islamic Republic Of Iran could have responded appropriately by doing more that the mere perfunctionary offering condolences, which to their credit, they have expressed. While words are not unimportant, nor unappreciated, why not take unequivocal action such as offering to immediately provide search and rescue teams that because of Iran's own vulnerability to natural disasters, earthquakes for example, it is more than capable of doing. When in December 2003 an earthquake destroyed the city of Bam, the United States government put aside political differences they had with the government in Tehran and offered to send their own search and rescue teams to assist the ordinary Iranian people amidst the widespread misery. Now it is Iran's turn. As I tell my eight year old, always offer to help - whether it is accepted or not is not the issue - basic stuff really.