Iran Criticizes U.S. Quake Relief EffortsBut then I scanned down the page and saw this:
Hardliners in Iran's Gov't Criticize U.S. Quake Relief Efforts; Accuse U.S. of Meddling
Hardliners in Iran's government criticized U.S. relief efforts after the devastating earthquake that killed more than 30,000 people and flattened the ancient city of Bam, accusing Washington of trying to meddle in Tehran's affairs.
The criticism came as the Bush administration considered sending Sen. Elizabeth Dole to Iran as part of a relief mission after the 6.6-magnitude quake, and asked President Mohammad Khatami whether Tehran would allow a Dole-led delegation, an administration official said Friday.
Bush, shortly after the Dec. 26 tragedy, said he was glad the Iranians had accepted U.S. assistance a rare bit of cooperation between the two nations since their relations were broken by the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.Look, if you're going to help out...help out. Grab a shovel and dig some dirt. But don't go there with some bucks and Liz Dole and start doing the pre-Iraq-war chant.
But the president added: "The Iranian government must listen to the voices of those who long for freedom, must turn over al-Qaida that are in their custody and must abandon their nuclear weapons program."
The charity bell just rings hollow when Bush is pulling the rope, doesn't it?
