Army could isolate bird flu epidemic, says Bush

[dissention]

Is this not the most absurd thing you've heard in...a few days?

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/com...55E663,00.html
Army could isolate bird flu epidemic, says Bush
AFP
06oct05

US President George W. Bush has suggested using the military to contain any epidemic of avian flu.

Mr Bush said the military, perhaps the National Guard, might be needed to enforce quarantines if the H5N1 bird flu virus changes enough to cause widespread human infection.

"If we had an outbreak somewhere in the United States, do we not then quarantine that part of the country?" he asked.

"And how do you then enforce a quarantine?

"It's one thing to shut down airplanes – it's another thing to prevent people from coming in to get exposed to the avian flu.

"And who (is) best to be able to effect a quarantine?

"One option is the use of a military that's able to plan and move, so that's why I put it on the table.

"I think it's an important debate for Congress to have."

The comments came as Indonesia confirmed a man, 23, has become its seventh bird flu victim and the Red Cross released its annual World Disasters Report.

Tens of thousands of people lost their lives in last year's Indian Ocean tsunami because of a lack of both a proper warning system and vital information about emergency procedures, the Red Cross said yesterday.

In the report, which covers drought, famine, floods, earthquakes, storms and other disasters, the Red Cross said that 250,000 people died last year in 719 separate catastrophes.

The number was far higher than the annual average of 67,000 logged from 1994 to 2003 because of the December 26 tsunami, which claimed at least 225,000 lives.

About 146 million people were affected by disasters – 110 million of them by flooding in Bangladesh, China and India.

Total estimated damage worldwide was between $131.4 billion and $190.5 billion.

Hi-tech warning systems are important but do not stand alone, said report editor Jonathan Walter. "We have to build a culture of public awareness," Mr Walter said.

The federation told of an Indian fisherman's son who lived in Singapore and called his family back home to tell them the tsunami was on its way after seeing TV news reports, saving 3600 lives.

Scientists were able to track the tsunami but lacked channels to inform enough people in threatened areas.