Secretary of State Clinton Calls On American Public To Help Pakistan Flood Victims

  The Pakistan floods will be the greatest test of global solidarity of our time, United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki Moon told the General Assembly during a donors conference for the embattled country today in New York. The Secretary General returned this week from a trip to Pakistan where he got a first hand look at of the scope of the destruction. 

 “The eyes see, the ears hear, yet somehow the mind struggles to grasp the full dimension of this catastrophe. Almost 20 million people need shelter , food and emergency care, more than the entire population hit by the Indian ocean tsunami” said Ban, who described the flood  as a  “slow motion tsunami”.

 Ban says at least 460 million dollars will be needed to address basic needs over the next 90 days, and although over half of the funds have already been met by pledges, Ban says there is no time to spare.

“All of these resources are needed and they are needed now. Your pledges today must be followed up by action, action that delivers change on the ground.”

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also announced the US would pledge another 60 million dollars to Pakistan and revealed the creation of the Pakistani Relief Fund, a mechanism designed to facilitate public financial donations to flood victims. Americans will be able  contribute 10$ to the cause by text messaging “FLOOD” to 27722 or downloading a donation form on the State Department website in order mail their contribution.

 “The United States has and continues to take swift action to help. But governments cannot be alone in helping the people of Pakistan” Clinton said in a statement released earlier today. 

The past three weeks of rain and flooding have left nearly 20% of the country submerged, destroyed the country’s infrastructure and most of its crops and farm land.

With nearly 70% of its population employed in agriculture and over 1 billion dollars in crops destroyed,Pakistani Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi says his country, the sixth most populated in the world, now faces serious food insecurity. Qureshi also fears Pakistan’s infrastructure  will not be able to sustain the large number of people forced to migrate from flood affected areas to larger cities and expects the situation to get worse as the rain and waves of flooding continue.

White House Responds To Muslim Poll, Reaffirms Obama’s Faith

The White House emphasized President Obama’s Christian faith Thursday after a recent poll from the Pew Research Center indicated that 18 percent of Americans falsely believe Obama is a Muslim, 

“The President is obviously a … Christian,” Deputy Press Secretary Bill Burton told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday. “He prays every day.  He communicates with his religious advisor every single day.”

Added Burton, “His faith is very important to him, but it’s not something that is a topic of conversation every single day.”

When asked if the White House is concerned that the poll signals a lack of trust among Americans, Burton replied that the conclusion would be “extrapolating too much from one poll.”

Instead, Burton attributed the poll results to Americans being primarily concerned with other issues, including the economy and Afghanistan.

Diplomat: Iraqis Embracing Democratic Principles, Despite Political Stalemate

While the United States’ outgoing ambassador to Iraq concedes that the country still faces major hurdles in the formation of its government, he is nevertheless optimistic toward the future of Iraqi democracy.

“If you look at what happens in Iraq in terms of the free press and in terms of freedom of speech, there is a lot of this,” Ambassador Christopher Hill said during remarks Wednesday at the United States Institute for Peace. “People have absorbed the concept of these individual rights.”

Hill also noted that while violence has plagued the country since the early days of the U.S. occupation, it is not the norm.

“Despite the horrific violence, which certainly has unnerved many people, overall the trend-lines in Iraq’s human rights are improving,” Hill said. 

The U.S. is scheduled to remove troops from Iraq at the end of the month, but will still hold a diplomatic stake in the country. According to Hill, the U.S. will not be the only foreign nation keeping a close watch. Hill said Wednesday that Iraq’s oil contracts have benefited the country by ensuring that the international community holds a vested interested in its success.

Obama Urges Senate Republicans To Drop Small Business Bill Filibuster

Describing them as a “partisan minority,” President Barack Obama urged Senate Republicans Tuesday to lift the fillibuster on legislation aimed at helping small businesses receive loans.

“There will be plenty of time between now and November to play politics, but the small business owners … around the country don’t have time for political games,” Obama said during brief remarks at a Seattle Bakery. “I ask Senate Republicans to drop their efforts to block it.”

The Small Business Jobs and Credit Act will provide a $30 billion fund for community banks to spur lending at the local level.

Obama was in the Washington city to campaign for Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who is facing a primary vote Tuesday evening.

Progressive Women Take On Palin

A leading progressive women’s group is challenging former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s “Mama Grizzlies” campaign to put conservative females in office.

Entitled “Sarah Doesn’t Speak For Me,” the new campaign from the PAC Emily’s List is attempting to energize Democrats and moderate Republicans fed up with Palin. The campaign’s website allows visitors to share their opinions on the Republican Vice Presidential candidate and offers a guide to the position’s Palin’s candidates have taken.

“We understand the power of the rising tide of women voters,” EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock said Tuesday during a press conference to kick-off the campaign. “We know that the rising tide of women voters this year want more opportunity … in direct contrast to the candidates Sarah Palin has endorsed.”

Schriock would not give a dollar figure for the campaign.