TO THE NYT: WHY NO TSUNAMI ALERTS?

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”

September 01, 2006

To the Editor of The New York Times
Re: TSUNAMI Dec. 26, 2004 - WHY NO TSUNAMI ALERTS?

letters@nytimes.com

Sir,


Bob Herbert quoting King Lear (N.Y.T. 12/31, 2004, “Our Planet and Our Duty”) mistook the Tsunami for a God-ordained disaster: 

“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods. They kill us for the sport.”
We respond: < ’Tis a causeless fantasy and childish error. >

A few days later Adm. Lautenbacher, head of the federal warning authority NOAA, stated Jan. 14, 2005 on “Ask the White House”: 

< We now have the capability to predict with certainty if a tsunami has been created and where it’s headed and when it will hit. We rely on a variety of remote sensing devices including underwater sensors and data from orbiting environmental satellites > (http://www.whitehouse.gov/ask/print/20050114.html)


The people along the threatened shorelines never heard a warning from his outfit. In addition lots of countries plus several armed forces have countless stations that measure and locate seaquakes anywhere on the globe. A prediction about a likely destructive wave could have come from many sources. Some in the US military admit having inactively watched the catastrophe proceed on their spy satellite screens. Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting victims could easily have been alerted in good time but weren’t. After northwest Sumatra had been laid waste the Thai government knew the wave was heading towards its beaches crowded with holidaymakers from all corners the world and did nothing.


Why did nearly 300 000 people have to die?
When will The Times start investigating?


Yours faithfully,


Jerzy Chojnowski
(Tsunami survivor in Thailand)
Chairman-GTVRG e.V.
www.gtvrg.de

  ************************************************ 
GERMAN TSUNAMI VICTIMS RESPONSE GROUP
WORKING TO PREVENT MAN-MADE DISASTERS
Anyone can contribute. Donate and help our association. 
Account for Donations: www.gtvrg.de

******************************************************