PHOTOS, PAGE 1

       Editor and prime reporter is Doug Terry, a veteran television and radio reporter in   Washington, DC, (details below)

The mess over suspended evac flights from Haiti goes on, with flights having now been suspended since last Wednesday. The state of Florida insists it has not closed its doors to wounded Haitians. The White House says the US government has also not taken any action to stop the flights. Yet, they remain on the ground and it is being reported in the Miami Herald and WSJ that the US Air Force commander has halted the flights, for fear the patients will be taken some place and then not received by hospitals. One hospital in Florida says it has plenty of room for patients, as reported by the WSJ:

At least one Florida hospital chain said it has space for Haitian patients. The 1,800-bed Orlando Health, with facilities in Orlando and other parts of Central Florida, is not at capacity and is still able to take in Haitian medical evacuees, hospital spokeswoman Kena Lewis said Saturday. Orlando Health has already treated 34 earthquake victims, she said. "We'll treat everyone who comes."

It is abundantly clear that there is a lack of national leadership in Washington on Haiti coming from the White House. When problems like this arise, it takes a few direct orders from the highest officials to get it straightened out, pronto. Absent those orders clarifying what people are to do, hours turn into days without a clear direction.

Just who is doing a heck of a job now, Brownie?

Reuters
Sunday, January 31, 2010; 5:38 PM

 PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - The U.S. military will resume evacuation flights to the United States for critically injured Haitian earthquake victims within the next 12 hours, the White House said on Sunday.

"Having received assurances that additional capacity exists both here and among our international partners, we determined that we can resume these critical flights," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement.

 "The flights are on track to resume in the next 12 hours," Vietor said.

THE LINK:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/31/AR20100131016 11.html?hpid=topnews

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