QUOTIDIAN
. .

CRAWFORD, Texas - 1 January 2005
President Bush, seeking to bolster America's humanitarian image after the Indian Ocean tsunamis, called Saturday for flags to be flown at half-staff next week to honor victims of the disaster. A day after he raised the US aid contribution to $350 million from $35 million, Bush used his weekly radio address to emphasize the need for private relief donations for devastated areas where massive waves killed at least 124,000 people and left five million others homeless.

 
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'The carnage is of a scale that defies comprehension,' Bush said, noting that $15 million of the US aid has been disbursed to relief organizations in the Indian Ocean region. 'I have signed a proclamation calling for our nation's flag to be flown at half-staff this coming week. As the people of this devastated region struggle to recover, we offer our love and compassion, and our assurance that America will be there to help.'
 
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