    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [January 1, 2005]
    [Pages 1-2]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1]]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 1, 2005

        Good morning. On this first day of a new year, we join the world in
    feeling enormous sadness over a great human tragedy. Last Sunday, an
    earthquake and violent tsunamis struck the nations that surround the
    Indian Ocean. The carnage is of a scale that defies comprehension, with
    over 100,000 deaths reported. 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.
        Earlier this week, I spoke with the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and
    Indonesia. I offered them the
    condolences of our Nation, and I praised their steadfast leadership. The
    task they face is difficult. Their relief resources are stretched nearly
    to the limit. Communications, roads, and medical facilities have been
    badly damaged. Disease has become a very real threat.
        Americans are a compassionate people, and we are already hard at
    work helping those nations meet these challenges. The United States has
    pledged $350 million in relief assistance, with $15 million already in
    the hands of relief organizations in the affected countries. To help
    coordinate this massive relief effort, disaster response officials are
    on the ground and have established a support center in Thailand that is
    manned and operational. More than 20 patrol and cargo aircraft have been
    made available to assess the disaster and deliver relief supplies. Many
    of those aircraft are already on the scene. We have dispatched the
    aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, the maritime prepositioning squadron
    from Guam, and an amphibious ship carrying a Marine Expeditionary Unit.
    They will soon be in position to support relief efforts, to include the
    generation of clean water.
        Tomorrow I will send a delegation to the area to meet with regional
    leaders and international organizations to assess what additional aid
    can be provided by the United States. The delegation will be led by
    Secretary of State Colin Powell and Governor
    Jeb Bush, who has extensive experience in the State
    of Florida with relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts
    following natural disasters. Secretary Powell has already spoken with
    many of his counterparts in the region and with officials from the
    United Nations and other governments that are helping with the response.
    Together, we are leading an international coalition to help with
    immediate humanitarian relief, rehabilitation, and long-term
    construction efforts. India, Japan, and Australia have already pledged
    to help us coordinate these relief efforts, and I'm confident many more
    nations will join this core group in short order.
        Here at home, Americans are translating the blessings of our own
    country into generosity to others. From charitable organizations to
    private individuals to companies, our fellow citizens, on their own
    initiative, are raising millions of dollars for relief efforts. These
    Americans, donor and fundraiser alike, represent the best of our country
    and offer an example to the world. Any American who desires to donate to
    these efforts can easily do so online, by accessing the USA Freedom
    Corps web site at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
        In this season when we gather with loved ones and count our many
    blessings, we hold the victims of this terrible tragedy in

    [[Page 2]]

    our hearts and prayers. And let us be mindful that even in this modern
    age, our world still requires compassion, tolerance, and generosity from
    each of us.
        Laura and I send our condolences to all whose
    hearts are filled with grief this New Year's Day. And to our fellow
    Americans, we wish you peace and happiness in the coming year.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 8:20 a.m. on December 31, 2004, at the
    Bush Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 1,
    2005. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on December 31, 2004, but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address. The proclamation of January 1 is
    listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.