NATO to Help U.S. Transport Aid From Abroad

The Bush administration turned to NATO on Thursday for help in transporting to the United States a burgeoning international inventory of relief equipment that has been offered to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Ninety-five countries have offered about $1 billion in cash and goods, as well as technical assistance, U.S. officials said. But some of the supplies remained abroad, where foreign officials in some instances said they had not heard back from U.S. counterparts on whether their offers would be accepted.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization told U.S. officials that its crews could transport aid to the Gulf Coast.

Eleven cargo planes landed Thursday in Little Rock, Ark., carrying aid from abroad, after 11 others Wednesday. But some countries said they still had no word on whether their offers would be accepted.

A cargo plane with supplies, including a water purification system, had been on a runway in Sweden since last week waiting for clearance to fly to the U.S.

“We’ve made a number of requests for clearance, and the U.S. has accepted the offer in principle,” said Claes Thorson, spokesman for the Swedish Embassy in Washington. “But it remains to solve the logistical problem.”

Other European countries “have the same problem,” he added.

Poland, Austria and Norway are among those that have not heard back, diplomats said.

As foreign donors have expressed exasperation with the U.S. response, American officials have sought to emphasize that though they appreciate the offers of aid, not all help can be immediately put to use.

U.S. officials have been telling countries that some kinds of assistance are more helpful than others, adding that cash is the most easily put to use.

More than $400 million has been accepted, including $100 million from Kuwait, $100 million from the United Arab Emirates and $100 million from Qatar. Kuwait has also offered $400 million worth of oil.

Tons of aid has been arriving from Europe. On Thursday, relief workers and supplies arrived from Germany, which has offered a range of aid, including food rations, high-speed water pumps and forensic experts. It has also begun releasing oil from its strategic national reserve.

A French aircraft with supplies and personnel arrived Thursday, after two others that arrived Tuesday. The French have offered water treatment supplies, generators, tents, food rations and a 150-person team to help with relocation and psychological assistance.

The countries offering to help include a number of major recipients of U.S. aid, including Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel.