Posted 9/08/2005 05:18:00 PM by Douglas

Turns out, the government was quick to respond to Katrina victims. The Canadian government.

A Canadian search-and-rescue team reached a flooded New Orleans suburb to help save trapped residents five days before the U.S. military, a Louisiana state senator said on Wednesday.

The Canadians beat both the Army and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. disaster response department, to St. Bernard Parish east of New Orleans, where flood waters are still 8 feet deep in places, Sen. Walter Boasso said.

"Fabulous, fabulous guys," Boasso said. "They started rolling with us and got in boats to save people."

Two FEMA officials reached the parish on Sunday and the U.S. Army arrived on Monday, he said.

"Why does it take them seven days to get the Army in?" Boasso asked.

Is there some connection with Arcadiania here? Who knows. Who cares. At least they're getting some help. And it's coming from across the other border, too.

Forty Mexican army trucks crossed into the United States carrying Hurricane Katrina relief supplies, doctors and engineers in a peaceful but highly symbolic operation on US territory.

The convoy of ambulances, mobile kitchens and engineering equipment crossed from the frontier town of Nuevo Laredo into Laredo, Texas and then headed for San Antonio where the legendary battle of the Alamo was fought in 1836.

It is the first Mexican military operation in the United States since the two countries fought a bitter territorial war in the 1840s.

More than 150 years later, Mexican troops are back, unarmed and with help for their wealthier northern neighbors. A lot of Mexicans and other Hispanics are believed to be among the one million people displaced by deadly Hurricane Katrina.

Did I read that right? The Mexican Army entered Texas, drove past the Alamo, and headed to Louisiana to help displaced Hispanic Katrina survivors?

This is just getting weird.