Yahoo! News - Bush Raises Tsunami Aid Tenfold to $350 Million
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush, under pressure over the pace and scale of American aid to Asian tsunami victims, abruptly raised the U.S. contribution to $350 million on Friday, 10 times the amount pledged just two days ago.

The increased assistance was only the latest step the Bush administration and Congress to bolster America's contribution to relief efforts amid criticism that its initial response had been slow and miserly.

The $350 million sum far outstripped relief contributions from any other country and increased total aid pledges from nearly 40 nations by about 28 percent to nearly $1.36 billion. Before Friday's announcement, the biggest donors had been Britain with $96 million and Sweden with $80 million.

But the larger number did not insulate the Bush administration from critics.

"It became more evident that $35 million was just not appropriate to the scale of the disaster. And $350 million is not appropriate either," remarked Brookings Institution analyst Ivo Daalder, who said the daunting humanitarian need could require major involvement by the U.S. military and NATO.

"The administration's tendency has been to approach this like any other natural disaster," he added.

Another tendency has been to promise money and not follow through, although this time the spotlight is on and it will be harder to slip away. I wish the "world opinion" would work this way all the time!