Is a late admission better than none?

In the European press, the truth does come out - right after the political types spoon feeding them their stories have had a chance to make sure most of the public has forgotten about the original problem.

5 October - Karen McVeigh writing in The Scotsman reports on the UN's findings that their efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami left a great deal to be desired:

The United Nations failed to adequately co-ordinate the relief effort in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami, according to a report commissioned by the International Federation of the Red Cross.

There is even s glimmer of awareness of the righteous indignation which the "world community" evacuated from its' bowels in the days and weeks following the landfall of a certain notable disaster which befell the US:

Matthias Schmale, the UN's international director, said: "We share the concerns of the report. Is the UN playing an effective role in rehabilitation? It would be foolish of me not to acknowledge that there are serious challenges." He said that after the sheer scale of a disaster such as the tsunami or Hurricane Katrina, "chaos is automatically what follows. There is no intentional bad practice, but it is part of an initial response."

Were this information aired or even the sentiment permitted to be discussed at the time, the difficulties after the disaster would have been far less severe. Unfortunately image and appearances trump reality in virtually everything the UN touches.