Bottom 5 of ‘05
Five of the worst events of 2005
Melissa Hiebert, Staff
5) Continuing occupation of Iraq
Four years later and U.S. troops are still occupying Iraq. 2,113 U.S. soldiers have died since the beginning of the occupation, which pales in comparison to the tens of thousands of casualties who were Iraqi citizens. Although Saddam Hussein has been captured as of this year and military operations are said to have ceased, U.S. soldiers continue to occupy the region, and the death toll is still rising every day. The U.S. spends $300 billion a year on the war, which drastically takes away from other much needed services, such as education and aid. The $71.2 million that was taken away from the New Orleans levee project was just one example of a cutback that was implemented in order to divert more funds to the war efforts. What started as a war on terrorism has since been criticized as turning into a war over oil, and it seems like this year won’t mark the end of it.
4) Death of the Pope
An event that had a profound impact on many Catholics around the world, Pope Jean Paul II died on April 16, 2005, at the age of 84. He was selected as the 264th pope on October 16th, 1978, and remained in his position for 26 years. He had a close call decades earlier when he suffered severe injuries after an assassination attempt in May of 1981. Many people all over the world held ceremonies and vigils in his memory, and over 70,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square to mourn the loss of Pope Jean Paul II.
3) Avian Flu
Also known as the ‘bird flu,’ the Avian flu virus is a type of influenza virus that is hosted by birds. So far, there have been 133 human cases of the Avian flu reported, and 68 deaths have resulted. Many people fear that this flu could reach the proportions of the Spanish flu, but many people believe that this is just another fabrication created by our ‘fear culture.’ There have been no reports yet of human to human transmissions of the virus, and the World Health Organization is working on prevention strategies as well as vaccines.
2) Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans
Touching down in Louisiana on August 29, hurricane Katrina left New Orleans almost completely underwater after destroying a levee that was preventing the Mississippi from flowing into the city. Although the effects of a possible hurricane were simulated in advance, no evacuation plan was created. Many people, mainly the impoverished, were stuck in the city and forced to wait for days for aid to arrive. The death toll is estimated at around 1,322, with thousands more reported missing. Many people accused the Bush administration of racism, as most of the people who were not evacuated from the city were African American. He was also criticised for gross negligence. The day after Katrina hit, Bush was playing golf. He waited three days to make a TV appearance and five days before visiting the disaster site. Bush had also previously cut the Army Corps of Engineers’ budget for levee construction in New Orleans by $71.2 million. The estimated cost of the damages done by the flood is between $80 and $130 billion.
1) South Asian Earthquake
Known officially as the Kashmir earthquake, this disaster occurred on October 8, 2005. It ranked around 7.6 on the Richter scale, killing an estimated 87,350 people and leaving millions homeless. The Earthquake was felt from Afghanistan to Bangladesh, and there were 22 aftershock quakes. Days later, many remote villages still had yet to receive aid, and the effects of the aftershocks hindered rescue efforts. Although the region has received financial help from other nations, thousands still remain stranded in the mountain regions, and it is feared that thousands more may die with the coming of winter.
