France's ambassador to the United States, Jean-David Levitte, sent a formal letter of protest to Andrew Natsios, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, after Natsios publicly questioned France's standing as a humanitarian donor in a Fox News interview.
Natsios, speaking Wednesday, said France was not a significant contributor to international aid and that its assistance tended to take the form of loans rather than outright grants. He cited Britain, the European Union, Japan, Canada, and Australia as more substantial donors to the relief operation.
Levitte's letter, dated Thursday, called the remarks "shocking and uncalled for" and set out France's actual record: 20.5 million euros (roughly 28 million dollars) in direct grants, not loans. France had also deployed military transport planes and a helicopter carrier to the affected region and was supporting proposals for a debt moratorium for stricken countries.
Levitte requested a meeting with Natsios to address what he called inaccuracies in the official's account. The French embassy released the letter publicly.
The United States had by then committed 35 million dollars and dispatched military vessels and aircraft, with officials indicating further assistance was forthcoming. The tsunami had killed more than 125,000 people across the Indian Ocean basin.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in December 2004, in its own words.