[dd74]

With all due respect to the potency or lack thereof of expired medicines, given the circumstances surrounding the bad publicity Bush, his administration and the U.S. government has received in its perceived ineptitude toward the disaster, I think the State Department is merely playing it safe. I don't think it's a matter of whether or not they want to help the victims as much as it is the notion that the U.S. will be allowing expired drugs to go to the victims in light of the P.R. problems it already has experienced.

I understand the argument from a medical viewpoint - yes, the drugs are probably okay. But "expired" drugs and "U.S." in wake of the tsunami/earthquake could be one more (P.R.) disaster.