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ITN news last night was at great pains to point out the seriousness and generosity with which the US is taking the tsunami relief effort: it came up twice in the bulletin. Whatever the reasons for this emphasis (simple coincidence? genuine newsworthiness? pressure from paymasters or politicians?) it shouldn't obscure their initial reaction of $15 million aid: what they would perhaps give if noone was looking. This gesture was rightly slammed as "stingy" by Jan Egeland of the UN. (Compare spending in Iraq: $1 million per second.(costofwar.com))