Bungled Ferry Rescue

Politics seem to come into play with the Egyptian ferry sinking yesterday. As 2 of the best navies in the region speeded aid to the 1000 plus passengers in the water, first the Egyptian authorities refused help, then OK'd it, then refused again:

Rescue boats picked up at least 362 survivors from an Egyptian ferry that caught fire and sank in the Red Sea, apparently so fast there was no time for a distress signal. But more than 1,000 missing passengers and crew were feared drowned, officials said Saturday...

Rescue efforts appeared to have been confused. Egyptian officials initially turned down a British offer to divert a warship to the scene and a U.S. offer to send a P3-Orion maritime naval patrol aircraft to the area. In the end, the Orion - which has the capability to search under water from the air - was sent, but the HMS Bulwark was not, said Lt. Cdr. Charlie Brown of the U.S. 5th Fleet, based in Bahrain.