Still reeling from the terrible impact of Hurricane Katrina on their city, New Orleans residents are seeking solace in the chaos of earthquake-ravaged Pakistan. Travel agencies have reported scores of Southerners heading to the afflicted Kashmiri region, looking for adventure and poorly secured electronic goods. 

“"After all the suffering our city went through, I just needed to get away,”" said Roy Hartford, one of those making the journey. “"There was just nothing left for me any more - no shop windows to smash, no rescue helicopters to shoot at.– I needed to move on to another disaster area.”" Many of the looters say they were initially concerned that subcontinental authorities would bring the situation under control more quickly than the US Government, but that President Musharraf has assuaged those fears.

Travellers to Kashmir will be divided into two underclasses -– white people, who will be described as “desperate for essential supplies”, and black people, who will be called looters. “"There’'s not as much killing or raping as I would like,"” said James Harrigan, one of the international essential-supply seekers. "“But we have to remember Pakistan isn't a free country like the US.”"

Pakistani authorities say that the looters are unwelcome. “"We have perfectly good local gangs of scavengers, who need no outside assistance from freeloaders,"” said Colonel Rafiq Al-Khan of the Pakistan National Army. “"Although if we’'d known those Americans weren'’t part of the international relief effort, we probably wouldn’t have let them drive off in trucks full of medical supplies.”"

President Bush has increased America's pledge of aid after declaring the earthquake part of the War on Terror. According to Mr Bush, the devastating earthquake is more likely to have killed Osama Bin Laden than any of the US or Pakistani armies' efforts since 9/11.

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