Politics make my head hurt

Can someone explain to me, how, with all those offers of help:

"U.N. assistance was first offered to Washington on Wednesday by Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland, who led the global aid effort after December's Indian Ocean tsunami."
"The United Nations along with more than 20 countries, ranging from allies Germany and Japan to poor Honduras, have offered help to Washington."

And Canada all but jumping up an down shouting "DART!" "MAKES WATER!!"

Oil seems to be the only thing asked for/accepted?

I know the high gas prices (and part of me really wants to mention that the prices in Leipzig, which are generally relatively low, just reached 1.40€/l at the cheapest place I could find. That's 7.95 USD/gallon) are a problem, but is it really the *only* one?

ETA 03.09.05, since this is now a place I collect links: But why should the fate of offers of help from foreign countries be better than the Red Cross's?