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上週末重創南台灣的莫拉克風災，連日來引起美國媒體關注，報導篇幅持續擴大。
「紐約時報」發自台北的報導指出，風災過後，馬總統成為災民指責目標。當馬總統踏進南台灣一處偏遠鄉村學校足球場時，憤怒的災民將他團團圍住，指控政府反應太慢，電視清楚直播當時景況。
報導說，這場台灣過去50年最嚴重的風災，對去年以懸殊票數贏得總統大選的馬總統而言，已經成為很不愉快的政治經驗。
隨著死傷人數不斷升高，紐時指出，這場風災已成為攸關馬總統政治生涯成敗的測試點，提供反對陣營批評的糧秣，以及狼吞虎嚥的媒體無法抵抗的影像題材。
「華爾街日報」也說，救難人員雖然不斷增加，但死傷人數也倍增，外界批評政府反應過慢，要求披露風災死傷消息的聲浪也愈來愈大。
這篇發自台北的報導說，災民與媒體以批判眼光抨擊政府救援及反應過慢，焦點針對馬總統。軍方及救援單位因應這次風災的協調能力也顯然不夠。
華爾街日報指出，外界批評馬總統不頒布可以讓政府徵調更多人員與設備的緊急命令，政府也拒絕接受國際組織的援助。
報導還說，台灣媒體終日充斥災民對抗馬總統的影像，很多災民甚至認為總統的回應很馬虎。
CISHAN, Taiwan (Reuters) - Pressure mounted on Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Thursday to speed up operations to rescue hundreds of residents of remote mountainous villages buried or stranded in the aftermath of typhoon Morakot.
The official death toll in Taiwan stood at 108 after the worst floods in decades washed out roads, snapped bridges, sent dwellings crashing into rivers and forced authorities to deploy hundreds of helicopters for rescue missions.
Morakot has shattered infrastructure in Taiwan's south, a stronghold of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The widespread damage will likely worsen already bleak forecasts for third-quarter economic contraction in Taiwan.
"The KMT is not proactive enough in addressing the suffering of the people," said DPP spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang, referring to the president's Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang.
"The reaction to the disaster is too slow and messy. We should have a better plan based on Taiwan's search-and-rescue experience, but Ma Ying-jeou wasn't prepared. And that shows that his people lack experience."
Some residents challenged Ma as he toured relief operations sites, saying his government should have accepted international help to expedite the rescue process.
"The United States, Japan, Singapore and mainland China have offered financial assistance and we welcome that," Ma told them.
SURVIVORS FOUND IN MOUNTAINS, VILLAGES
Rescuers found 6,500 people who had been stranded near Alishan, a scenic mountain spot, and more than 500 in the town of Liouguei in stricken Kaohsiung county. But hundreds remained unaccounted for in remote areas.
Internet services were being restored, but repairs to undersea cables could take two months. [ID:nTP133784]. Disaster officials said months of work would be needed for some roads, while other reconstruction could take a year or more.
At a rescue hub in Cishan, patience was running thin among relatives waiting for days for news of family members in the path of mudslides that flattened villages such as Hsiao Lin and Namahsia.
"How can they be so slow? Clearly they should be sending more helicopters, right?" said Yan Min-rong, 29, as he pored over lists of survivors.
Regional resentment at the authorities was apparent.
"It's too slow. They don't care about the south. They just care about the north," said Chen Fu-rong, head of a funeral association in Kaohsiung, as she stood alongside bodies of victims.
The military has deployed more than 34,000 personnel and 382 helicopters, it said on its website (www.mnd.gov.tw). Ma and top government officials have been touring affected areas.
"The disaster is huge and many bridges were smashed. Vast numbers of people have been affected and the weather has been very bad," said Tseng Ching-liang, an army colonel in Cishan.
Helicopters have frequently been reduced to hovering over devastated areas and throwing down thick ropes to hoist stranded villagers to safety.
Bad weather has made even such operations difficult. One helicopter crashed into mountainous terrain earlier this week, killing its crew. (Additional reporting by Joan Hsu; Writing by Lee Chyen Yee, editing by Ron Popeski)
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