Video showing Bush knew they levys could break in N.O.

[soul4real]

http://play.rbn.com/?url=ap/nynyt/g2...p&mode=compact









say it with me: impeachment.


the video:
http://play.rbn.com/?url=ap/nynyt/g2...p&mode=compact

http://nytimes.com/2006/03/01/politi...rtner=homepage

March 1, 2006
Video Shows Bush Was Warned Before Katrina
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage.

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

The footage -- along with seven days of transcripts of briefings obtained by The Associated Press -- show in excruciating detail that while federal officials anticipated the tragedy that unfolded in New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast, they were fatally slow to realize they had not mustered enough resources to deal with the unprecedented disaster.

Linked by secure video, Bush's confidence on Aug. 28 starkly contrasts with the dire warnings his disaster chief and a cacophony of federal, state and local officials provided during the four days before the storm.

A top hurricane expert voiced "grave concerns" about the levees and then-Federal Emergency Management Agency chief Michael Brown told the president and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff that he feared there weren't enough disaster teams to help evacuees at the Superdome.

"I'm concerned about ... their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe," Brown told his bosses the afternoon before Katrina made landfall.

Some of the footage and transcripts from briefings Aug. 25-31 conflicts with the defenses that federal, state and local officials have made in trying to deflect blame and minimize the political fallout from the failed Katrina response:

--Homeland Security officials have said the "fog of war" blinded them early on to the magnitude of the disaster. But the video and transcripts show federal and local officials discussed threats clearly, reviewed long-made plans and understood Katrina would wreak devastation of historic proportions. "I'm sure it will be the top 10 or 15 when all is said and done," National Hurricane Center's Max Mayfield warned the day Katrina lashed the Gulf Coast.

"I don't buy the `fog of war' defense," Brown told the AP in an interview Wednesday. "It was a fog of bureaucracy."

--Bush declared four days after the storm, "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees" that gushed deadly flood waters into New Orleans. But the transcripts and video show there was plenty of talk about that possibility -- and Bush was worried too.

White House deputy chief of staff Joe Hagin, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Brown discussed fears of a levee breach the day the storm hit.

"I talked to the president twice today, once in Crawford and then again on Air Force One," Brown said. "He's obviously watching the television a lot, and he had some questions about the Dome, he's asking questions about reports of breaches."

--Louisiana officials angrily blamed the federal government for not being prepared but the transcripts shows they were still praising FEMA as the storm roared toward the Gulf Coast and even two days afterward. "I think a lot of the planning FEMA has done with us the past year has really paid off," Col. Jeff Smith, Louisiana's emergency preparedness deputy director, said during the Aug. 28 briefing.

It wasn't long before Smith and other state officials sounded overwhelmed.

"We appreciate everything that you all are doing for us, and all I would ask is that you realize that what's going on and the sense of urgency needs to be ratcheted up," Smith said Aug. 30.

Mississippi begged for more attention in that same briefing.

"We know that there are tens or hundreds of thousands of people in Louisiana that need to be rescued, but we would just ask you, we desperately need to get our share of assets because we'll have people dying -- not because of water coming up, but because we can't get them medical treatment in our affected counties," said a Mississippi state official whose name was not mentioned on the tape.

Video footage of the Aug. 28 briefing, the final one before Katrina struck, showed an intense Brown voicing concerns from the government's disaster operation center and imploring colleagues to do whatever was necessary to help victims.

"We're going to need everything that we can possibly muster, not only in this state and in the region, but the nation, to respond to this event," Brown warned. He called the storm "a bad one, a big one" and implored federal agencies to cut through red tape to help people, bending rules if necessary.

"Go ahead and do it," Brown said. "I'll figure out some way to justify it. ... Just let them yell at me."

Bush appeared from a narrow, windowless room at his vacation ranch in Texas, with his elbows on a table. Hagin was sitting alongside him. Neither asked questions in the Aug. 28 briefing.

"I want to assure the folks at the state level that we are fully prepared to not only help you during the storm, but we will move in whatever resources and assets we have at our disposal after the storm," the president said.

A relaxed Chertoff, sporting a polo shirt, weighed in from Washington at Homeland Security's operations center. He would later fly to Atlanta, outside of Katrina's reach, for a bird flu event.

One snippet captures a missed opportunity on Aug. 28 for the government to have dispatched active-duty military troops to the region to augment the National Guard.

Chertoff: "Are there any DOD assets that might be available? Have we reached out to them?"

Brown: "We have DOD assets over here at EOC (emergency operations center). They are fully engaged. And we are having those discussions with them now."

Chertoff: "Good job."

In fact, active duty troops weren't dispatched until days after the storm. And many states' National Guards had yet to be deployed to the region despite offers of assistance, and it took days before the Pentagon deployed active-duty personnel to help overwhelmed Guardsmen.

The National Hurricane Center's Mayfield told the final briefing before Katrina struck that storm models predicted minimal flooding inside New Orleans during the hurricane but he expressed concerns that counterclockwise winds and storm surges afterward could cause the levees at Lake Pontchartrain to be overrun.

"I don't think any model can tell you with any confidence right now whether the levees will be topped or not but that is obviously a very, very grave concern," Mayfield told the briefing.

Other officials expressed concerns about the large number of New Orleans residents who had not evacuated.

"They're not taking patients out of hospitals, taking prisoners out of prisons and they're leaving hotels open in downtown New Orleans. So I'm very concerned about that," Brown said.

Despite the concerns, it ultimately took days for search and rescue teams to reach some hospitals and nursing homes.

Brown also told colleagues one of his top concerns was whether evacuees who went to the New Orleans Superdome -- which became a symbol of the failed Katrina response -- would be safe and have adequate medical care.

"The Superdome is about 12 feet below sea level.... I don't know whether the roof is designed to stand, withstand a Category Five hurricane," he said.

Brown also wanted to know whether there were enough federal medical teams in place to treat evacuees and the dead in the Superdome.

"Not to be (missing) kind of gross here," Brown interjected, "but I'm concerned" about the medical and mortuary resources "and their ability to respond to a catastrophe within a catastrophe."

------

Associated Press writers Ron Fournier and Lara Jakes Jordan contributed to this story.

On the Net:

Homeland Security Department: http://www.dhs.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency: http://www.fema.

[December]

Soul, everyone with even a THUMBNAIL of knowledge about basic terrain knew those levies would eventually give-way. New Orleans is BELOW SEA LEVEL.

There were warnings about the condition of the Levies in 1984, 1992, 1993, 1994... The city of New Orleans felt that building a football stadium (in excess of $300,000,000) was more critical than maintenance on their flood-controls, preparation for a disaster they KNEW was going to happen, and making sure that the city and state level agencies had a working plan in the event said disaster happened.

It took over a week when St. Helens went boom for Federal agencies to have any kind of organized response in 1980-and the cleanup took MONTHS (they're still dredging areas along the Columbia basin that were choked in ash.)

. Given that Federal operations are generally characterized by "Too slow, too little, too late" as a chronic state of affairs, and given the total idiot disregard for fundamental "Gee, I like dry streets" maintenance on the part of the Mayor and the Governor, federal response was pretty quick, and the nine billion dollar package they're getting this year (on top of what they spent last year) is excessive generosity. It's like someone spending their entire paycheck on toys and candy, then expecting the neighbours to foot the bill for keeping their house, car, and living expenses up while they play.

New Orleans chose not to maintain their levies, instead relying on the capricious generosity of the rest of the country, and it ended up getting the river re-routed through downtown when said generosity wasn't forthcoming.

The State of Louisiana failed to have a working plan for an event they KNEW was on the way-there was no "Might be", it was a DEAD CERTAINTY, the only question being "when". It isn't a constitutional requirement for the National Executive to micromanage the affairs of the states, much less individual cities. This is not a Kingdom, it is a Republic-that means that tasks on the local level such as street maintenance, are the responsibility of the Local Governments. When those tasks are dreadfully mishandled, the Federal role is limited to lightening, not eliminating, the consequences.

The People of New Orleans decided a Pro football team was more important to them, than making sure the river stayed out of their houses. They chose leaders that looked good on teevee and were of "The correct Political Party" rather than leaders who were willing to take twenty-plus years of hard data into account and formulate a working plan to deal with the disaster they all HAD to know was going to happen.

If you live in an earthquake zone, you don't build your house on a gravel hillside. (or under one), if you live in dry, forested country, you don't let the damn trees overhang your roof, and if you live in a flood zone, below sea-level, where there are hurricanes every few years, you don't ignore the Levys thinking that someone else will foot the bill for maintaining them.

what happend in Louisiana was sad, it was tragic, it was also the responsibility of the people who live there to prepare for-and they elected not to.

[chefmike]

say it with me: impeachment.

[Hugh Jarrod]

He won't be impeached, he can torture POWs, start wars, let companies screw their employees outta retirement savings, turn his back on Americans in need during a disaster, dodge a war, pass every pork plan through that comes his way, appoint his drinking buddies to offices they aren't qualified for, imprison people without trial, take money from giant corporations for contracts, etc. etc. etc. as long as he doesn't get a BJ from an intern all will be well.

[jt money]

America, I LOVE IT!

[Hugh Jarrod]

America, I LOVE IT!

Me too wouldn't live anywhere else.

[December]

He won't be impeached, he can torture POWs, start wars, let companies screw their employees outta retirement savings, turn his back on Americans in need during a disaster, dodge a war, pass every pork plan through that comes his way, appoint his drinking buddies to offices they aren't qualified for, imprison people without trial, take money from giant corporations for contracts, etc. etc. etc. as long as he doesn't get a BJ from an intern all will be well.

Go for the bribery charges-those may stick. Labour law requires congressional approval, "Dodging" vietnam was so common that most of the people who "MIGHT" have brought it up are guilty themselves, and the rest have questionable issues wrt it as well. (Hint: It won't fly, even in a Democrat congress.)

The bribery, the contract-fixing, these are charges that can be made to stick-if there is the political will. (of course, to make them stick, the ones making the accusation have to have clean hands, and that eliminates most of the Incumbents from the Blue states-all of which have, within their careers, done exactly that same thing.)

The war really isn't, because the false premeses were in place before GW took office, you'd have to go after Bill's NSA (National Security Advisor) and there isn't the political will to do that, either. (should be. Ghod knows that it should be-Billy let Osama go in '96. There'd be four thousand civilans alive today in New York if he hadn't.)

AS for New Orleans, though? sorry-read your constitution again. The federal government only has a responsibility to keep the Port, and the Waterway, open. The City is and was the responsibility of the City and State governments (who chose not to listen to their own scientific advisors, science teachers, real-estate appraisers...). THe lesson here is that just because the Pork ran fat for a long time, doesn't mean that if you don't put a little aside and take care of necessity, it's going to keep running.

New Orleans' crisis is entirely the fault of the local and state governing structures, a state notorious for corruption, I remind you, and their decision to NOT maintain the levys that were keeping the city from becoming part of the mississippi riverbed.

[chefmike]

The war really isn't, because the false premeses were in place before GW took office, you'd have to go after Bill's NSA (National Security Advisor) and there isn't the political will to do that, either. (should be. Ghod knows that it should be-Billy let Osama go in '96. There'd be four thousand civilans alive today in New York if he hadn't.)

Of course, it's all Clinton's fault...that's what the 9/11 comm. determined, right?
And is Clinton is also responsible for invading Iraq on false pretenses, and causing thousands of needless deaths and horrible injuries?
And I suppose that it's also Clinton's fault that the deficit is in the state that it's in now...

[jt money]

The war really isn't, because the false premeses were in place before GW took office, you'd have to go after Bill's NSA (National Security Advisor) and there isn't the political will to do that, either. (should be. Ghod knows that it should be-Billy let Osama go in '96. There'd be four thousand civilans alive today in New York if he hadn't.)

Of course, it's all Clinton's fault...that's what the 9/11 comm. determined, right?
And is Clinton is also responsible for invading Iraq on false pretenses, and causing thousands of needless deaths and horrible injuries?
And I suppose that it's also Clinton's fault that the deficit is in the state that it's in now...

Yes, it is all Clinton's fault!!!!!

BTW, what was the question?

[Hugh Jarrod]

He won't be impeached, he can torture POWs, start wars, let companies screw their employees outta retirement savings, turn his back on Americans in need during a disaster, dodge a war, pass every pork plan through that comes his way, appoint his drinking buddies to offices they aren't qualified for, imprison people without trial, take money from giant corporations for contracts, etc. etc. etc. as long as he doesn't get a BJ from an intern all will be well.

Go for the bribery charges-those may stick. Labour law requires congressional approval, "Dodging" vietnam was so common that most of the people who "MIGHT" have brought it up are guilty themselves, and the rest have questionable issues wrt it as well. (Hint: It won't fly, even in a Democrat congress.)

The bribery, the contract-fixing, these are charges that can be made to stick-if there is the political will. (of course, to make them stick, the ones making the accusation have to have clean hands, and that eliminates most of the Incumbents from the Blue states-all of which have, within their careers, done exactly that same thing.)

The war really isn't, because the false premeses were in place before GW took office, you'd have to go after Bill's NSA (National Security Advisor) and there isn't the political will to do that, either. (should be. Ghod knows that it should be-Billy let Osama go in '96. There'd be four thousand civilans alive today in New York if he hadn't.)

AS for New Orleans, though? sorry-read your constitution again. The federal government only has a responsibility to keep the Port, and the Waterway, open. The City is and was the responsibility of the City and State governments (who chose not to listen to their own scientific advisors, science teachers, real-estate appraisers...). THe lesson here is that just because the Pork ran fat for a long time, doesn't mean that if you don't put a little aside and take care of necessity, it's going to keep running.

New Orleans' crisis is entirely the fault of the local and state governing structures, a state notorious for corruption, I remind you, and their decision to NOT maintain the levys that were keeping the city from becoming part of the mississippi riverbed.

LOL! Well see there's the problem right there it's all Bill Clinton's fault, dam I should've known that. Hey I'm not defending Bill my friend he's done pretty terrible crap in office, the thing is you want to blindly defend Bush. That mentality is every bit the problem with American politics today, everyone things because I don't like how Bush is handling things I'm a Clinton supporter. Immediatly the start in with the "well you liberals" and "the problem with liberals" as if their only ammo is the demonization of the word liberal. Things are viewed as for or against and everyone is in only one of two camps. You look at New Orleans and say it's entirely the fault of local and state governments, you're right. However the response of FEMA is in the hands of the federal government (it's a federal agency don't believe me look it up) Katrina I blame on the mayor of New Orleans,and the governer of Louisiana. The response of FEMA I blame on Bush's appointed cronies and Bush for appointing them. As for the war Bush desired it from the get go, he knew Saddam had WMDs because we sold them to him. It wasn't important as long as he was our dog, it was Saddam's independant actions that cost him his role as leader of a country, just like Noriega. Those types of things happen all the time wether there's a democrat or republican in the white house. Billy let Osama go in 96 LOL, Bush, Billy and the american government need Osama he's the new barbarian at the gate, why do you think Bush charged into Iraq even though Osama was still at large. Besides little known fact in Iraq you could be another religion other than muslim (except jewish of course) Tariq Asiz a member of Saddam's cabinet was christian. This is a no no according to Osama (and Saudi Arabia for that matter), Osama hated Saddam. Yet they want you to believe they were butt buddies and to automatically associate them with each other. Why? The manufacture of consent to invade Iraq. Whoever the next "boogie man" is will also be associated with Osama just watch. As for 4,000 civilians being dead in New York being Billy's fault yep you're correct but only partially, Rice said they had reports about Osama planning an attack on New York using hijacked planes. They didn't even need wire taps they got the info and what happened? It's the fault of Clinton, Bush, and almost every government official who's duty it was to protect Americans fault. That's if you believe it was Osama. Watch the documentary "Loose change" it presents evidence it was done by someone in the USA in order to manufacture consent, as the same plan was thought of by the CIA to invade Cuba. Yet those plans were scrapped. The funniest thing about your whole arguement is that you focus souly on Clinton and come of as nothing more than a Bush cock rider. This man has poorly managed a war, unless of course you watch FOX news. According to FOX news the stock market proves we are winning the war, they even showed the happy investors smiling in a split screen shot with soldiers tired and battle fatigued. It was hard to tell which one was putting his life on the line for a slave wage and which one was drinking Dom in a big house but I think I could tell.