Troops to Quadruple New Orleans Police

[Brightmore]

Troops to Quadruple New Orleans Police
Associated Press
Lara Jakes Jordan
September 1, 2005

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday that 1,400 National Guard troops per day are being sent in to control looting and lawlessness in New Orleans, quadrupling the regular police force in the city by the weekend.

Already, 2,800 National Guardsmen are in the city to help local police since Hurricane Katrina produced devastating floods in New Orleans, Chertoff said at a news conference with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Another 1,400 Guard troops and military police units are being added daily, he said.

"Security is a concern," Gonzales said. "It is a priority."

National Guard troops are controlled by the governors of individual states.

"We will be deploying into New Orleans a force the size of the New Orleans police department each day, every day, for the next three days. That is a remarkable movement of law enforcement capability into an area that clearly needs augmentation and reinforcement," Assistant Defense Secretary Paul McHale said.

Separately, Chertoff said the Coast Guard has rescued 3,000 people from flood and hurricane-damaged areas but acknowledged that continued flooding in New Orleans has made the federal government's job unusually difficult.

Link

[niyad]

1. SECURITY is a priority??? not food, water, shelter, relief? WTF is the

matter with these assholes?

[VegasWolf]

5. WalMart is bitching about their stores being looted. This is NOT what

WalMart has paid politicians for!

[demnan]

2. Tell each one

to carry in a couple six packs of bottled water.

[Dr Fate]

3. Are they bringing food & water with them?

???

[Teaser]

4. BRING WATER YOU FUCKS!

Sorry for shouting...

[Stewie]

6. These "fucks" you attack are trying to protect the survivors

You CAN NOT deliver food and water until you stop the looters. They are FUCKING HIGHJACKING rescue vehicles. Until you stop the rampaging violence you can't even begin to deliver aid.

I DARE you to go and try to bring supplies to survivors while allowing armed thugs to roam freely. Asses.

[High Plains]

7. Bullshit

How many rescuers have been killed or injured? That's what I thought.

What's with the NG vehicles empty except for the soldiers?

Do you just want everyone there to die? Do you want them to wait another week while Bush restores "law and order"?

Those people need to be taken out of the city NOW, and barring that they need FOOD AND WATER NOW! This hideous emphasis on "law and order" means that people are going to die, and it will be the direct result of decisions taken by these FEMA and other emergency managers who are more concerned with order that saving lives.

[chipaev]

10. Wow, you know everything don't you?

Ummm.. go here http://www.cnn.com/

You see what it says at the top? People evacuating the hospitals have come under SNIPER FIRE.

Do you think before you spew lies from your mouth?

How are they supposed to rescue people when helicopters and rescuers are coming under fire and are in danger themselves?

[High Plains]

19. There is a city that needs to be evacuated

People will die if the rescuers don't act.

Again, I ask, how many rescuers killed or injured?

And why are calling me a liar? I don't appreciate it, and it adds nothing to the dialog.

[brentspeak]

15. You ever try to hand out food and water while getting shot at?

And then there's the crowds. Food and water can't be properly distributed when hundreds, if not thousands, are storming after the food and water at once.

[lebkuchen]

32. EXACTLY

If we could do a Berlin airlift, why not a Superdome lift? And what about the people in Mississippi who aren't living a 25,000 populated urban nightmare? Why have they gone for four days without provisions?

[underpants]

35. Welcome to DU

:hi:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2051393&mesg_id=2051814

[President Kerry]

38. a-men! absolutely right!

[Judi Lynn]

8. Homeland Security secretary says police force being quadrupled in New Orle

September 1, 2005

Homeland Security secretary says police force being quadrupled in New Orleans

(AP-Washington, September 1, 2005, 2:32 p.m.) Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Thursday that 1,400 National Guard troops per day are being sent to New Orleans to control looting and lawlessness, quadrupling its regular police force by the weekend.

Already, 2,800 National Guardsmen are in the city to help local police since Hurricane Katrina produced devastating floods in New Orleans, Chertoff said at a news conference with Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Another 1,400 Guard troops and military police units are being added daily, he said.

"Security is a concern," Gonzales said. "It is a priority."

National Guard troops are controlled by the governors of individual states.

"We will be deploying into New Orleans a force the size of the New Orleans police department each day, every day, for the next three days. That is a remarkable movement of law enforcement capability into an area that clearly needs augmentation and reinforcement," Assistant Defense Secretary Paul McHale said.
(snip/...)

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3795019&nav=0Rcee1xB

[Hobarticus]

9. Put those men in blue to work getting people outta there, fer crissakes!nt

[Carolab]

25. JAYSUS--JUST EVACUATE THEM WILL YA????

What the HELL is going on down there???

[chipaev]

11. Umm..

You can't evacuate anyone if you're getting shot at while doing it.

So far I've heard of 2 cops getting killed, one execution style.

[Opusnone]

12. You are ignorant

I had to login just to reply to your posts. Snipers shooting rescuers? Why? Where?
Are they on every rooftop in the city purposely preventing rescuers or food or water?
Snipers? Please. People are dying, I don't think armed thugs are shooting rescuers.

[chipaev]

13. That's a good question.

Reported however and so far I have much more information than you do.

Also reports of armed bands surrounding police officers.

[chipaev]

14. Sounds like I'm not the ignorant one.

From CNN:

"New Orleans' Charity Hospital halted efforts to evacuate its patients after it came under sniper fire, according to Dr. Tyler Curiel, who witnessed the incidents."


Read it and weep:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/01/katrina.impact/index.html

[Opusnone]

16. Weep?

I am weeping. We just went through Katrina 1.0 in Miami last week. We are counting our blessings that we're still alive and able to make a living.
If pilots can drop bombs, why not water and food? Sniper fire on hospitals? Why? Ask yourself why? Is there a local warlord who has taken over? No. I just don't believe everything I read.
And by the way, I've heard the same reports, read the same stories, etc. I'm not a fucking idiot so back off.

[chipaev]

20. Don't change the subject to Iraq.

Don't get angry.

Go to the link I posted and listen to the radio, ferry pilot has just been shot.

[K8-EEE]

26. Our NG & Military Can't Handle NoLA LOOTERS?

THEN HOW THE HELL ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL ANOTHER COUNTRY WITH 25 MILLION PEOPLE IN IT.

[underpants]

34. Welcome to DU

Look here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2051393&mesg_id=2051814

[Triana]

17. Unfortunately...

...they've got to get control over the gunmen and looters (mostly the gunmen) before they can get any assistance in there. The damned gunmen are not only hampering rescue efforts by shooting at rescuers and other survivors, but also hampering efforts to get food and water to others.

They have GOT to be stopped and unfortunately that has to be #1 priority. I can understand that. Security does have to be #1 in this case. They can't do anything else on a major scale until they can stop people from shooting at them while they try to help.

*sigh*

I just hope beyond all hope that they don't turn this into a concentration camp.

Ugh.

[MissMarple]

23. And, sadly this is a problem of their own making,like the Iraq insurgency.

Things were allowed to go out of control because George raided the emergency management funds. He left them with incompetent leaders and few resources. Hind sight may be 20/20, but experienced emergency managers with adequate resources would have headed a lot of this off. And the levees would have been in much better shape in the first place.

This disaster lies right at George W. Bush's feet. He didn't cause the hurricane, but he crippled the disaster preparedness and the subsequent response.

He refused to listen to knowledgeable people, he didn't want his war plans inconvenienced by any reality based thinking. Spin, shadows and mirrors are all he knows. He is more concerned with appearance than with reality. A fine commander in chief he has made.

Sorry for the rant, I'll get off my soap box, now. :)

[chipaev]

18. Ferry Pilot has just been shot.

Live Feed from Louisiana Distaster Scanner.

http://www.shoutcast.com/directory/?s=Louisiana%20Scanner

Listen in and then tell me we don't need to secure that area.

[Pastiche423]

21. BFD

How many are dying from lack of water and food?

[sweetjake]

24. Too many I'm afraid

I just saw a news report with a dead body on the interstate in the background. It's breaking my heart to think about all of those people just waiting on that interstate near the Superdome. They were turned away from the Superdome, given no information, and have been waiting for over 2 days with no food, no water and no way of knowing if they are going to be rescued.

No wonder tempers are flaring.

[brentspeak]

22. Unbelievable

And of course they'll be people trying to explain away the actions of the shooters, trying to "understand" them.

[Cylinder]

27. CNN: Airport open C-130s on the ground

CNN: New Orleans Airport open and C-130s on the ground!

Here comes the cavalry!!! Maybe this will be the tipping point.

[lebkuchen]

28. The police have rightly said it isn't a police issue anymore, but NG issue

bring in the troops!~~!

[aikoaiko]

29. can't get the food, water, meds in while thugs are shooting at them

I'm glad they are sending in troops to restore some order. Everyone (well not everyone, but I did at least) chuckles when Walmart got sacked for essential supplies and even nonessential supplies, but soon the looters and thugs will turn on themselves. Soon the supplies will be in the hands of people (the looters and those who legally stocked up) and there will be nothing left to do except fight each other for the supplies.

Good luck NOLA, its going to get worse before it gets better.

[lebkuchen]

30. No one was chuckling at looters but rather understanding the situation

these are poor people who are desperate for food and water and medicine. If it takes looting from the richest man in the world to get those needs met, it hardly warrants a "shoot to kill" policy from several here who had posted as such.

[shance]

31. Where are all these "thugs" coming from? It makes no sense.

Where did they get the guns? The bullets?

Where did they get the strength to do all this amidst this crisis?

Where and more importantly WHY are their 'thugs' all of a sudden attacking those that could help them?

How can we know this is a fact?

[QC]

36. Ever been to New Orleans?

Outside the touristy parts, I mean. It's not entirely a new phenomenon to have armed gangs out in the streets--that's been going on for years.

[DemBones DemBones]

37. Evidently not! nt

[Cylinder]

33. RE: Where did they get the guns?

Where did they get the guns? The bullets?

Personal stock and looted stores.

Where and more importantly WHY are their 'thugs' all of a sudden attacking those that could help them?

Becuase there is no civil authority present.

How can we know this is a fact?

It's prettry clear things are breaking down. It's what happens in these situations. Do you believe that these reports aren't true?