Military's Northern Command steps up response efforts

[CHIMO]

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- The Joint Operations Center at U.S. Northern Command is an electronic window into America. And as Hurricane Katrina churned its way across the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, gathering energy and pushing a storm surge before it, the view from that window darkened ominously.

Most of the eight large video screens that make up the operation center's "wall of knowledge" were tracking the approaching storm and the U.S. government's preparation for what would become one of the worst natural disasters to strike America in modern times.


Northern Command, the Pentagon's designated force for protecting the homeland and responding to "incidents of national consequence," began deploying forces well before Katrina made landfall. It dispatched military liaison and medical planning teams to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, where they were to coordinate with Federal Emergency Management Agency field offices. As part of the Department of Homeland Security, FEMA is responsible for coordinating the federal response to hurricanes.

Given acute sensitivities about military operations on U.S. soil, and given the provisions of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the U.S. military (although not the National Guard) from engaging in law enforcement activities, Keating's comments caused a stir. Almost immediately following their publication, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff reminded the Pentagon that under presidential directive, he had federal responsibility to "prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies."

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=32146&sid=28

Looks less than 24 hrs. young.

[mahina]

1. Well, that is extremely disturbing...

The Northern Command was engaged under bu$h II if I am not mistaken. Will America stand still, finally, for this?

[Pachamama]

2. I'm betting that the Bush Administration & GOP Congress starts trying to

get the Posse Comitatus Act repealed within the next month....

Wanna wager anyone? I've been betting that was on their list a long time ago....Now they will use Hurricane Katrina and the inability to respond (and ofcourse to all the "lawlessness") that they will try to argue that Military troops need to be given the ability to act on US soil for our "security"....

Of course, none of this would necessary if our NATIONAL GUARD was here to do its job instead of being in Iraq...but never fear, the Bush Neo-cons have been eyeballing this opportunity for awhile...and now they will go for it...

Mark my words and bookmark this thread....

[Miss Chybil]

3. The military was ready to go, awaiting word from Bush. Bush, et. al.

is now going to use them as a scapegoat. The NG was held back by FEMA. This is all a smokescreen.